Whole grain, gluten-free, yeast-free and delicious Purity Bread

Finding a loaf of gluten-free bread that is moist and delicious is very difficult! Even more so, finding gluten-free bread that is also yeast-free, soy-free and egg-free has proven to be a nightmare until the birth of Purity Bread from Julian’s Bakery! Oh my goodness, after living years without eating sandwiches, now there’s hope.

photo source: http://www.julianbakery.com

Many may not believe that this bread would taste good because not only is it gluten-free, but also it is dairy, egg, soy and yeast free and that’s not even the kicker! This bread does not contain any artificial preservatives and it is healthy. In fact, it is great for people with challenge with diabetes because it is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber and protein! One slice (about ¼-inch thick) is only 68 calories and 10g of carbohydrates of which 8g comes from fiber! So for those on the “low carb” diet, that’s only net 2 carbs!

The ingredients are simple and include the following: buckwheat, millet, brown rice, teff, flaxseeds, (sprouted beans of navy, black, red, pinto, baby limas, large limas, garbanzo, great northern, kidney, black-eyed peas, yellow & green split peas and lentils), onion, guar gum and sea salt. According to the bakery, this bread is prepared in a non-gluten environment!!

This bread is savory, which makes it perfect for sandwiches. The onion flavor definitely comes through in this bread, but even when paired with a fruit spread, it’s still a delicious treat for morning breakfast! There are a few tricks to keep in mind before eating this bread and they are as follows:

• Remove the bread from its original packaging and discard; gently remove any ice on the bread. (Typically when purchasing from the grocery store it will be frozen.)
• Wrap bread in clean plastic wrap and place in a plastic storage bag; keep refrigerated. The bread will stay fresh up to 10 to 12 days when refrigerated.
• Slice bread into ¼-inch slices before eating. For best results, lightly toast or bake bread slices before preparing a sandwich. Due to the high moisture content of the bread if you do not toast the bread prior to assembling the sandwich, then your bread may be a little soggy especially if using tomatoes or spreads.

Unfortunately, sometimes it is hard to find this specific brand of Julian’s bread, but when in stock, you can find Purity Bread at Healthy Habit Health Food Store in Phoenix (Bethany Home Road and 7th Street).   If you do not live near this area, you can also purchase this bread online or by phone; it’s just that easy! They offer specials all of the time.  Just so you won’t be caught off guard, this bread retails for $9.99 in store, but $6.99 online (not including shipping)–yes, it’s pricey, but it’s worth it!  In fact, currently the bakery is offering $5 off to first time customers with the following promo code 1776 when purchased on the website  www.julianbakery.com.

For more information about Purity Bread:
Julian Bakery
5621 La Jolla Blvd
La Jolla, CA 92037
1-800-98-BREAD

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Confused about Whole Grain vs Whole Wheat?

At least once a week someone asks me about  the differences between whole grain and whole wheat.  Because I kept getting that question, I thought that maybe I should just share the answer with all of you just in case you were wondering the same thing.  First of all, grains (also known as cereal grains) are grasses that are cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds¹.  A whole grain is the entire edible part of any grains.  A list of grains includes the following:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Spelt
• Corn
• Oats
• Rice
• Buckwheat*
• Rye
• Quinoa*
• Millet
• Amaranth*
• Sorghum
• Teff

*not real grasses, considered as pseudocereals

The entire (whole) edible parts of the grain include the following²:

1. Bran:  the outer layers of the grain that supplies antioxidants, B vitamins, trace minerals, and dietary fiber.
2. Endosperm: the inner part of the grain with most of the proteins and carbohydrates and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
3. Germ:  the small but very important part; it sprouts, generating a new plant.  It is rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, trace minerals, antioxidants and essential fats.

As you see, most of the fiber and vitamins/minerals come from the bran and the germ parts of the grain.  When the grain is milled, the germ and the bran are stripped away leaving behind the endosperm, which is how white flour is produced.  Because this flour does not contain any vitamins or minerals, the government has required that iron and B-vitamins are added back in to the flour, hence the name “enriched wheat.”

So how do you select which bread to choose?  Here are some tips:

1. Look at the ingredients label on the product.  Look for the words “whole grain”, “whole wheat”, or “100% whole grain.”  You would want to purchase this product.
2. If you see the word “enriched” or “wheat flour” do not purchase.  Wheat flour is another name for white flour!  Do NOT be fooled by the words on the package—it’s just advertising!
3. Beware of breads labeled as “7-grain” or “multigrain” as these may or may not be true whole grains; it could just be a marketing ploy.  The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredients label.
4. Pay attention to the amount of dietary fiber on the label; if the product is a whole grain, it will be high in dietary fiber.

So the bottom line to this article, in terms of nutrition, both “whole grain” and “whole wheat” are great for you!  In fact, whole wheat is a type of a whole grain.

¹“Cereal.”  Wikipedia. May 23, 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal>.  May 28, 2009.

²Duyff, Roberta Larson.  Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.  New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.