Sprouted Grains

I’m back! My vacation was perfect and now I’m ready to start blogging again. No specific focus for this week… just answering some questions I’ve gotten recently.

One reader asked me about the advantages of eating sprouted grain bread products versus other bread products. I touched on this briefly in February when I talked about English muffins, but it’s a great question and I’m happy to revisit the topic.

Let’s start with white Wonder bread – something we’ve probably all eaten at some point in our lives. Wonder bread is made from wheat that has been bleached, a process that strips the wheat of all of its original nutrients. White flour used in refined grain products such as Wonder bread has lost over half of vitamins B1, B2 and B3, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, iron and fiber. In the 1940s, the government began sponsoring the enrichment of bleached wheat products. The makers of Wonder bread began adding vitamins and minerals to their bread, and started an advertising campaign that boasted of the many nutrients found in Wonder bread. When foods are enriched, the nutrients added are not as bioavailable to us as nutrients found in whole foods. I will talk about bioavailability later this week, because it is an interesting and important concept to understand.

Many people have moved on from Wonder bread and are now consuming whole grain bread products: bread, bagels, English muffins, tortillas, and even chips and crackers. Remember this picture from the blog post I wrote about bagels?

I think it’s helpful to actually see what a “whole grain” looks like. Refined grain producs have the bran and germ removed from the wheat kernel. Whole grains are significantly more nutrient-dense than refined grains, which is evident in the grain’s taste and texture. They contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lignans, phenolic acids, phytoestrogens, and other important phytochemicals. The breads that are usually made from whole grains are the ones labeled as “whole wheat,” however multi-grain, rye and pumpernickel can be made from whole grains as well.

Some companies have now taken bread one step further, with sprouted grain products. When grains are sprouted, their nutritional content changes. Sprouting allows the germ of the wheat to release enzymes. These enzymes help us digest the grains more easily. Sprouted grains are also higher in protein, vitamins, and antioxidants, and help promote healthy bacteria in our digestive tract. Many people find that sprouted grains are much gentler on the stomach and easier to digest than regular whole grain breads. They are digested very slowly, which helps us stay full longer and helps stabilize blood sugar.

The Food for Life products are usually cooked slowly at low temperatures (250 degrees), so they are not considered a raw food. However, this type of cooking allows for most of the nutrients and enzymes to remain in tact for easier digestion.

If you are someone who feels slight discomfort when digesting whole grain products, you may want to try sprouted grains. They taste great, and the Food for Life brand has many options – tortillas, breads, pasta, English muffins and more. We buy the tortillas and English muffins all the time and love them! I still buy whole grain freshly (and locally) baked bread rather than using the sprouted grain bread, because I love the bread we buy and I save a lot of money by slicing it myself very thinly and making the loaf last twice as long. But the sprouted grain English muffins are great for breakfasts, and the tortillas make it into our lunch rotation frequently. Today for lunch: tortillas with turkey, Colorado-made raw milk cheese (from Twin Mountain Milkhouse, sold at In Season Local Market in Denver), bok choy, and stone ground mustard made with Guinness, straight from the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin!

English Muffins

Eating English muffins in the morning brings me back to my childhood. Sitting in my great-grandmother’s light blue dining room, table set with her best china, sliver and cloth napkins, waiting anxiously for her to bring in each tray of food: strawberries tossed in sugar with a side of cream; homemade bran muffins topped with a soft, generous cube of butter; freshly-squeezed orange juice; and of course a fluffy white toasted English muffin, again slathered in warm butter. It was the perfect breakfast and my mouth still waters thinking about it.

Now we have so many options when it comes to English muffins. There were Thomas’ originals, and now they’ve added whole wheat, lite, high fiber. Then Oroweat introduced their line of English muffins and most recently came up with double fiber English muffins. And I noticed last week that they now sell Rudi’s Organic products in discount grocery stores, from tortillas to bagels to English muffins. If you shop at an organic grocery store, you may have tried Ezekiel products or another local brand.

So, which ones are best?

Unfortunately, not the Thomas’ originals. (But, if I am ever offered one that is lightly toasted and smothered in warm butter, I can assure you I will not turn it down – in honor of my Grammie, of course!).

The whole grain English muffins are a good option. Any bread product made from whole grains will have a higher nutrient content and keep you full longer than regular white bread (make sure it’s “whole wheat” and not just “wheat” – there is a difference). Every grocery store offers a whole grain variety of English muffins, so you should have a few options.

Beware of English muffins labeled light, low-fat or sugar-free. These foods are often more highly processed, have added fake sugars or flavors, and can be stripped of their good, healthy nutrients along with the fat or sugars. I know at one point Oroweat products were under scrutiny for having high fructose corn syrup, but since then they have removed this ingredient. However, you never know what they might come up with next.

This is not always the case, but read the labels and if there are too many strange ingredients, go for the regular. Regular whole wheat English muffins are still fairly low-calorie and low-fat.

Oroweat has some products that have become popular recently, like their 100-calorie sandwich thins. I’ve had these before, and they are definitely “thin” – thinly sliced but also thin on taste. They have some protein and fiber, but that’s about it. Instead of buying these, save your money and enhance your health by following this tip for sandwich bread.

Oroweat and Thomas’ are owned by the same company, Bimbo Bakeries USA.

Another option at most grocery stores is Rudi’s Organic English muffins. These seem to have similar nutrients to the Thomas’ and Oroweat whole wheat English muffins, but probably use higher quality ingredients. I haven’t done a taste test, but I’m willing to bet the Rudi’s Organics taste a little fresher. This guy seems to think so, and he even mentions that Rudi’s ingredient list is much shorter than Oroweat’s, which is a sign of a more nutrient-dense and higher quality food.

Lately we’ve been eating some Ezekiel products – tortillas and English muffins. I think the company is actually called Food For Life, but they also have that Ezekiel name on them and most refer to them as Ezekiel. Anyway, all of their products are made from organic, freshly sprouted live grains (not flour). Sprouting the grains increases nutrient content greatly, and also helps with digestion. It preserves the enzymes, making it easier for our bodies to break down the grains. Those with mild gluten sensitivities may be able to tolerate Ezekiel breads because of this. Also, they use filtered water and do not add any conditioners, additives, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. If you are looking for an English muffin that is highest in nutrients, go for the Ezekiel products. They may also be something good to try with your kids if you suspect they have a mild gluten allergy. Ezekiel English muffins will probably cost an extra dollar or two, depending on current specials at the store. But give them a try and maybe you’ll become a convert. These can be found at most local health food stores, such as Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage, Sunflower Market, or others.

This morning we had cinnamon raisin and they were delicious. Don’t forget to top your English muffins with some healthy fats, either butter or a nut or seed butter, to help you stay full longer and increase your nutrient intake and absorption at breakfast.