Your Nutrition

At the sprouted grain bakery we have chosen organic for 3 reasons:

• 1. Your Nutrition

  Recent studies suggest that organically grown fruit and grain provide more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than conventional food. It makes sense that the nutritional value of conventional food will diminish through poor farming practices, early picking, over processing and extended storage.

• 2. Your Health

  The use of pesticides, chemicals and additives in conventional food has been linked to a large variety of illnesses. Some of these include cancer, heart disease, migraines, allergies, nerve damage and birth defects.

• 3. Our Environment

  By consuming organic produce we are helping to conserve and protect our natural resources. Organic farming practices are sustainable and avoid the use of harmful chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers. This then improves the quality of our soil, air and water which creates a better environment for people, plants and animals.

Whole grain as used by the Sprouted Grain Bakery means the entire grain. That is the three layers of the grain. These being the outer bran layer, the internal germ and endosperm. As each part of the grain contains nutrients it makes sense that you consume the most nutrients when you eat the whole grain.

When flour is extracted from the grain the bran and germ are removed.

Whole grains are a remarkable combination of nutrients and phytochemicals that work together to provide up to 70 % more vitamins minerals and nutrients than processed flour.

Some of the whole grains we use are:

• Whole Wheat

  Whole Wheat is an excellent source of carbohydrates and iron. It is also rich in folic acid – a nutrient that reduces the risk of birth defects. Wheat contains a vast range of phytochemicals as well as thiamine (B1) riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3).

• Spelt

  Spelt is naturally high in fibre and contains significantly more protein than wheat. Like wheat, it is also high in B group vitamins and both simple and complex carbohydrates. Spelt has become highly regarded by people with wheat and gluten sensitivities.

• Kamut

  Kamut is the original ancient grain and has a history dating back thousands of years. Kamut is often recommended by doctors and naturopaths to patients that are sensitive to wheat. When compared to common wheat, Kamut is naturally superior with higher levels of protein, lipids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.
  

• Rye

  Rye is a cereal grain that contains significant amounts of B group vitamins, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. It also has higher amounts of lysine than other grains.
  

• Barley

  Barley is low in fat, rich in carbohydrates and contains no cholesterol. As with most whole grains, barley is an excellent source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Studies have shown that dietary fibre is effective in minimising the risk of certain types of cancer and heart disease.

• Oats

  Scientific studies have revealed that eating oats can significantly help lower blood cholesterol levels. Oats are a good source of dietary fibre and are especially well suited for a diabetic diet.

• Linseed

  Linseed is a good source of protein as well as being high in minerals such as phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. It is also a good source of vitamin E, Beta-carotene and plant lignin's which act as an antioxidant. Linseed is also the most concentrated plant source of Omega 3 fatty acids which is important for the normal functioning of the body’s metabolic growth and renewal process.

• Corn Polenta

  Corn Polenta is a good source of vitamins. In particular niacin, B12, vitamin A, Vitamin C.
  Minerals such as folacin, magnesium and potassium are also present.

A large amount of scientific evidence supports the following benefits of eating whole grains:

• Protects against heart disease and stroke
• Assists with weight control
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Improves bowel health and regularity
• Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure
• Protects against certain cancers
• Offers benefits of low glycaemic index
• Provides a high level of dietary fibre

In fact, sprouted grain breads contain more than twice the dietary fibre of bread made from flour.

• No Need For Flour

  When we tell people that we make bread without flour they can’t comprehend the idea. In recent years bread has been made as quickly and conveniently as possible with only secondary thoughts to nutritional value.
  
  Most of the bread consumed today is highly processed with fat, sugar, preservatives and other additives. In addition to this the milling process used to extract the flour from the grain removes most of the bran and germ. The heat applied during milling also destroys many of the natural vitamins and minerals. So a great deal of the real nutritional benefit is either thrown away or destroyed by heat.
  
  A large amount of processing takes place before the bread is even made.
  This is unnecessary!
  
  By sprouting the whole grains we don’t need to use flour and can retain and enhance all of the nutrients while still being able to make a delicious loaf of bread.

• Improved Nutritional Value

  It has been said that the nutritional benefits of sprouted grain bread are many with the secret of the sprout being its astounding nutritional content. Sprouting of the grain significantly increases the protein, vitamin and enzyme content of the breads whilst complex starches in the grain are converted to natural sugars, providing an easily digested rich energy source. When people with wheat intolerances try sprouted grain bread they often find their digestive system accepts the sprouted grains without any problem.
  
  Many people who have not been able to eat bread for years find sprouted grain breads easy to digest.

Foods with low Glycaemic Index (GI) are digested more slowly by the body and this helps us keep the blood sugar at a medium level longer which makes us feel satisfied and therefore less hungry. This is good for our health and well being.

Foods with a low GI include most grains such as wheat, spelt, rye, oats, barley and linseed.

It is also important to note that the more highly processed the food the higher the GI. Hence bread made from highly processed white flour has a high GI.

At the Sprouted Grain Bakery we use all the above mentioned whole grains and use minimal processing. This allows us to provide a low GI food.