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    A Kitchen Inspired by Sprouted Foods

    As I walk down the stairs, I rub my eyes and try to get them to catch up with my brain. I woke eagerly this morning wondering how my latest experiment is coming along. Two days ago, I embarked on an adventure to sprout grains to make my very own homemade sprouted wheat bread. While grocery shopping one day last week, I strolled the bulk aisle and my imagination started swimming with ideas on what I could make with all of these lovely grains laid out before me.

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    Sprouted French Toast with Pecans and Cashews.

    Baking has always been my passion, hobby, and career, so it was not at all strange that I thought, “Hey, I’ll make my own sprouted grain bread.”

    To me, it’s a fantastic idea and I am even optimistically projecting how I will make it a regular routine to come home from work and create amazingly tasty and nutritious breads for my family at least once a week. I decided to start off with wheat berries and make a simple sprouted wheat bread – no fluffs until I get a basic recipe down. Now here I am this morning, the sun is not even up yet, staring into a large glass jar to see if I can detect any little green buds popping out of the tiny water-logged grains.

    There are buds, not green as I had anticipated -instead, tiny white roots. I reach for King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking -my go-to bread book- to confirm the berries are ready to use “when the white roots are about as long as the seed itself, about ¼ inch.” By the looks of it, I have at least another eight to twelve hours before I can make my bread. Time to play the waiting game.

    While the act of sprouting seeds and grains is a technique that has been around for almost 5,000 years, it has only recently shown up in products and in the aisles of grocery stores. I researched online to investigate this new product concept and find out if it is something of value to feed my family. I am most curious to know what exactly is a grain and why should we eat them once they have been sprouted.

    The Whole Grains Council is passionate about the consumption of grains for better health and has a vast knowledge to share about their benefits. According to the council, grains are basically seeds containing three parts: the bran, endosperm, and germ. When these seeds are soaked, and then allowed to rest for incremental periods between being rinsed, the germ will begin to grow, and tiny sprouts will emerge from the once solid seed.

    When the plant is starting to form, the starches in the endosperm transform, becoming more easily digested by the plant as well as humans. It is also thought that the nutrients are at an optimal level when the grain is at the stage where it is between being a seed and plant (sprouted). Some of the nutrients found in sprouted grains are: B vitamins, vitamin C, folate, fiber, and essential amino acids. If you’ve ever eaten sprouted wheat bread you can probably testify that it’s got a more appealing texture and flavor as compared with whole wheat breads!

    After learning more about these little powerhouse plantlings, I’m eager to embrace the trend with an open mouth. I am even more excited to finish making my first sprouted wheat bread. I get home from work and peek into the jar. Yippee! The grains are ready!

    A sandwich made with sprouted bread.

    I use the Sprouted Wheat Sandwich Bread recipe from page 185 of the King Arthur Flour’s Whole Grain Baking Book and get to work putting my dough together, then knead it by hand. It needs to feel all the love in your fingertips to taste truly good. I dutifully follow the directions in my book to finish working the dough.

    Finally, late into the night, I am ready to put the loaf in the oven. The house is spilling over with rich scents of yeast, caramelized wheat, and honey. It comes out of the oven golden and beautiful. I stop my husband just before he gets ready to dig into the steamy, crisp bread, covering the loaf with a towel, and dragging him to bed. Bread needs at least one hour to cool before being sliced or torn apart for enjoyment.

    It’s agonizing, but we sleep well with visions of thick slices spread with sweet apple or pumpkin butter. I do not know if this is an adventure I will actually be able to accomplish every week because of its labor intensity, but it sure is heartwarming and scrumptious to watch a loaf of bread take shape from the grain up.

    In addition to sprouted grains, many bulk products are popping up such as sprouted seeds for snacking, cereals, and flours. They are much easier to integrate into your diet than baking a loaf of sprouted bread and they offer equally beneficial nutrients.

    Next time you are walking the aisles of your grocery store, be on the lookout to add these healthy and delicious snacks to your diet or look for English muffins, bagels, and sliced breads like Ezekial 4:9. They are great toasted up with your favorite nut butter and are available in the frozen section. You many even find salad packs with fresh sprouted grains snugly packed into tubs for you to take home and sauté or add to your favorite salad or wrap for lunch the next day.

    If you are compelled to try the next new thing out there like I am, you may want to try Sprouted French Toast with Peaches and Cashews or Pork Chops with Sprouted Crumb Dressing. No matter what sprouted products you buy or choose to make at home, enjoy them knowing there is a little sprouted secret hiding inside just for you.

    With “A Kitchen Inspired” we will share with you the current and up-and-coming ingredients, products, and cooking methods that inspire our team members, chefs and the kitchen at Whole Foods Market Dublin. Let us know if you’ve enjoyed sprouted foods (or made your own!) at [email protected].

    Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company’s motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement.

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    Lauren Van Meter
    Lauren Van Meter
    Lauren Van Meter is the Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market Dublin where she has been a team member for more than six years. While Lauren’s first love was getting her hands sticky with dough and batter in the bakery, she is passionate about learning and educating others about living and eating well. She’s happy to share her wealth of knowledge with you in a cooking class or healthy eating tour, or she will gladly just answer your healthy cooking questions at [email protected]
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