Nutrition Fact: Teff

5 Health Benefits of Teff

1. High Nutritional Value
   Teff is high in protein with a great combination of eight essential amino acids needed for the body’s growth and repair. It has high amounts of calcium (1 cup of cooked teff offers about ½ cup of calcium found in cooked spinach), manganese, phosphorous, iron, copper, aluminum, barium, thiamin, and vitamin C (which is not normally found in grains). The iron from teff is easily absorbed and is also recommended for people with low blood iron levels.
2. Gluten-Free
   Teff is a gluten-free grain so it can be a great alternative for those living with celiac disease, having gluten intolerance or choosing a gluten-free lifestyle.
3. Better Manage Blood Sugars
   If you’re diabetic, you might want to consider adding teff to your diet to control blood sugar levels. Teff contains approximately 20 to 40 per cent resistant starches and has a relatively low glycemic index (GI) that can help diabetics better regulate their sugar levels.
4. You Can Do A Lot With It
   Part of eating a nutritionally adequate diet is being able to incorporate superfoods like teff into all of your meals. Teff is a versatile grain and can be eaten whole, steamed, boiled or baked. Today, teff is found in a variety of products like pancakes, breads, cereals, snack bars and many other foods. Traditionally, it is used to make Ethiopian injera (sourdough bread).
5. It Tastes Great
   Looking very much like poppy seeds, teff has a nutty, grainy taste and texture that can add dimension to your recipes and cooking. Most Ethiopian platters are served on injera bread.

Source: Huff Post

Breakfast recipe with Teff:

Switch up your morning oats with this easy and delicious Teff breakfast porridge recipe from @eatingbirdfood!

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INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole grain teff
1½ cups water
1½ cups Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin, unrefined coconut oil
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 banana, sliced (save a few slices for topping)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup crushed or sliced almonds
maple syrup (optional for drizzling on top)

INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a heavy saucepan to medium heat. Add teff, water, almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, banana slices and sea salt to the pan. Stir well to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook at a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure you give the mixture a stir from time to time to prevent the teff from sticking. If the mixture gets too thick, you can add more water or almond milk but I didn’t need any extra.
Once the teff has cooked and the texture is to your liking, portion into bowls. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of almonds, extra banana slices and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.
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Recipe Credits: http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/banana-almond-teff-porridge/