Get to Know Your Grains

Grains are an integral part of our meals each day. Today let’s learn about the nutritious and delicious grain, spelt.

In this Get to Know Your Grains series, we will explore a variety of grains and their unique benefits. In America, 75 percent of our grain intake comes from a modern hybridized wheat, and most of that wheat is consumed in a highly refined form.

By diversifying the grains we eat, we can increase the variety of vitamins and minerals our bodies receive while also discovering new flavors and dishes.

In each post, we will highlight the health benefits of a specific grain, explain its most common uses, and share a simple, family-friendly recipe to try at home. My hope is that you will learn enough to feel confident trying a new grain today!

Here are the other grains we have already learned about!

What is Spelt?

Spelt is an ancient grain not modified or hybridized like modern wheat. Unlike modern wheat, which naturally sheds its shell during mechanical harvesting, spelt is a “covered wheat”. It’s tough outer hull must be forcefully de-hulled in a specialized mill.

Once the outer hull is removed, the inner grains or spelt berries look like large, elongated grains of rice. They are a bit larger and have a more rounded shape compared to modern wheat kernels. Their color is a beautiful light reddish-brown.

Spelt was very popular in German and Asian countries for many years but has made a comeback in recent years all over the world and with good reason; spelt is a nutritional powerhouse and is the only actual grain that is a complete protein. That’s pretty awesome!

Spelt has a gentle gluten and so it works a little differently in breads but is easier on the digestive system. Some individuals who have a harder time digesting modern wheat may be able to tolerate the more gentle protein structure of spelt.

Gluten or Gluten Free	Fiber per ½ cup – cooked	Protein per ½ cup – cooked
Gluten	3- 4 grams	5 grams

How To Use It

Spelt is used just as you would use wheat. It can be boiled and made into salads like tabouleh or eaten for breakfast like I did as a kid – we called it rubber wheat!

You can crack it for cereals or grind it into flour. Whole grain spelt flour is the most nutritious and has a delicious flavor. It makes wonderful breads, rolls and pizza crusts.

There are also sifted spelt flours that contain less of the bran and germ and can be used to replace all-purpose flour. I like this high extraction spelt flour from Azure Standard. It is gently sifted so the larger particles of bran are removed but most of the germ stays in the flour. This way you maintain most of the nutrients but with a softer flour that works really well in baked goods.

I also love using whole grain spelt flour in combination with sourdough. The spelt grain provides the nutritional goodness and the sourdough processes it to make it easier for our bodies to absorb. Whole grain spelt is great used as the whole grain flour in these sourdough english muffins, sourdough breadsticks or sourdough scones.

Spelt is also wonderful in a sprouted flour variety. (If you want to learn more about sprouted grains, here is a post about it.) One Degree brand has a great sprouted spelt flour that I love and use often in my non-sourdough recipes. I buy it at my local sprouts or online at Azure Standard.

Sprouted Spelt Zucchini Cake

Makes one 9×13 cake

1 1/2 cups sprouted spelt flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3 eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup coconut sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add the 1 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c cocoa, 1 t baking powder, 3/4 t salt, and 1/2 t baking soda to a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine. Add the 2 c shredded zucchini. Stir to coat the zucchini. Add the 1/2 c coconut milk, 1/3 c maple syrup, 3 eggs, 1/3 c coconut oil, 3/4 c coconut sugar and 3/4 c chocolate chips. Stir until just barely combined. Don’t over mix.

Grease a 9×13 glass pan. Spread the batter in the greased pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.