There are so many reasons to load up on KAMUT® Brand Wheat for your pantry this holiday season. With a past steeped in legend, story, and family, this unique whole grain is much more than healthful nourishment—it’s both a nod to our collective history and a promise to the future of sustainability, earning it a prized place on the plate. This ancient relative of our modern wheat staple, durum wheat, likely originated in Mesopotamia. One legend says Noah brought this grain with him on the ark, which is how it came to be called the Prophet’s Wheat. However, it came to this country in 1949, when a U.S. Airman stationed in Portugal sent 36 kernels he’d acquired from a man who claimed they came from an ancient Egyptian tomb, to his father, a farmer in Montana. Six years later, that farmer had grown 1,500 bushels and had appropriately dubbed it King Tut Wheat. It wasn’t until Bob Quinn brought the ancient grain he remembered as a teenager—Khorasan wheat kernels are unusually and memorably large—to his family’s organic farm in Montana that this grain’s story joined Quinn’s family story. KAMUT®, the word for wheat in the ancient Egyptian language, is the trademarked brand name which guarantees it to be preserved from hybridization or modification, and that it will always be organically grown—good for our present and our future. It also happens to be an excellent source of nutrition, health benefits, and delicious taste.
The Top 5 Reasons to Use KAMUT® Brand Wheat this Season
1. Make Holiday Cooking Sparkle with KAMUT® BRAND WHEAT. Why not spice up this year’s holiday baking by swapping out refined white flour for the delicious yet subtle nuttiness of KAMUT® Brand Wheat flour? Replace some or all of the flour in your favorite baked goods recipes with KAMUT® Brand Wheat flour. Try whole wheat muffins with nuts and berries, fruit tarts, or traditional cookies with a KAMUT® Brand Wheat, for a unique twist for this year’s buffet, cookie exchange, or to give as gifts. Be mindful of different texture results in some recipes. When planning holiday menus, keep KAMUT® Brand Wheat in mind as your whole grain star in pilafs with roasted winter veggies, like bright butternut or delicata squash, and Brussels sprouts. Elevate your grain salad base to another level and embellish with colorful and festive cranberries, pomegranates, and other rich colored seasonal favorites.
2. Pack in the Nutrition. Each KAMUT® Brand Wheat kernel packs an impressive punch of nutrients—notably fiber and protein—but also a host of health-promoting vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins thiamin and niacin, selenium, copper, and manganese. These nutrients contribute to many potential health benefits, from helping cognitive function and metabolism to supporting normal blood pressure and a thriving gut microbiome. KAMUT® Brand Wheat is also a source of powerful plant compounds with health-protecting properties called polyphenols. Their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits can help protect against disease.
As a whole grain, KAMUT® Brand Wheat has all the natural components—the endosperm, germ, and bran—intact, just as it was created in nature. That means it packs a healthy dose of dietary fiber, which we all need more of in our diets. Fiber helps with digestive health, but can also help maintain healthy weight and reduce risks of diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers. KAMUT® Brand Wheat contains approximately 11% fiber; a one-cup serving of cooked KAMUT® Brand Wheat contains more than seven grams of fiber, which makes up 25% of the recommended Daily Value. Whole grains are known for their fiber, but they’re also an impressive source of protein, which is important in many ways, including maintaining muscle mass, giving a feeling of satisfying fullness, and weight management. That same serving of KAMUT® Brand Wheat has nearly 10 grams of protein, 20% of the recommended Daily Value!
3. Aid in Wheat Sensitivities. Like all wheat, KAMUT® Brand Wheat contains gluten, so it is not recommended for people with celiac disease who must avoid all forms of gluten because it triggers an immune response in the small intestine. However, some people who have experienced sensitivities to wheat varieties in their diets have found KAMUT® Brand Wheat easier to digest than other varieties of wheat. A couple of small studies have reported that study participants with non-celiac gluten sensitivity experienced higher inflammatory effects in modern wheat varieties compared to KAMUT® Brand Wheat and other ancient wheat varieties. It’s important to keep in mind that individuals may vary regarding their response to KAMUT® Brand Wheat and other forms of wheat. Seek guidance from your health care professional if you have a diagnosis that reduces your tolerance to wheat or gluten in your diet.
4. Get Your Digestion Going. As a whole grain, KAMUT® Brand Wheat supports healthy digestion. It contains fiber, which adds bulk to stools and lowers risk of constipation. Some of its fiber, such as soluble fiber, has prebiotic properties, which means they feed beneficial gut bacteria for digestive health. Research has shown that KAMUT® Brand Wheat has significantly higher prebiotic potential compared to other wheat varieties. In one study, results demonstrated that consumption of whole KAMUT® khorasan wheat products compared to consumption of whole modern wheat products was characterized by release in the gut of more Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) and phenolic compounds, as well as an increase in health-promoting gut bacteria. SCFA play a key role in nutrition, immune system function, and metabolism. Researchers are also investigating a possible connection between wheat varieties and irritable bowel syndrome. One study found that people with irritable bowel syndrome experienced decreased abdominal pain and bloating after consuming KAMUT® Brand Wheat products, compared to modern wheat products.
5. Enjoy More Versatility. An easy and simple fit into your diet, KAMUT® Brand Wheat is available as the whole grain kernel, also known as the wheat “berry,” bulgur, which is the quick-cooking cracked wheat berries that have been parboiled and dried, and whole grain flour. There is also a fast-growing number and variety of products in supermarkets made with this rich, nutty, and buttery tasting whole grain, from breads and pasta to cereals, snacks, pastries, crackers, and even drinks, including beer, grain coffee, and wheat drinks. Swap KAMUT® Brand Wheat berries or bulgur into your favorite soups, salads, sides, and main dishes for a new and delicious change from your go-to whole grains. Definitely try KAMUT® Brand Wheat flour as a tasty substitute for all-purpose or whole wheat flour in baking.
Written by Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian
This blog is sponsored by KAMUT® Brand Khorasan wheat.
