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Sprouted Grains

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:12 pm
by Bella
This is probably a real basic question with a very easy answer but I'm feeling a little slow in the brain today. :?

I'm drifting away from "processed" grains such as whole wheat pasta and bread (still good for you, not questioning that but not MWL) but this morning, it dawned on me that the sprouted breads (etc.) that I've been eating have been "processed" to a degree. Would these be considered the same as the whole wheat breads or completely acceptable in the view of intact whole grains?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 2:56 pm
by KareninTN
I also have a grain question, Jeff. What about "semi-processed" grains, like steel-cut oats or old fashioned rolled oats? Would their calories per pound be, say, halfway between intact grains and processed flour, or are they nearer one end than the other?

thanks,
karenturtle

Re: Sprouted Grains

PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:48 am
by JeffN
Bella wrote:This is probably a real basic question with a very easy answer but I'm feeling a little slow in the brain today. :?

I'm drifting away from "processed" grains such as whole wheat pasta and bread (still good for you, not questioning that but not MWL) but this morning, it dawned on me that the sprouted breads (etc.) that I've been eating have been "processed" to a degree. Would these be considered the same as the whole wheat breads or completely acceptable in the view of intact whole grains?


Hi Bella

This is a really good question as there is much misunderstanding.

By the strictest definition of the word, "anything" we do to a food, is a process. My concern is with any process that may have an effect on either nutrient density or calorie density.

When you sprout a grain, it is still, IMHO, an intact whole grain, weighing in around 500 calories per pound. It would have absorbed a similar amount of water as if it were cooked.

If you were to then eat it at this time, or mix it together with some other ingredients (a few vegetables, lemon juice etc) and make a sprouted grain salad, it would still be an intact whole grain and around the same nutrient and calorie density.

In my opinion, this would be the best way to consume it

However, when the sprouted grain is made into a bread, even home made sprouted bread, or Ezekiel bread, it has undergone more processing (ie, grinding, baking, etc). In addition, by the time the bread is done being made, it has lost most of it moisture content and become higher in calorie density. The nutrient density of the intact sprouted whole grain would be about the same as the intact whole grain or intact sprouted whole grain, but the calorie density would be much higher.

When a sprouted grain is ground up to make bread, because it is much more moist then the dry whole grain, it never gets ground into a "flour." That is why many of these breads advertise themselves as "flourless."

While many beleive there is some benefit to the sprouted grains, and the products made from them in regard to other whole wheat breads, the calorie density is the same, around 1200 calories per pound. So, in that regard, they are about equal.

Typical 1 oz slice of whole grain bread = 80 calories
Typical 1 oz slice of Ezeikiel sprouted bread = 80 calories

Calorie density is virtually identical.

So, what does this all mean? :)

IMHO, whole grain breads and sprouted whole grain breads are not intact whole grains (as the grains have been ground up) nor as beneficial to people with weight issues as consuming the whole wheat berry or sprouted wheat berry in its intact (unground) form.

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD

PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:54 am
by JeffN
KareninTN wrote:I also have a grain question, Jeff. What about "semi-processed" grains, like steel-cut oats or old fashioned rolled oats? Would their calories per pound be, say, halfway between intact grains and processed flour, or are they nearer one end than the other?

thanks,
karenturtle


Hi Karen

Again, great questions.

The component that most effects calorie density is the moisture content of the final product.

If you take a whole oat and cook it in water, the resulting product is about 300 calorie per pound (oatmeal is one of the whole grains with the lowest calorie density).

IF you take the whole oat, crack it in half, (cracked grain or steel cut) and cook it in water, the resulting product is about 300 calories per pound. Virtually no difference than the whole oat.

If they take the whole oat and steam it and "roll" it to flatten it out, they can now sell it as rolled oats.

If you buy the rolled oats and cooking it in water, the resulting product is about 300 calories per pound. It is virtually the same as the end product absorbed as much water.

Hope that helps

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD

Re: Sprouted Grains

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:08 am
by boardn10
BUt I thought that sprouted grains have not be grouns up! They are just sprouted. Since I have to watch candida....maybe I should skip all of my sprouted grain breads and cereals.

Re: Sprouted Grains

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:50 pm
by JeffN
boardn10 wrote:BUt I thought that sprouted grains have not been ground up! They are just sprouted.


Not really. How do you think they take a wheat berry that is sprouted and turn it into bread?

By grinding it up. :)

Now, because the sprouted grain is somewhat "moist" it may never get as ground up into the minute particles that a dry grain would, but it is still fairly well ground up. From this ground up "dough", they then make the breads. And, the resulting product is virtually as calorie dense as regular bread.

boardn10 wrote:Since I have to watch candida....maybe I should skip all of my sprouted grain breads and cereals.


It would be an interesting experiment, and one I would endorse, so let me know if you do it and what the results are.

In Health
Jeff