Showing some teff love
July 19th, 2010
This summer I’m facilitating a wellness program at Equinox gym in downtown Boston. It’s remarkable how many people from so many walks of life have similar confusion about what to eat. Last week, there was a lot of talk about carbs. I realized, huh, it’s been awhile since I talked about this!
A quickie refresher:
A whole grain has 3 parts:
1. Bran (fiber, vitamins)
2. Germ (vitamins, antioxidants)
3. Endosperm (carbohydrates)
A refined grain is a whole grain that has been polished down to remove the bran and germ, leaving behind just the carbs. This, my friends, is one small step away from being sugar. And eating refined grains acts quite a big like sugar – they give you initial energy, you end up hungry soon after, and they can be quite addictive! Think white bread, bagels, white rice.
Also. I’m sick and tired of the “Whole Grain” marketing push that’s out there. Lucky Charms with whole grains? Kiss my butt. If you want to eat whole grains, eat whole grains. Whole. Intact. The grains, themselves. It’s cheaper that way, and a million times more healthy.
Some of the staples I recommend are brown rice, quinoa and wheatberries. Of course you can also go for millet, amaranth, spelt, kamut or farro. The health food stores near me sell whole grains in bulk (very cheap!) and bagged from companies like Bob’s Red Mill. Although grains kind of all look the same at first, once you get to know them you’ll see they all have different flavors and characteristics.
So last week I’m walking through Whole Foods and BAM I see a bag of grains I’ve never seen in any store, ever. I’m talking about the elusive teff grain! It was quite a sighting, as I’ve been looking for teff for years. I was first turned on to it by Jessica Porter’s book, The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics, but I never could find it! (The closest I’d come was teff flour, which is mighty tasty in this cookie recipe.)
Teff is the smallest grain on earth, with a much higher proportion of bran and germ to endosperm. That makes for one nutritious lil’ grain! It’s got fiber, it’s got protein, it’s got iron, and it’s got a flavor I really, really like.
So I’m not sure if you’ll stumble upon teff at your local store, but if you do – grab it! And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, order some here. I’m planning to experiment with uses, but for now I made a delicious teff/millet porridge for breakfast.
You can’t go wrong with whole grains, people.
Teff and Millet Breakfast Porridge
1/4 cup millet
3/4 cups teff
3 cups water
1 Tbl. butter
Fresh fruit
Combine water and grains in a pot, bring to a boil. Simmer until water is absorbed. Mix in butter, top with fruit.
What’s your favorite whole grain?
