Ezekiel Bread

Low carb, no carb, good carb, bad carb – at this point, it’s old news that bread has become the diet devil. With all the media hype around diets where bread (even wheat bread) is forbidden, you may have found yourself wondering – what’s a bread-lover to do in a bread-hating society?

I’ve struggled with this for years, ever since I tried the “Sugar Busters” diet in high school. I’ve allowed society’s anti-bread claims to induce a twinge of guilt inside me every time I slap together a sandwich. But to tell you the truth, I just don’t want to live my life sandwich-free. Maybe someday I’ll change my mind, but today, I loyally stand by my love of sandwiches.

If you’re in the same sandwich appreciation boat that I am, this post is for you. I’m here to tell you about a lovely little friend called Ezekiel Bread.

Now, I understand that many of you health forward friends out there on the interweb already know about Ezekiel Bread. I, however, just tried it this week, and I’m IMPRESSED!

What’s so great about Ezekiel Bread? Well according to the company who makes the bread, Food for Life:

There’s NO FLOUR in it.

It’s made from sprouted whole grains- wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt.

It’s organic.

It’s a complete protein.

It contains 18 amino acids.

It’s rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and natural fiber.

What about gluten? Now here’s the thing. It’s not completely gluten free, but during the sprouting process the gluten is converted to a much more easily digestible form. According to Food for Life, people with severe gluten intolerance (Celiac Disease) should steer clear, but if you have mild gluten intolerance you’ll probably be golden. (Every person is different, however – so decide for yourself!)

So sprouted grains, you say…that sounds raw…what does this mean for raw foodies? Well, technically this bread isn’t raw, either. It’s cooked above 110 degrees so it’s not raw. It is, however, “slow baked,” at lower temperatures than most bakery bread. After doing a bit of research I found that some raw foodies do eat this bread from time to time (because, technically to be raw you need to consume 75% raw foods. I don’t think someone who is strict 100% raw would eat this bread).

If you’re wondering what “sprouting” the grains does, it releases enzymes, causes the grains to become living, nutrient-rich food. Sprouting makes this bread easier to digest, and also reduces the calories and carbohydrates in the grain.

So bottom line, if you’re gonna eat bread – this is the way to go, friends.

If you want to learn more about this bread, check out the site here (that’s where I got all of the information for this post, anyway).

If you’re already convinced, and ready to go snag some now, check out your local health food store in the freezer section (this bread’s so healthy, it’ll spoil quick if it’s not kept in the freezer). In my experience so far, this bread tastes the best toasted or warm.

Sandwich lovers of the world, rejoice! You can have your bread and eat it too! That means you, Joey Tribbiani….I’m sure we could find a way to make a meatball sub on this bread… ;)