It doesn’t matter what kind of a diet you are on, Paleo, Keto, whatever, one thing that rarely goes away is the craving for some good old bread.
We hear you. At the end of the day, we’re all human.
It’s a well-known fact that if you’re serious about the paleo diet, you’re staying away from bread at all costs.
But what about Ezekiel bread?
Could you get away with snatching it next time you find yourself in front of a bread shelf at your local grocery store?
Well, fellow paleo consumer, you’ve come to the right place.
Today we’re answering the question: can you eat Ezekiel bread on paleo?
We’ll go in-depth about this oddly named grocery and see how well it goes with the paleo diet.
Can You Eat Ezekiel Bread On Paleo?
To no one’s surprise, naming a bread after a prophet in the Bible won’t make it Paleo.
The Bible didn’t even exist back in the Paleolithic era.
But we digress.
You can’t eat Ezekiel bread on the paleo diet.
The reason why you can’t eat it is that it’s made of grains.
Grains and Paleo don’t go together.
One thing we do know is no matter through which food process grains went through; they’re not paleo-friendly.
But why is that the case?
To answer that question, we have to delve a little deeper into the interesting world of grains.
Ezekiel Bread Facts And Nutrition
Inside Ezekiel bread, we can find four types of grains: wheat, barley, millet, and spelt. They are all organic and sprouted.
Sprouting makes a significant difference in Ezekiel bread.
What exactly are sprouted grains?
You can look at them as whole-grain seeds that just began to sprout upon which they’re immediately harvested before they can grow into a plant.
For sprouting, the grains have to be whole.
There are no actual rules on which grains can be sprouted. As long as it’s done right, you don’t need to worry.
We can sprout grains by soaking them in the water to increase their moisture and get rid of phytic acid.
The process doesn’t end there.
We have to rinse them, drain them, and keep them moist inside a jar for 1-5 days.
This is when the magic happens, the sprout starts growing, and it resembles a small tail; with it, the release of proteins, vitamins, and minerals also occurs.
Ezekiel Breads Nutritional Value:
- Source of complete protein
- Contains 18 amino acids
- Increased digestibility
- Increased absorption of minerals
- Increased Bioavailability of vitamins
- A significant source of fiber
Ezekiel Bread, One Slice Nutrition
| Calories | 80 |
| Total Fat | 0 gr |
| Protein | 4 gr |
| Carbohydrates | 15 gr |
| Fiber | 3 gr |
| Sugar | 0 gr |
Troubles With Ezekiel Bread
If you’ve been searching for a bread alternative, this isn’t it. You’ll have to find a better solution.
Sure, bread made out of sprouted grains is healthier compared to your typical off-the-shelf stuff, but that’s not enough to make it Paleo.
But since we like to back our claims with some facts, we’ll give you a quick rundown of why Ezekiel bread shouldn’t be on your daily menu.
1. High Carb Food
We never said that you have to avoid carbs at all costs.
There’s paleo food that might contain a high amount of carbs, and you’re allowed to enjoy that, within reason.
However, some carbs are likely to spike your blood sugar to a dangerous level.
This causes your cells to store fat and, in turn, make you put on weight and increase your body’s fat percentage.
Although weight is still considered the most important thing, your fat percentage could provide you with a far better overall picture of your health.
But more on this in some future articles.
2. Gluten Intolerance
Ezekiel bread is not gluten-free, even though flour is not used in the process of making it.
Grains contain gluten, and gluten can cause health problems.
The Paleo diet is often the solution to these problems.
So the best way to avoid these problems is not to eat gluten in the first place.
3. Mildew Problems
An unpleasant surprise for anyone’s eyes ( we made that rhyme on purpose) would be mildew, also known as mold.
Compared to the usual bread, Ezekiel bread is tough to preserve due to a lack of food additives.
When Ezekiel bread starts becoming moldy, it produces mycotoxins.
These are not something you should be putting in your body as they can make you sick.
Definitely don’t ignore the moldy part of the bread.
Please get rid of it as once it starts spreading, it can infect the inside of the bread as well.
Ezekiel Bread Health Benefits
Most health benefits we get from Ezekiel bread spin around those sprouted grains we mentioned.
Let’s see if Paleo people are missing out on something by not consuming Ezekiel bread.
1. Boost Absorption
In order to function properly, your body needs vitamins every day.
A substance called phytate can impair your body’s ability to absorb vitamins properly and can cause some severe issues with your health.
Because of this, phytate is often called an ‘anti-nutrient’.
Nuts, almonds, beans, etc., all contain various amounts of this substance.
Sprouted grains can boost your body’s absorption of vitamins and minerals and prevent phytate from doing its thing.
Although grains contain phytate, their concentration is severely reduced in sprouted grains.
There isn’t that much food on the paleo diet that contains phytate in the first place, so it’s not like you’ll be missing out that much.
2. Improve Digestibility
Sprouting grains don’t have as much starch as regular grains, making them easier to digest.
This is especially the case for older people.
Sprouting also causes the grain to release more protein that is available for your body.
That being said, if you’re on Paleo, the food you eat is already highly digestible, and there’s enough protein in it to satisfy even the most hardcore gym-goers.
3. Antioxidants
While sprouting, levels of antioxidants are increased, they’re also known as polyphenols.
Antioxidants inhibit the inflammatory process in your body.
A lot of food has antioxidants that are unavailable for your body to use correctly.
Again, if you’re eating Paleo and you suffer from inflammation, something is bothering you, and you need to find out what.
Otherwise, you shouldn’t have this problem.
Bit Of Ezekiel Bread Found Its Way Into Your Paleo Diet – What Now?
You’ve been using Ezekiel bread for a while, but you didn’t consider all the things we mentioned in this article.
Don’t worry about that. Stick to the paleo diet, and you will be back on track soon enough.
It’s difficult to give up bread, there are no two ways about it.
Even though Ezekiel bread sounds like a suitable solution because of all the benefits we mentioned before, you can’t afford to have it on Paleo.
Alternative
The best alternative for bread we found is paleo bread.
Yes, that exists.
You still can’t buy it at your local grocery store, but you can pretend you’re a baker and make one yourself.
There are quite a few recipes online, and we’re sure you’ll find one to your liking.
As we said, it’s difficult to give up bread, but if you put in a bit more effort maybe you don’t have to.
Can You Eat Ezekiel Bread On Paleo – Conclusion
If you’re not on paleo, Ezekiel bread is an excellent substitute for a regular white bread variant.
Whoever thought of it knew what they were doing.
However, it’s still a grain through and through and isn’t allowed on Paleo.
Sure, the sprouting grains are considered a lot healthier but not enough to justify their appearance on the paleo list of foods.
All the health benefits it provides you already have on the paleo diet.
Yes, it’s much more digestible, and it has a decent amount of antioxidants, but at the end of the day, it’s still bread.
We mentioned paleo bread to be a great alternative that requires a bit of work but also keeps you away from all the unnecessary starches.