You might be wondering what all the hype over einkorn is lately. Or maybe you have heard about it and thought what makes einkorn different compared to other grains in your kitchen. Let me help elaborate on this ancient grain and the benefits of why you should be using it.
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What is Einkorn Flour?
Ok, I could really nerd out on this topic and have in the past when friends would be over for dinner. I would casually bring up organic einkorn flour after they commented on how they enjoyed the dinner. Then, several moments later, with glazed over eyes, dreaming of when I would stop talking about the einkorn berries and their pure genetic makeup, I would notice that I had lost them. I would try to be cool and change the conversation casually, but the damage was already done. It’s a wonder I have been able to keep any of my friends! Since then I have learned to keep it simple.
So here are the highlights:
- Einkorn berries/flour is classified as an ancient grain
- Modern wheat varieties today are descendants of it
- It has less chromosomes in its DNA than modern wheat
- It’s gluten structure is weaker than modern wheat
You may be wondering what less chromosomes have to do with the types of flours we consume. To explain that let me first give you a little background as to how we have modern wheat varieties today.
Einkorn was hybridized with wild goat grasses to produce different offspring of durum wheat and modern wheat. This was done out of necessity. A way to create a larger wheat berry that is more resilient. This allowed farmers to mass produce wheat for a growing population.
Sounds great, however, in doing this the offspring gained additional chromosomes with each crossbreeding of plants.
Einkorn has 28 chromosomes, while modern wheat has 46.
Because of the combinations of past crossbreeding, overtime wheat lost its nutrient dense components and its ability to be at harmony with human digestion. This is a contributing factor as to why we see so many digestive problems in countless adults and children today.
Einkorn Flour Health Benefits
- Contains lutein, an antioxidant, in quantities of 200% more than modern wheat. Lutein protects the macula from damage by blue light. Lutein consumption has also shown to reduced the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.1
- Contains more B vitamins, zinc, iron, magnesium, and essential fatty acids
- Contains less phytic acid which prevents proper absorption of iron, zinc, calcium, and minerals
- It’s nutrients are more bioavailable than modern wheat
- A study suggests einkorn reduces the risk of inflammation-related diseases in the heart and digestive systems
- Contains about 30% more protein than modern wheat
Protein per 100g | |
Einkorn Berries | 18.8 |
Spelt (whole grain) | 14.5 |
Quinoa (uncooked) | 14.1 |
Wheat Durum | 13.7 |
Oats (whole grain) | 13.2 |
Soft White Wheat | 10.7 |
Read our personal story about how we reversed tooth decay!
Why We Made The Switch
My family has been using einkorn berries and all purpose flour since 2016. It has helped our health in ways we didn’t know it would.
Is Einkorn good for the gut?
When I had noticed that my oldest was complaining of her tummy hurting every time she ate foods that contained modern wheat – it got me researching gluten free products.
I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the methods in how gluten-free food was processed. During my research I came across einkorn.
Finding information about it back then was difficult. However, the little I found intrigued my interest and I spent a lot of energy digging up more information about it.
Even though einkorn contains similar amounts of gluten, compared to modern varieties, it contains a much higher ratio of gliadins and glutenins.
This means that the gluten forming molecules needed to create the correct structure of gluten in flour is present in einkorn. Modern wheat is lacking the proper ratio of these molecules. This causes gluten imbalances in the wheat itself, which in turn causes problems in human digestion.
We made the switch and I haven’t prepared any of our food with another grain since then. Our experience showed improvements in a number of ways. To name a few, my daughter’s digestive issues resolved, chronic illnesses in my husband were relieved, and we all had improved better digestion. We no longer felt weighed down by food like we had felt in the past.
Does einkorn taste good?
YES! In our opinion it tastes better than modern wheat. There is a difference in flavor but to my family, it was an enjoyable upgrade. Our guests have never noticed a negative difference in the food I prepare, if anything I have had questions asking about how I prepared the meal or if I bought some of the baked goods from a local bakery!
Due to it’s nature of having more protein and nutrient dense, we fill up faster and don’t feel hungry as often.
To put it simply, einkorn is the traditional wheat used by our ancestors. It is overall more complete and nutrient dense than its modern hybrids on the shelves.
Our family has been buying our Einkorn from Jovial.
If you are interested in using this ancient grain, stick around my website! You will find many delicious einkorn recipes here. All the recipes on my site using flour are strictly einkorn flour. I don’t use anything else in our home!
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Tell me in the comments below if you use einkorn! Or if you want to make the switch and use it in your kitchen!
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Mathew 4:4
Readers of Traditional Home Living receive 10% off all products when using discount code THL10 at perfectsupplements.com Thank you for being here!
If you’re new to einkorn try these quick easy recipes:
Other valuable resources on the website are linked below:
Kefir Milk: The Powerhouse Probiotic For Gut Health And More!
How To Naturally Heal Cavities With Tooth Oil
How To Start Teaching Phonics: Easy As A-B-C
Postpartum Care Ideas That Are Simple And Nourishing
Alys Hobvs says
Hey Ash, ok, were ready to try this, Max has celiac and now, acute congestive heart failure… my cooking for him has changed even more now, less than 2000 mg per day of sodium! We’ve played 6 weeks now with this and I have to get way creative. Where are some good places to find this expensive flour? We have found that even regular gf for has sodium in it!
Ashley says
Hi Alys, I am so sorry to hear about Max! I know you are probably trying everything to help take care of him! That sounds stressful! Our family has gluten sensitivities and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s this year so I understand the overwhelming dietary restrictions to consider when cooking or eating out.
If Max has celiac disease he likely can not have einkorn flour because it does contain a very small amount of gluten. That being said I know some with celiac disease can tolerate einkorn flour because the gluten structure it does contain is very weak. I would hate for Max to feel worse eating einkorn.
If you are still interested in buying it, we only buy ours from Jovialfoods.com I recommend setting up an account so that you can earn points for coupons. They run sales often as well and I like to buy in bulk for our family during those times.
Jovialfoods.com also sells gluten free pasta that is celiac friendly.
I will pray for you and Max!
Faith says
Giggling while reading because your einkorn knowledge always went above my head BUT I could always appreciate how delicious the baked goods were! I especially spoke the language of einkorn mascarpone vanilla cake with strawberries.
Ashley says
You are such a good person to stick through our friendship despite me going into nerd mode. Thank you for being my favorite person to test recipes on! It was a lot of trust you put in me!
Colby says
Einkorn definitely tastes better than regular flour.
Ashley says
I’m glad to hear you enjoy eating einkorn too!
Jenn says
Einkorn is so good! I love that it is healthy, less chromosomes, and easily digested. I enjoyed the protein chart you shared too!
Ashley says
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the info!