To start with, is Ethiopian food healthy? YES.

Ethiopian cuisine is not only healthy and nutritious, but it’s a great way to expose children to new flavors and teach them about another part of the world at the same time.

Ethiopian cuisine is a flavorful and enjoyable way to encourage your child to eat more vegetables thanks to its hands-on approach, abundance of vegetables, and soft, bite-sized pieces. The spongy flatbread injera, which is made from the gluten-free whole grain teff, is used to serve meals family-style. Thick vegetable or meat stews, also known as wats or wots, are scooped up with pieces of injera. 

Continue reading for more information about how healthy Ethiopian food is.

Why Ethiopian Food Is Healthy?

With grains as its main ingredient, Ethiopian cuisine is high in nutrients and low in fat. The majority of the dishes are made with teff, whole grain rich in fiber, iron, protein, and calcium. “In order to reduce the risk of bowel cancer and to promote digestive health, grains are essential, according to Dr. Glenville: Green lentils make up the most well-known Ethiopian salad, Azifa, which is typically consumed with brown rice or pita bread. “”Lentils are classified as phytoestrogens with a balancing effect on hormones, both for men and women, and are high in fiber and protein but low in fat,” she continues.

Ethiopian Food Health Benefits

Can Be Plant-based

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 43% of Ethiopians identify as Orthodox Christians and refrain from eating meat and dairy products on the 180 to 250 fasting days of the year for religious reasons.

Plant-based diets (or flexitarian diets) are linked to a lower risk of death, especially heart disease-related deaths, according to an August 2019 correlative study in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Legumes are a staple of Ethiopian cuisine and may help lower LDL cholesterol levels and enhance heart health.

Vegan Friendly Too

Vegan cuisine is at its peak in Ethiopia! Many Ethiopians who practice Orthodox Christianity fast throughout the year for religious reasons. However, in our version of fasting, we simply eliminate all dairy and animal products (meat, eggs, etc.) from our diet. So, for generations, we have prepared vegetarian and vegan meals! Sick of the limp salad? Are you worried that becoming a vegetarian will ruin your happiness? Try Ethiopian food; we can show you how!

High In Fiber

Teff and lentils, two Ethiopian mainstays, are excellent sources of fiber.

Fiber-rich diets are linked to a lower incidence of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, fiber may also help with weight management by slowing digestion and boosting satiety.

Are You Getting Enough Fiber?

By recording your meals on the MyPlate app, you can monitor your daily nutrient intake. Download this app right away to start fine-tuning your diet!

Rich In Antioxidants

A September 2017 review in Antioxidants supports a strong body of evidence that spices can reduce or eliminate the harmful effects from contaminants in food and the environment thanks to their antioxidant content.

Ethiopian cuisine is spiced with a variety of herbs and spices that have been shown to be effective in preventing inflammation and disease. For example, the Antioxidants review indicates that curcumin (found in turmeric) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may decrease triglycerides and cholesterol.

Capsaicin, an antioxidant that gives hot peppers their heat, is abundant in the hot peppers used to make spice blends like berbere. The blood sugar and cholesterol levels may be improved by capsaicin.

Read about: Is Halal Food Healthy?

Healthy Ethiopian Food

Injera

It is the country’s main source of starch and filler, and nearly every Ethiopian consumes it once, twice, or even three times per day, regardless of class or status.

Teff, an ancient grain that is indigenous to Ethiopia and is typically only consumed by Ethiopians and Eritreans, is used to make injera.

To make a batter, teff flour is combined with water. It is then fried in broad circles like a pancake after being allowed to ferment, giving it a distinctive sour flavor.

Any Ethiopian meal starts with injera, which is spread out flat over a communal pan and topped with saucy dishes from that country.

Yetsom Beyaynetu – The Veg Platter

It consists essentially of an injera platter topped with a selection of the day’s vegan curries and vegetables.

Most Ethiopian restaurants serve a yetsom beyaynetu on Wednesdays and Fridays, though some serve it every day of the week.

To ensure that your meal is truly varied, the mixed Ethiopian vegetarian plate includes a bit of everything. I occasionally tried ordering single dishes, but I always found myself wanting that mixed plate. The combination of flavors and ingredients is absolutely delicious.

Shiro Wat – A Staple

In both vegan and non-vegan cooking, shiro wat is one of the staples of Ethiopian cuisine. It is a curry or stew made from ground chickpea flour, which is essentially what I would refer to as bean paste, and it is incredibly flavorful.

Onions, garlic, ginger, and a mixture of spices are used to cook vegan shiro wat. It has a gorgeous flavor, is extremely healthy, and is creamy like hummus.

Misir Wat – Lentils

The berbere spice blend, onions, garlic, and olive oil are simmered with the lentils. Once more, it’s a vegetarian Ethiopian dish that’s not only filling and high in protein, but also incredibly delicious.

Yellow peas, various other legumes, mung beans, and the full range of legumes are all used in numerous other wats (curries or stews).

Other Vegetables

Collard greens, a nutritious green leafy vegetable that is high in vitamins, are known as gomen. It frequently appears on a mixed platter in Ethiopia and is very popular there. The vegetable is typically prepared simply by sautéing it in a little oil and garlic.

Cabbage, beets, potatoes, carrots, string beans, tomatoes, and jalapenos are additional vegetables that are frequently used in vegetarian Ethiopian cuisine.

Ethiopian Salad (Salata)

If tomato salad (timatim salata) isn’t included in one of the dishes on your mixed Ethiopian vegan food platter (yetsom beyaynetu), you can request it (they might not always have it, but it’s worth a try). Anytime I could, I would get a big bowl of tomato salad.

It has an amazing flavor when diced tomatoes, red onions, and jalapenos are combined with nothing more than salt, lemon or lime juice, and a thin layer of olive oil. I loved it!

Fasting Fitfit (Firfir)

Fitfit is a well-known Ethiopian dish that consists of injera pieces that have been soaked in lemon juice and olive oil, combined with some berbere seasoning, and served as a complete meal or on top of a platter of injera.

It’s almost like injera that has been marinated. It’s simple to eat and makes good use of injera that has been sitting around for a day.

There are often a number of fasting versions of fitfit, such as shiro fitfit (fitfit) or timatim fit fit (tomato salad fitfit) that both cater to vegetarian eaters.

Why Eat Ethiopian Food?

The Flavor

The flavor is exceptional! Ethiopians are skilled spicers. Get rid of the boring struggle plate and substitute it with a “disti” of some incredible tasty foods. You haven’t played anything like our spice game. The secret to our distinctive flavor is berbere, a fragrant red spice blend made up of sundried peppers, cinnamon, cardamon, and many other delectable spices.  However, we have a ton more spices in our spice rack to boost the flavor, like tumeric and mitmita. Therefore, give some traditional dishes like tibs, kitfo, or alicha if you’re a vegetarian a try and let the flavor enchant you!

Budget Friendly

Ethiopian cuisine not only ups your flavor game, but it does so without breaking the bank!  Consider misir, my go-to recipe for perfectly spiced stewed lentils that is inexpensive to make and simple to prepare. It’s also incredibly filling!   Are you trying to eat well without going over your credit limit? Make some vegetarian Ethiopian food at home or go out to a restaurant and split a platter with friends. Sharing is caring!

Vegan Friendly Too!

Vegan cuisine has been perfected by Ethiopians! Throughout the year, a large number of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast for spiritual reasons. But in our case, fasting simply entails avoiding all dairy products and animal products (meat, eggs, etc.) from our diet. Thus, we have been preparing vegetarian and vegan meals for decades!  Uninteresting salad getting you down? Are you worried that becoming a vegetarian will ruin your happiness? Try Ethiopian food—we know how to do it!

All About Community

At the heart of Ethiopian food culture is community. On shared straw plates and baskets, Ethiopian cuisine is served. Ethiopian cuisine is meant to be consumed with your hands and injera bread, not with utensils, by scooping up stews and sides. Immersion in the custom of sharing meals as a family or group is a key component of embracing Ethiopian cuisine. The Ethiopian dining experience sheds light on the value of human connection and bonding over food in a world that is becoming more and more individualistic. This is something that is required more than ever if we are to work together to address the numerous global problems our planet is facing.

Conclusion

In the article, it was discussed whether or not Ethiopian food is healthy.

Visit an international food market or look up recipes online if there aren’t any Ethiopian restaurants nearby. Teff can be bought online, at specialty markets, and increasingly at your neighborhood supermarket.

Ethiopian cuisine, which includes everything from chicken doro wat to chunky tomato salad, is a delicious and nourishing way to get your child started on a healthy diet that is readily available.

For reading, I’m grateful.