Powerhouse Energy

There are just some things I will never feel guilty eating. Teff is one of those things. My interest in the teff grain began with learning more about it as a staple ingredient in the Ethiopian diet in the form of their staple bread, injera. Injera is eaten during most meals in Ethiopia. We all know the Ethiopians are a dominant force in the running scene. I’ve become quite intrigued by the teff grain and have made more effort to include it as a regular part of my training diet.

Teff is becoming more common in the United States. It can be found at many health food stores such as Whole Foods and the Georgetown Market. There are many benefits to including teff as part of a good training diet. Teff is a nutrient dense gluten-free whole grain. Since it’s made from the smallest whole grain in the world, it’s too small to process. This leaves the great nutrition intact to be eaten in whole form. A 1/4 cup serving of teff flour provides 15% of daily iron, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein, and 1.5 grams of fat.

I find myself working teff into pancakes, tossing a tablespoon of teff into my morning oatmeal, or even working it into a cookie or fresh baked bread. I decided I wanted an easy to grab teff option that didn’t necessarily require much effort. I was thinking along the lines of reaching for an energy bar; however, I wanted my “energy bar” to have a strong teff presence.

I came up with this recipe that I have grown to love! You can bake the recipe into a bar form or eat the dough raw for a bite size energizing treat. If I had to name one disadvantage, if you want to even call it that, it would be that I find myself very satisfied when I eat teff. I’m satisfied so much so that I would say it makes it more of a challenge to eat enough in the day because I do not feel as hungry.

Consider working this energizing grain into your diet more often. It’s wonderful!

Powerhouse Energy Bars and Bites

• 3/4 c. teff flour
• 1 c. old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/4 c. almond butter
• 3 tbsp. chopped almonds
• 3 tbsp. raisins

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. May need to use your hands to make it well blended. Roll the dough into about 1- 2″ bite size balls. Refrigerate the bites for about 30 minutes to one hour and serve. If making bars, shape into about 1″ x 4″ bars. Then bake at 300 degress for about 8 minutes. Cool and serve.

Recipe makes 18 Teff Bites.

Each bite is approximately 103 calories, 3 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of fiber, and 2.5 grams of protein

Recipe makes 8 Teff Bars.

Each bar is approximately 230 calories, 7 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrate, 4.5 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein