Sprouted Flour.....specifically sprouted whole wheat flour, have you heard of it? If not, you may want to read this.
As you may or may not know, about a year ago I made a major switch in my family's diet. It started with finding out about a soy allergy that my youngest daughter had. This allergy forced me to start diligently reading labels which was the catalyst for a major overhaul of our eating habits. Reading ingredient labels is a real eye-opener into how much crap is being put into our food...if you can even call it that. You can read more about that in THIS blog post.
The elimination of processed foods led to the entire family feeling better (especially my youngest daughter), and made me keenly aware of what we are fueling our bodies with. We now eat about 70% organic, and 90% homemade. We've also made a shift to limit the amount of refined foods (flour and sugar especially) that we eat. Basically, if it's white, we don't eat it. Baking is done with whole wheat flours and minimally refined sugars (honey, succant, palm sugar, etc).
And that is why I am writing this post about Sprouted Flour. I recently was introduced to this type of flour by a friend. I was intrigued, so I did a little research.
What is Sprouted Flour?
Sprouted flour is a finely ground whole grain plant food that is milled AFTER the plant is germinated and becomes a living plant. It is made from the entire grain inclusive of bran, germ and endosperm. Until the 20th century, grain was naturally sprouted in the field, however this changed during the industrial revolution and the invention of the combine harvester.
Why Sprouted Flour?
When whole grains are not allowed to sprout (regular flours), they lose nutrients and vitamins. Sprouted grains contain more nutrients which are more easily digested and absorbed by the body.
What are the Benefits of Sprouted Flour?
> Higher nutritional content (increased vitamin B, C, Carotene and Enzymes)
> Easier to Digest. Sprouting breaks down the starches into simple (vegetable) sugars which your body digests much easier than grains.
> Lower on the Glycemic Index. This makes this a more ideal flour for diabetics.
> Sprouted flours are easily substituted on a 1:1 ratio for processed flours.
> They taste amazing!
You can find sprouted flours in health food stores and online. I personally like King Arthur's Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat Flour which is made from wheat berries.
If you are ambitious you can even sprout your own grains and mill it. (I personally don't have the time for this but if interested click the image below or just do a search on it).
And if you aren't sold on sprouted flour yet, take a look at some of these yummy dishes I made recently...
by Gratefully Nourished
by Cheeseslave
Both of these recipes passed my "kid test", which is the most difficult test to pass in this house.
Oh, and if you want to benefit from sprouted grains WITHOUT baking, you can find pre-made breads in some grocery stores. The brand I like is Ezekiel 4:9 by Food For Life. They make regular bread, cinnamon raisin bread and tortillas which are fantastic!
If you haven't tried Sprouted Flour yet, I encourage you to do so. It really is good, your baked goods will come out wonderful and you can feel good about feeding your friends and family something that is better for their bodies. (Don't forget to look for recipes that incorporate minimally refined sugars as well.)
If you are interested in some recipes, check out my Pinterest board. There isn't too much there yet, but I promise I will continue to add to it.
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