Teff flour: what is it and what are its qualities?

Would you like to eat homemade breads and sweets without giving up healthy eating? This is possible thanks to teff flour. With this type of flour you can prepare a lot of recipes and delicious sweets, even if you are on a diet to lose weight, if you are an athlete or if you simply like to take care of your diet.

What is teff flour?

Teff flour comes from a grain of fairly small size and brown hue originating in Ethiopia. Its appearance and nutritional content is similar to quinoa providing a sweet and roasted aroma. It is said that this type of grain has been cultivated for more than 5000 years.

Often, the Ethiopians use it to make the typical handmade bread cakes used as a base for other foods and typical dishes of the territory. Lately, a strong expansion of this type of grain is emerging due to the great benefits that its consumption brings.

It is often consumed in breads, muffins and pastries. Another option is to consume it in vegetable creams, thick stews or with milk, replacing our usual cereals.

On the other hand, Notably its cultivation is very friendly with the environment, since its production can be done under different climatic conditions, even in dry or water-filled soils.

It has a relatively short cultivation time, during which We can obtain a large proportion of food for both humans and animals. Therefore, its environmental impact is reduced and its production safe and sustainable over time.

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Teff nutritional qualities

Teff flour is gluten free and contains important nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals.

As highlighted by a publication in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, teff can help us obtain good quality carbohydrates, accompanied by proteins of high biological value, since It contains almost all essential amino acids, especially lysine, high fiber content and a large number of micronutrients.

Given its great nutritional value, teff can help us enrich our diet, especially if we eat a vegan diet and do not consume dairy, because We can obtain good quality proteins and calcium in high proportions. It is also suitable for coeliacs, since it is gluten free.

The teff highlights its iron and calcium content of plant origin, as a study published in Economic Botanic. Thanks to its high iron content and some B vitamins may favor the prevention of anemias.

Further, provides a large proportion of fiber and resistant starch. This type of starch is a dietary fiber that can benefit blood sugar control. As well as the control of weight and health of the colon, as this article shows Plos One It is also estimated that between 20 and 40% of the carbohydrates in teff are resistant starches.

It is a whole grain cereal whose small grain It gives rise to a flour that includes germ and bran. It contains a variety of beneficial compounds for the body such as prebiotics, phytochemicals and antioxidants. These, according to the studies cited, can help prevent metabolic diseases such as:

• Mellitus diabetes
• Heart disease
• Vascular problems
• Overweight and obesity
• Dyslipidemia
• Hypertension

Discover: The flour-free diet: benefits and consequences

Teff nutritional value

So you know its nutritional value for every 100 g of its consumption:

• Energy value: 330 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 65.4 g
• Proteins: 13.3 g
• Fiber: 7.9 g
• Fat: 2.1 g
• Saturated: 0.7 mg
• Calcium: 170 mg
• Iron: 5.4 mg
• Potassium: 480 mg
• Vitamin C: 0.2 mg
• Copper: 0.7 g
• Zinc: 4.4 mg

Recipe with teff flour: Teff muffins, chocolate and nuts

With teff flour you can make delicious muffins to enjoy at your breakfasts or snacks.

Do you feel like trying a delicious and healthy dessert? Here we show you a recipe with teff flour so you have an idea of ​​how to use this cereal. You can enjoy it both in your breakfasts and in your snacks. But nevertheless, Try to consult the nutritionist first to determine if these types of preparations are suitable for you.

Ingredients

• Teff flour (195 g)
• Cassava starch (65 g)
• 4 tablespoons ground flax (60 g)
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (45 g)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (15 g)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (7 g)
• A pinch of salt and baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 grated apples
• Coconut oil (120 ml)
• Coconut milk (180 ml)
• Chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (50 g)

Elaboration

• To start, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and place the reusable silicone molds.
• In a bowl, mix the flours, sugar, cinnamon, flax, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
• Apart, in another bowl, beat the rest of the ingredients, except dark chocolate and nuts.
• Now incorporate the wet ingredients to the dry ones.
• Then, beat all the ingredients in the same bowl.
• Enter the chocolate and nuts
• Then fill the molds at 2/3 of their height and bake for 25 minutes.
• Once they are ready, let them cool on a rack.

Still don't try teff flour? As you can see, It is a nutrient-filled food that you can easily incorporate into your diet. In addition, it is ideal for replacing conventional refined flours. Dare to try it!