New Grains in 7Grain Menu: Spelt

Good news everyone! Summer holidays are over and we are back with new exiting recipes. We decided to expand our menu and start a new line of products that will be suitable for people who are sensitive to wheat and gluten.

Today I am going to tell you about spelt the ancient grain, wheat's distant cousin, the first that was grown by farmers as long as 5000 years BC. Spelt was originally growing in Middle East and was used by Greeks and Romans. Just recently spelt was reintroduced to US consumers.

What's so cool about spelt? It's an unusual grain because it retains all of its nutritional value in the kernel. Spelt has a tough hull, or husk, that makes it more difficult to process than modern wheat varieties. Its husk protects it from pollutants and insects and usually allows growers to avoid using pesticides.
Even after processing spelt contains high levels of proteins and carbohydrates. Spelt wasn't modified and still has many of the original traits.

Spelt is a good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, niacin, iron and potassium. Easily digested. It contains less gluten than wheat and many wheat sensitive people can tolerate it. Easily substituted for wheat in recipes. In the old times a bowl of boiled spelt was inexpensive but nutritional food for workers. It's even mentioned in great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin's The Tale of the Priest and HisWorkman Balda. The bowl of spelt cereal was his payment for a day's work.

In 7 Grain we use only certified organic wholegrain spelt flour that mill ourselves.

We developed couple delicious recipes: Spelt Pizza Crust and Spelt Tortillas.

As always we tried our new recipes on our teenage children. They loved it saying that spelt products have a delicious, light and nutty flavor. At the same time it's filling without being heavy on your stomach. One usual size wrap made out of spelt tortilla was enough in comparison to 2 wraps out of white wheat flour that kids usually ate.

Nutrition Facts on Organic Spelt Berries 

Serving Size: 1/4 cup (43 g)

Nutrient Amount % DV

Calories 140  

Calories from Fat 10   

Total Fat 1 g 2%   

Sodium 0 mg

Total Carbohydrate 31 g 10%   

Dietary Fiber 3g 11%   

Protein 6 g   

Iron 10%

Next week at the Farmer's Market ask for Spelt Pizza Crust or Spelt Tortilla.

Five Myths and Truth about Bread

Myth 1: There is zero nutritional value in bread, just lots of empty carbs.

Truth: Yes, bread is our main source of carbohydrate but they are essential for healthy diet and are a source of energy for your body. At the same time bread provides you with many other important nutrients such as:

a. Fiber which is helping to keep our digestive system healthy.

b. Calcium which is absolutely essential for your bones, nerves and muscles to work properly.

c. Iron which is needed for healthy blood cells and overall circulation.

d. B vitamins such as niacin, thiamine, folic acid.

Myth 2: Brad is fattening

Truth: Whole grain bread is a low fat food. Most breads has only 2- 4% fat and sugar which comes from grain itself. Average slice of bread has less about 80 calories. Bread is not fattening by itself, the other stuff that you it with it is. So use spreads sparingly and avoid high fat toppings and fillings.

Myth 3: Bread has too much salt

Truth: Salt plays a major role in dough formation, fermentation rate and flavor of bread and so all breads will contain some salt. But in fact bread is a low sodium food. It’s about only 2.5g (1/2 tsp) of salt in a regular loaf of bread.

Myth 4: Many people are allergic/intolerant to bread

Truth: It’s estimated that only about 4% of population might suffer from true food allergy (abnormal reactions of body’s immune system). Nevertheless 20% believe themselves to have an allergic reaction to wheat without being properly diagnosed by doctor. For most people it’s unnecessary to avoid bread and other wheat products. If you suspect that you might be suffering from wheat intolerance consult with the doctor. Self-diagnosis can potentially be harmful to your health.

Myth 5: All contemporary wheat grain is unhealthy

Truth: Not all grain is genetically modified. Eat bread made of organic wheat. It’s non GMO, grown on clean lands without pesticides or synthesized fertilizers. 7 Grain Bread made of certified 100% organic grain.   

Is Gluten Bad for You?

Let’s talk about gluten and gluten free diet today. There is a lot of misunderstanding around this issue. You and I became witnesses of a new myth that was born right before our eyes. And the myth is GLUTEN IS BAD for you. So let’s explore it and think if it’s true or false.

First of all, what is gluten after all? Gluten is a complex of two proteins, gliadin and glutein. found in seeds of most grasses and most of the grains like wheat, spelt, barley and even rye. The gluten makes the dough stretch and rise. It gives the bread spongy texture and thickens sauces.

Some people have an autoimmune inflammatory disease of small intestine, commonly known as celiac disease. That means their bodies treat gluten as an invader and starts a immune response or allergic reaction. It affects approximately 1 in every 250 people. There is no doubt that these folks have to stay away from gluten completely. Let’s call them gluten intolerant, eating gluten is potentially dangerous for them.

Some other people, let’s call them gluten-sensitive. It’s not the same as celiac disease, because the body of gluten sensitive person doesn’t develop antibodies. But eating gluten develops all kinds of problems from headaches to bloating and cramps. It’s like with any other food allergy. For example my brother-in-law can not eat egg whites and my sister is sensitive to honey and oranges.

Doctors have been using a gluten free diet to treat those individuals for over 40 years already. So it’s nothing new.

There is no scientific evidence that gluten can be problematic for average gluten tolerant person. Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center says, “The potential adverse health effects of gluten in those sensitive to it have reverberated in cyberspace, creating the impression that gluten is a bona fide toxin, harmful to all. This is false; gluten is not ‘bad’ for those tolerant of it, any more than peanuts are ‘bad’ for people free of peanut allergy.”

Therefore, gluten-free diet is justified for some people, but unnecessary for most. “The effort is well-justified for those who are truly gluten-sensitive, but potentially much ado about nothing for others just caught up in the trend. In addition, the exclusion of whole grain wheat, rye, barley and potentially oats from the diet might reduce overall diet quality and fiber intake. Again, a price worth paying when gluten avoidance is clearly necessary, but cost without benefit for others,” Dr. Katz says.

If you think you might have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, it’s best to see your practitioner before starting a gluten-free diet. Because it will be difficult to establish if you have a special condition or not after you go on a gluten-free diet.

And in the end I’d like you to think about the words of Alessio Fasano, director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Celiac Research. “The bottom line for gluten-sensitivity,” Fasano says, “is there are very little facts and a lot of fantasy.”

FAQ-2

I love bread but I am a weight watcher. So what how many calories in your 7 Grain Bread?

One serving which is one regular slice is about 30g has 70 calories. Carbohydrates — 11 g (4% of DV), dietary fibers — 3g (9% of DV), proteins — 3 g. So as long as you don’t eat too much you should be fine.

Do you have a store somewhere?

Not yet. But we sell our bread at the Covington Farmers Market and Camellia City Farmers Market every Saturday from 8 to 12AM.

Do you sell whole grain flour?

Yes. If you’d like to buy freshly ground whole grain flour place your order with us personally at the farmers markets or text us before noon on Friday.

Read your blog. No price listed anywhere.

Please send us your e-mail and we send you our price information. Or can come to the farmers markets.

PS Feel free to send your questions to our e-mail address or send a text (phone # is at the top of the blog).

Whole truth about whole grains

According to survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association in 2011 about 48% of asked consumers indicated that they started eating more whole grain foods. It’s sounds like a great news isn’t it? Whole grains are hot these days. Healthy food awareness is rising. We are reading labels when buying food and chose the ones that has words like “good source”, “multigrain”, “made with the whole wheat” etc.

But what does these words really mean? Let’s examine them.

First of all, we have to understand that regulations about using such words are pretty loose in US. The producers can put claim their product as whole grain if it contains at least 51% of whole grain, which is by the way, considered to be 8g per serving.

Would you buy the same bread if it would say “51% whole grain bread” or even “64% whole grain pasta”? The truth is that the producers don’t have to show the numbers on a package. And in our mind “whole grain” sounds like “100% whole grain, when in reality it’s far from it. In most cases other 49% are filled with not very healthy stuff like refined, enriched or unbleached wheat or rice flour, soy products, dough conditioners, extra gluten, lecithin, emulsifiers just to name few.

It’s also true of products that have “the good source of whole grain” and “rich in whole grain” on the box. Usually a serving of many foods weights 30 to 55g (1-2 ounces). Let’s do simple math. 8g out of 55g are just 15%. That means that “good source” “whole grain” foods could be as much as 85% refined grain! So, unless it says 100% whole grain, you have to really check what the product consists of.

And by the way “100% whole grain” according to contemporary regulations means that serving has 16g of whole grains.

What about “multigrain” and “whole grain blends” claims?

“Multi” just mean “many” and it also can be replaced with the number like 5-grains, 7 or even 12. The product can even have traces of all this different grains, but that doesn’t necessary mean that they are whole. It doesn’t matter if you are getting 5, 7, 12 or even 32 grains, because they are mostly refined.

Now to the blends. It’s a very smart move in the marketing strategies. Because usually “Whole grain” is written in a big print and “blend” in a small one. And you get what you get a blend. It can consist of refined flour and some wheat bran or wheat fiber tossed in. And really a blend can be anything in the range from mostly refined flour to half and half. If you look hard you can probably find the percentage of whole grains in small print on the back of the box.

It feels like unless you make your own food you can't be sure that it's really wholesome and healthy. It’s kinda sad. Isn’t it?

Whole Grains Help to Decrease Risk of Diabetes

While surfing the Internet this morning I came on the interesting article on new scientific evidence about whole grains helping to decrease the risk of becoming pre-diabetic. So I couldn't help but to share it with you, guys. It sounds like a great news!
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2012/12/whole-grains-slash-pre-diabetes-risk.aspx


STOCKHOLM—The addition of more whole grains into a healthy diet is associated with a decreased risk of deteriorating glucose tolerance, including progression from normal glucose tolerance to pre-diabetes, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital investigated whether a higher intake of whole grain protects against the development of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes and tested for modulation by polymorphisms of the TCF7L2 gene. Participants included 5,477 Stockholm residents aged 35 to 56 years who were not diagnosed with diabetes and who kept food journals of how much whole and refined grains they consumed. Researchers measured blood glucose in study participants and followed up 10 years later.
Participants who ate 59 grams of whole grains a day had a 34% lower risk to deteriorate in glucose tolerance compared to those who ate 30 grams of whole grains a day. Risk reduction was significant in men, but not in women. Participants who consumed 59 grams of whole grains a day also had a 27% reduced risk of becoming pre-diabetic.

Dietary recommendations for whole grain

I personally like taste of whole grain bread, so I can eat it all day long. But how much is enough for maintaining a healthy diet. The US Dietary Guidance recommends different amount of whole grains daily according to your age and sex.

For children: age 2-3 — 1.5-3 servings; age 4-13 — 2-4 servings.

For women: age 14 to 50 — 3-6 servings; 50 + — 3-5 servings.

For men: age 14 to 50 — 3.5-7 servings; 50+ — 3-6 servings.

But what counts as a serving? In 100% whole grain products as 7 Grain offers to you that would be:

1 slice of 7 Grain, Rye or Sprouted bread

1/2 of 7 Grain sandwich flat

1/2 of a cinnamon bun
1 muffin

1 pack of biscotti
1 cup ready-to-eat homemade granola (there are 3 cups in our granola packs)

1/2 cup cooked homemade pasta or 1 ounce dry pasta (there are 6 ounces in our pasta packs)

1/4 of 8” pizza crust or 1/6 of 12” crust

1/2 of focaccia

You see how easy it is to start eating right at every meal with 7 Grain? Health experts agree that every bit of whole grain you eat contribute to your good health. So if you are never before ate the whole grain bread, you can start with as small as 1 serving a day and look for opportunities to get a little more here and there. After a while you will fall in love with the taste of whole grains and will be surprised that some of you old tie favorites may taste strangely bland and unappealing!

FAQ-1

What is 100% organic bread?

According to USDA term “organic” may apply on the foods that have at least 70% of organic ingredients in it.  We start out with high quality natural grains and seeds that have been produced without conventional pesticides and fertilizers. We buy only the freshest, organic vegetables we can find. We guarantee that all our products are 100% organic whole grain.

All our bread, pizza, pasta and cereal are handmade product, that’s why sometimes it doesn’t look as commercial products from the store. We don’t use any stabilizers or emulsifiers, like maltodextrin, flavor enhancers, like MSG, dough conditioners or any modified foods. Because they do not produce clean, healthy and delicious foods like 7Grain’s.

Why organic bread is more expensive?

It is more expensive in comparison to conventional un mass products due to several reasons. Production cost for organic food is usually higher, because it’s done in small volumes to insure its freshness and it is handmade product. But you have to look beyond upfront cost. In the long run eating the organic food means our bodies would be healthier which means paying less on medical bills and having more energy to enjoy doing what we love.

Is your bread gluten free?

No. We bake whole grain bread which made mostly out of wheat. And gluten is a natural protein which is found in wheat, spelt, barley and rye. It makes dough elastic, helps bread rise and keep it shape. Also it gives the bread the chewy texture. We don’t add any gluten to our bread though as many commercial bakeries do. The only gluten free product that we make is homemade granola.  

Do you use sugar?

We never use white refined sugar or sugar substitutes in our products. All our breads and other products are sweetened with raw cane sugar, honey or molasses. We try to cut sugar down as much as possible. For example we use only 1 Tsp of raw sugar for a whole loaf of 7 Grain Bread.

How should I store your bread?

We use no preservatives or added chemicals, that is why the “shelf life” of our bread is very short. So we recommend refrigerating it. Our bread freeze well too, it can be frozen up to one month.

Do you make everything yourself?

Yes. We do everything ourselves from grinding our own flour to baking and bringing it to the markets. There are six of us: two moms and four home schooled teenagers, who love to bake for our friends and ourselves. And of course, there are our husbands, who are not involved in baking but wholeheartedly support us.