As you wonderful readers know, I recently shared a blog post all about my lifetime struggles with my health. I know it took me an awful long time to post about that, and I deeply appreciate your patience. It is such a personal story (and, errrr, a long one – sorry! I promise not all my posts will be such a novel to get through…) and one I was reticent about sharing. I hope it helped someone out there who also has struggled.
I have recently decided to only source and ingest sprouted grains. My hope is that this will help with both the severe eczema on the palms of my hands and also with the acne rosacea on my face. I am not new to sprouting grains: I have either sprouted my own grains or purchased sprouted grains for over 12 years now! I have also sprouted beans, lentils, quinoa, rice, and a variety of seeds. I haven’t yet tried oats — that’s next on my list!
What’s This Sprouting All About?
Sprouting is an ancient tradition that endured in cultures all over the world. Some of the earliest forms of bread were made with sprouted wheat. Egyptians made sprouted bread as early as 1350 BC. In neolithic China, sprouted millet, rice, wheat, and barley were used to make alcohol.
Evidence of soaking and sprouting has also been found in ancient Africa, Australia, Europe, India, South America, and the Middle East. This collective wisdom was passed down for centuries but is much less common today.
Before modern agriculture, crops often sprouted accidentally from being exposed to the elements after harvest. Agricultural advances meant sprouted grains essentially disappeared from our diets.
Sprouting brings ancient cultural practices alive and bridges modern food choices and traditional preparation. Sprouting is resurging as food prepared in slow, thoughtful, and traditional ways grows in popularity.
Why Sprouted?
Sprouted grains are whole grains that have been soaked in water and allowed to germinate, or sprout. This process activates enzymes that break down nutrients, making them more bioavailable and easier to digest. Sprouted grains also have a higher nutrient content than regular whole grains.
For many people, unsprouted grains and beans cause digestive discomfort. It is widely recognized that pre-soaking beans can help ease discomfort, but soaking and sprouting grains have the same effect.
The sprouting process naturally activates starch, protein, and lipid-degrading enzymes that “pre-digest” a grain, seed, or pulse.
The seed uses dense protein and complex carbs to grow, converting them to simpler amino acids and glucose. This means that some enzymes our bodies use to break down the seed have already been applied.
Sprouting does not remove gluten — but for some people who have discomfort digesting wheat, sprouting may help to digest and enjoy.
Whole grains have bran, germ, and endosperm, which contain the seed’s essential vitamins and minerals like protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, and antioxidants. There are no shortcuts when sprouting. A seed must be whole for it to sprout, so sprouted grains are inherently whole grains.
While whole grains and beans are a good source of nutrition, they also contain phytic acid, an enzyme that inhibits our digestive systems from fully absorbing the seed’s nutrients. The sprouting process reduces phytic acid, and how much depends on the seed and sprouting time.
For example, chickpeas sprouted for 48 hours showed a 67% decrease! Sprouting converts the nutrients that are already in the seed into a more bioavailable form for our bodies. Sprouting is a form of positive processing where nothing is removed and only water is added. This transforms its nutrient profile and allows your body to get the most from whole, natural foods.
Here are some of the benefits of using sprouted grains:
- More nutrients: Sprouted grains are higher in protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than regular whole grains. For example, sprouted wheat has 15% more protein, 25% more vitamin C, and 27% more zinc than regular wheat.
- Easier to digest: Sprouting breaks down some of the starch and gluten in grains, making them easier to digest for people with sensitive stomachs or gluten intolerances.
- Lower blood sugar levels: Sprouted grains have a lower glycemic index than regular whole grains, meaning they don’t cause blood sugar levels to spike as much after eating. This can be beneficial for people with diabetes or prediabetes.
- Improved gut health: Sprouted grains are a good source of fiber and prebiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that support gut health.
- More flavorful: Sprouted grains have a slightly sweeter and nuttier flavor than regular whole grains.
How to use sprouted grains?
Sprouted grains can be used in a variety of ways. They can be eaten raw, cooked, or baked. Sprouted grains can be added to salads, soups, stews, smoothies, and yogurt. They can also be used to make bread, pancakes, muffins, and other baked goods.
Cooking whole grains and beans is often inconvenient and time-consuming. Sprouting reduces cook time, in most cases by half, making preparation much quicker and easier. No pre-soaking is needed for sprouted beans and lentils because soaking is already part of the sprouting process.
Sprouting also stabilizes the natural oils in wheat and flax, extending their shelf life (and slowing the staling of sprouted wheat bread). This makes sprouted flour a practical, user-friendly choice for bakers.
You can easily incorporate sprouted whole grains, beans, and flour into your diet in all the same ways you would use their non-sprouted counterparts.
Choosing sprouted products means getting the benefits of sprouted grains, without the extra time and effort of sprouting at home.
Here are some ideas for using sprouted grains:
- Add sprouted quinoa or brown rice to your breakfast oatmeal.
- Top your salad with sprouted quinoa, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
- Make a sprouted grain smoothie with sprouted oats, berries, and yogurt.
- Bake sprouted wheat bread or muffins.
- Add sprouted buckwheat to your pancakes or waffles.
Where to find sprouted grains?
Sprouted grains can be found at most health food stores and some supermarkets. They are also available online. I get all my sprouted grain products from this source. I am hoping to eventually get a grain grinder and make my own flour — but I have to save up for that!
If you are looking for a more nutritious and easier-to-digest alternative to regular whole grains, sprouted grains are a great option. Also, if you suffer from autoimmune disorders or have “mystery symptoms” as I have had my whole life — let me recommend you try sprouted grains!
Of course, you can always teach yourself how to sprout your own foodstuffs! There are endless sources out there!
And The Taste?
Sprouting enhances the natural flavors and textures of grains, seeds, and pulses. Sprouted foods have richer, more complex tastes and delightful textures.
The sprouting process reduces naturally occurring bitterness (saponin), particularly in wheat and quinoa. It also converts complex starch into simple sugars, making sprouted grains taste sweeter (though their glycemic index is low). Grains develop lighter, nuttier, and more earthy flavors.
Grains like sprouted buckwheat and millet are light, crunchy, and perfect for granolas. Sprouted brown rice develops a delicate texture and sprouted farro, wheat berries, and hull-less oats are chewy and hearty. Beans become tender and buttery after sprouting and are wonderful whole or for dips!
To me, sprouted grains just taste better! As the enzymes break down starches into simpler sugars, sprouted whole grains become a little bit sweeter. And, this starch-to-simpler-sugars transformation also means bread and baked goods made from sprouted grains and sprouted whole grain flours caramelize better than those made from conventional, unsprouted ones—so you get beautiful browning and depth of flavor in your crusts and cookies, too!
Sprouting tempers bitterness of tannins, saponins, and other antinutrients in grains. It changes the natural compounds like flavonoids and phenols that give foods flavor, so sprouted grains and seeds have a more complex flavor profile than their unsprouted counterparts. And — as those endogenous enzymes break down the proteins, starches, and fiber, sprouting makes hard-hulled whole grains and seeds more tender, too!
I mean, what’s not to love?
I hope you will consider acquiring this simple skill in your kitchen toolkit! With all the heavily processed foods out there, this simple addition can really make eating and digesting grains so much less WORK for your body! Considering the health benefits and the ease of use here, why wouldn’t you start sprouting your own grains?
Enjoy the recipe below!
Please do not hesitate to comment below with any questions! I’m always here to help out!
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Always Here,
Sprouted Spelt Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 6.5 cups Azure Standard Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour See my links in post to access flour
- 3 cups Filtered Warm Water I use the Big Berkey water filter
- 1.5 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Celtic Sea Salt I resource from Azure Standard
Instructions
- Combine warm water, yeast and salt in a very large mixing bowl.Add flour.Using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly, but no kneading is necessary.The dough should be wet and sticky.Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap, to prevent from drying out.Leave out in a warm place to rise to double or triple the original size.This should take an hour or more.Using a wooden spoon, gently mix the dough by turning it around in the bowl and pressing down on it to make it collapse and let go of its built up gas.Prepare two large or three regular bread loaf pans by spraying with olive oil spray.Using the wooden spoon, transfer the dough to the loaf pans in equal amounts.Smooth out in the pans as best you can.Make diagonal slices in the top with a knife, if desired.Spray the top of the dough with olive oil spray to prevent drying out.Put the loaf pans in a warm place (such as next to the burner that vents the oven's heat to rise.Preheat the oven to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit.When the dough has risen just above the top of the pan, gently transfer the pans to the oven.Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the loaves are browned and tapping on the loaves results in a hollow sound.Remove pans from oven.Turn the loaves out from the pans and set them on a cooling rack.Spray the tops with olive oil spray.Freeze loaves that you don't plan to eat immediately.
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