12 Steps to Whole Foods

Replacing White Flour with Whole Grains
How Do I Substitute Whole Grain for White Flour?
If you have been using refined flour in baking, you could strategize shifting to whole grains by adding more
and more whole-wheat flour and less and less white flour in your bread and recipes, over time. But if you want
to quit buying white flour cold turkey, now that you know how utterly deficient in nutrition and even harmful it
is, another way to transition to whole grains is to use soft white wheat, ground as finely as your grain grinder
allows, for “pastry” flours (cakes, cookies, etc.). It’s very light, and I’ve noticed that children can’t tell the
difference. It does not have the protective outer layer that hard white or hard red wheats have, though, so the
hard wheats are best for long-term storage (they are also highest in protein and gluten).
For bread, start by using hard white wheat, also ground finely. Once you are enjoying whole-grain breads, you
can transition to substituting other grains like red wheat, Kamut, and spelt.
I regularly substitute whole-wheat flour for white flour in cookie and cake recipes, in a 1:1 ratio, with good
success. It’s easy, so don’t be afraid to give it a try in virtually anything calling for flour.
What Are Phytates and How Do I Avoid Them?
Getting off refined-grain products and onto whole grains is a great first step! But you need to learn about two
things: first about phytates, and then about yeast.
Phytates are natural, acidic chemical compounds in the bran of grains that some experts say bind to calcium,
magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc, making those nutrients less bioavailable and potentially leading to
deficiencies. So that we can absorb the nutrition of grains well in the gastrointestinal tract, grains should ideally
be soaked in water, sprouted, or fermented to neutralize the phytic acid. This is easy to do and requires only a
little planning ahead. You already learned about the power of lacto-fermentation in Chapter 8, with vegetables
and milks. The way this works with grains is that enzymes and microorganisms break down starches, tannins,
and proteins including gluten.
Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D., say in Nourishing Traditions that “virtually all pre-industrialized people
soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles” (p.
452). 22 Modern culture has largely abandoned this practice, and Fallon and Enig say this represents a
detriment to our health. That said, I do not believe (as Fallon does) that unsoaked grains pose a great risk to our
health, and I believe much evidence exists that unsoaked grains have also been widely used by healthy
populations.
Jordan Rubin (The Maker’s Diet) claims that ancient peoples stacked damp grain in storage, thus neutralizing
phytates. This makes no sense to me, since damp grain quickly becomes moldy grain. I personally have a very
difficult time sprouting grains, as they mold quickly, even though I live in a dry climate. Nuts and seeds sprout
well, and grains can be soaked for up to 24 hours—but beyond that, they are difficult to grow unless you put a
great deal of effort into the perfect conditions.
The phytate issue is fiercely contested in the nutrition world, with some believing that soaking grains is critical
and others believing it’s unnecessary. I have studied compelling evidence on both sides, leading me to the
recommendations that follow.
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 249