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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Before modern food processing techniques were used many of our grains sprouted accidentally. Any cereal kernel will begin to grow when exposed to the right temperature and degree of moisture. Just a small amount of germination produces sprouted grain, that point at which a plant straddles the line between a seed and a new plant. Left to sprout too long and the kernel turns into a new grass stalk which humans are unable to digest without further processing.
The sprouting process increases the amount and availability of some important nutrients found in grains such as B vitamins, vitamin C, fiber, amino acids, and healthy fats which makes sprouted grains a potential nutrition powerhouse. Sprouting also may reduce the grain’s allergic response in sensitive individuals. Research on the potential benefits of eating sprouted grain products is beginning to emerge and it is showing promise in managing diabetes, protecting the liver, reducing the risk for heart disease, and decreasing depression and fatigue for nursing mothers.
Companies, today, sprout their grains under carefully controlled conditions. They first allow the grains to sprout to the right point and then select either the dry or wet processing method depending on what type of food products they make. Using the dry method the grains are sprouted and then dried to lock in the ideal stage. At this point, the sprouted grain can be stored until cooked or it can be milled into sprouted grain flour. Using the wet approach, the sprouted grains are mashed into a thick paste which is used to make “flourless” breads, tortillas and muffins. These flourless sprouted grain breads are usually sold refrigerated or frozen.
I recently tasted some sprouted grain products. All these brands are worth a try.
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Food For Life (www.foodforlife.com) produces flourless Ezekiel 4:9 Flax Sprouted Grain Bread. It contains sprouted wheat, flax, barley, millet, lentils, soybeans and spelt. It is a pleasant, chewy, nutty bread. The company recommends keeping out only the amount you need and freezing the rest because it is preservative free. It is often sold in the freezer section of the supermarket. The bread will get moldy fast, especially in humid, summer heat. One slice has 80 calories, 1 gram of fat (no saturated fat, trans fat or cholesterol), 5 grams of protein, 14 grams of carb (no sugar and 4 grams of fiber) and 70 milligrams of sodium. The bread is certified USDA Organic and kosher (KOF-K).
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Garden of Eatin’ (www.gardenofeatin.com) produces Sprouted Blues Corn Tortilla Chips made from organic blue corn and sprouted whole grains (brown rice, lentils and quinoa). They are crispy, lightly salted corn chips. One serving (1 ounce or 11 chips) has 130 calories, 7 grams fat (0.5 grams saturated), no cholesterol or trans fat, 15 grams of carb (a trace of which is sugar and 3 grams fiber) and 80 milligrams sodium. The tortilla chips are gluten free, and contain no genetically modified ingredients, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and are kosher certified (KOF-K).
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Way Better Snacks (www.gowaybetter.com) produces a line of tortilla chips using a combination of sprouted seeds and grains – flaxseed, chia seeds, quinoa, black beans, broccoli seeds, brown rice and daikon radish seeds. The chips come in 6 flavors – No Salt Naked Blues, Sweet Potato, Sunny Multi-Grain, Beyond Black Bean, Unbeatable Blues, and So Sweet Chili. One serving (1 ounce or 11 chips) has 130 calories. Depending on the flavor the fat varies from 6 to 7 grams fat (with 1 gram of saturated fat, no cholesterol or trans fat) and 95 to 110 milligrams of sodium. No Salt Naked Blues has no sodium. The tortilla chips are gluten free, and contain no genetically modified ingredients, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and are kosher certified (OU).
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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