Spelt- a healthy alternative to wheat

In the last post, I spoke about WHY everyone should take gluten out of their diet.

This post will be focused on HOW to avoid wheat, rye and barley and what to substitute them with!

Many people, myself included, find they can enjoy small amounts of 'ancient' grains such as kamut and spelt without any digestive discomfort. 

Note: If you have been diagnosed as Coeliac, you will need to stick to grains/seeds that are completely gluten free- many ancient grains do contain 'some' gluten.

What is Spelt?

Source: www.natureslegacyforlife.com

Spelt itself is very similar to wheat, however it has lower gluten content and higher protein. It is considered 'ancient' because Spelt hasn’t changed since biblical times. It remains unaffected by concepts such as ‘agribusiness’, ‘cross-breeding,’ ‘hybridization’ and ‘genetically modified’ – words that have come to dominate our modern food supply especially when it comes to wheat, corn and soy.

What can you do with Spelt?

You can use spelt flour instead of wheat flour to make breads, pasta, biscuits, crackers, cakes, muffins, cereals and pancakes. In addition to spelt flour, spelt is also available in its de-hulled, whole grain form (often referred to as spelt berries), which can ground at home in a thermomix or high powered blender to make any of the above from home ground flour, or prepared in whole form, cooked and eaten like rice.You can purchase many pre-made spelt products such as pasta, crackers and breads at health food stores or specialty delicatessens.

We are getting married next month, and I have requested our cake maker to use spelt flour instead of wheat. It really is, in most instances, a direct substitute (for wheat) and tastes delicious!

Fancy some recipe ideas?

Click here for some Spelt inspiration and make the change from wheat to spelt for your digestive comfort and others.