Spelled: benefits and harms, what it is, how it differs from wheat, where you can buy it, how to cook it correctly, can you give it to children, how much per day is only a small part of the queries of Internet users, to which those who wish want to receive detailed answers. With the advent of online services, the possibilities of buyers have expanded, so now people are constantly getting acquainted with new food products, which were often known long before the formation of our civilization. Thus, this type of cereal crops has the oldest history of existence on the planet, and only rare archaeological finds give rise to speculation about the origins of primary cultivation. Despite the fact that interest in spelled with the advent of new varieties of wheat has greatly faded, now there are still people eager to try the new grain and learn about its benefits.
Spelled is often called wild wheat
Short story
The history of the culture goes back to such antiquity that scientists do not have an exact answer to the question of which country in the world is the birthplace of the plant. The first finds date back to the sixth millennium BC - the traces found indicate that the cereal was cultivated by the peoples of the world living in the Mediterranean.
This fact gives archaeologists only topics for thought, so at this point in time the birthplace of culture - the Mediterranean - has only been established tentatively.
The cereal is also found in Turkey, Bulgaria, Armenia and other countries of the world, and finds date back to the third millennium BC. In Rus', spelled was known almost immediately, but with the cultivation of wheat, wild varieties lost popularity, so industrial cultivation is carried out on a small scale.
Spelled: what kind of grain is it
Spelled wheat, spelled wheat, is a cereal that is distinguished by a number of features, namely, the fragility of the ears and the presence of shells on the grains. The outer shells are so hard that the cereal presented on supermarket shelves is not completely cleaned, and when cooked, retains its shape and does not become overcooked.
Description:
- taste – wheat, with nutty notes;
- texture – soft;
- the grains retain their shape after prolonged cooking;
- The main color is beige, there are shades of yellowish, reddish.
On sale you can find cereal in the form of:
- sprouts;
- flour;
- cereals intended for cooking porridge or sprouting.
Four types of products on the market indicate that in order to sprout in order to obtain microgreens, it is necessary to buy grains intended for the corresponding purposes.
Spelled: chemical composition
Before moving on to talk about the benefits and harms of any food product, you should consider the components. The fact is that cereal differs from wheat in the structure of the grain, but the effect on the human body depends on the specific ingredients.
Spelled: calorie content
The energy value of unprocessed cereal is 338.0 kilocalories, cooked - 127.0, which indicates the possible use of the product in dietary nutrition.
Since the cereal in any case must be subjected to long-term heat treatment, the smaller value from those given should be taken into account to calculate the final calorie content of the menu.
Spelled: bju
The product, compared to other cereals, is less likely to cause food poisoning, which is due to the lower proportion of dietary fiber and the need for prolonged cooking. The nutritional value of processed cereal is, grams:
- proteins – 15.0, which corresponds to 16.0% of the daily requirement of the human body;
- fats – 2.4 and 3.55;
- carbohydrates – 60.0 and 40.0%;
- fiber – 11.0 and 54.0%.
The product is characterized by a low content of triglycerides of fatty acids and a high content of dietary fiber and carbohydrates, which indicates rapid saturation, cleansing properties, stimulation of brain function and the need to control the amount consumed daily. The fact is that an excess of carbohydrates can result in excess weight gain, so eating 200 grams of porridge per day is enough.
Spelled: benefits
A significant advantage of this cereal over similar food products is the complete absence of genetic modification technology during the growing process, because the plant has been growing in our country for thousands of years and does not require care. For this reason, the introduction of fertilizers and other additives to increase the yield is simply not required, because the crop is absolutely unpretentious.
The positive effects on the body should be divided into areas of application:
ingestion promotes:
- cleansing the intestines of waste and toxins;
- neutralization of free radicals;
- supporting the functioning of the brain, cardiovascular, nervous system, metabolic processes;
- reducing the concentration of cholesterol molecules in the circulatory system and weight;
- improved functioning of the digestive system and prevention of disorders such as flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, etc.;
- rapid saturation;
- decreased appetite;
- support of the musculoskeletal system;
- increasing immunity;
- increasing the emotional background;
- increasing muscle size;
- strengthening nail plates, healthy hair and skin.
effects on the skin (external procedures):
- tone alignment;
- neutralization of free radicals;
- lightening;
- deep cleansing of pores;
- decreased sensitivity;
- nutrition;
- hydration;
- softening.
effect on strands:
- increased growth;
- structure regeneration;
- shine, elimination of dullness;
- reduction of hair loss;
- prevention of cross-section and fragility;
- cleansing the scalp;
- relieving itching, peeling.
The product is universal, it is beneficial for people of different age groups, so it must be present on the tables of those who want to maintain a slim figure or who are intensely involved in sports.
Product properties
Regular consumption of casseroles, soups and salads containing cereals, as well as spelled porridges, has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular, reproductive, endocrine and digestive systems, and the central nervous system.
A low-calorie, protein-rich product saturates the body with energy, accelerates tissue growth and regeneration.
The introduction of grain into the daily menu contributes to:
- normalization of blood pressure;
- reducing the risk of strokes, heart attacks, asthma, atherosclerosis, malignant neoplasms;
- strengthening the immune system;
- improving blood circulation and memory.
The benefits of spelled have been proven for people suffering from obesity and diabetes - the increased amount of fiber stimulates intestinal motility and guarantees long-lasting satiety, the unique chemical composition helps balance sugar levels.
The list of groups of people whose diet must necessarily contain the type of cereal in question includes pregnant women and the elderly.
The daily norm of spelled is 80-100 g. It is recommended to include cereal dishes in the menu in the first half of the day.
It should be noted: the use of the product is prohibited for people with individual intolerance to components (especially gluten).
Spelled: harm, contraindications
There are no restrictions on the daily consumption of the product, but it should be taken into account that you should drink at least two liters of liquid per day. The fact is that with a relatively low dietary fiber content, lack of moisture can still lead to eating disorders.
Contraindications for use are the presence of:
- individual intolerance;
- allergic reaction to gluten protein;
- digestive disorders;
- stomach ulcer, gastritis;
- pancreatitis.
Side effects (possible with abuse or non-compliance with contraindications) - diarrhea, flatulence, antispasmodic pain in the stomach, constipation, increased fatigue and other consequences.
Cosmetic procedures should be avoided in case of individual intolerance, wounds, burns, or skin infections.
Only a doctor can prescribe therapeutic procedures, and self-medication with an incorrectly selected method can lead to increased symptoms of the disease.
To avoid unpleasant consequences in the form of traces of an allergic reaction in the area of application, it is necessary to conduct a preliminary test for individual intolerance. To do this, you will need to apply a drop of the prepared composition to the forearm and leave for 20 minutes; in the absence of itching, burning, redness, rash and other manifestations, further use is possible.
IMPORTANT. If, if the test for an allergic reaction is negative, discomfort appears in the area of application, the mixture should be removed immediately by rinsing with copious amounts of water.
Spelled: application
New in the supermarket or the oldest cereal on the planet, a cereal familiar to our ancestors since ancient times is suitable not only for culinary purposes:
- cooking porridge;
- germination;
- grinding to flour for the purpose of making bread, noodles;
- cosmetic procedures for skin and hair care.
Sprouts deserve special attention because greens contain nutrients in an easier to digest form. Chopped greens are suitable for consumption in pure form, together with vegetable oils, and can be used as a complement to any menu dishes.
It can also be used in cosmetic procedures - a pronounced anti-aging effect is indicated for the skin around the eyes and mature dermis of the face.
A mask with sour cream will help relieve swelling, eliminate dark circles, even out existing wrinkles and prevent the formation of new ones (microgreens are crushed, sour cream is added, mixed, applied to the dermis, after 15 minutes, removed with plenty of water). The listed properties apply to sprouts; next we will consider the subtleties of using cereals.
What can you cook
Often, buyers, having cooked cereal once, refuse to purchase further because the cooked porridge has a hard consistency. The fact is that cooking this cereal requires observing a number of subtleties:
- Preferably pre-soaking in kefir, milk or water - for 4-6 hours;
- then add milk or water, the proportions are equivalent or 1:3 (depending on the required consistency);
- Cooking should take place on low heat for at least 40 minutes under a closed lid.
IMPORTANT. Before soaking, the grains are carefully sorted and then washed under running water.
Spelled with water has a lower calorie content and is suitable for dietary nutrition (in this case, salt and sugar are not added). It is worth considering that complete boiling of the cereal will not occur even with longer cooking, and the process is similar to cooking buckwheat (the existing liquid must evaporate completely).
Cereal cooked in water can serve as an excellent addition to salads, meat and fish dishes.
The porridge retains the beneficial properties listed above and can be supplemented with dried fruits, berries, and nuts, which will lead to improved taste and increased calorie content.
You can use flour to make baked goods, noodles, and pasta.
Cooking in a pot involves the following steps:
- pre-rinsing and soaking in water;
- cooking in water in a ratio of 1:2 until the liquid evaporates completely;
- placing the mass in a pot, adding milk, proportions 1:1;
- baking at 180 degrees/C until fully cooked (takes up to two hours).
The process will take longer, but the resulting porridge is juicy and soft.
You can also prepare:
- soup;
- pilaf.
Cooking pilaf is no different from the recipe for rice, which includes:
- frying meat in vegetable oil;
- adding carrots and onions, frying;
- adding water and salt;
- introducing pre-washed cereal soaked in water for 6 hours;
- cook over very low heat under a closed lid (on average 1.5 hours).
The soup does not differ from rice or buckwheat in stages, but requires prolonged cooking until cooked.
Spelled in the diet menu
Spelled is recommended for use by athletes, pregnant women, and people following proper nutrition. The cereal contains a lot of easily digestible protein and is practically gluten-free, and can be used if you are allergic to wheat.
How this cereal helps you lose weight:
- vitamin B6 improves the absorption of healthy fats;
- coarse fibers help intestinal function;
- fiber promotes nutrient absorption;
- polysaccharides provide long-term saturation and slow absorption of sugars from foods.
Dietary nutrition on spelled goes like this:
- duration 3-7 days;
- boil in water without adding butter and sugar to the cereal;
- consumed during the daytime;
- prepared in combination with fish, chicken, meat;
- you can add vegetables, fruits;
- half an hour before meals you need to drink a glass of water;
- It is recommended to drink at least 1500 ml of water per day.
Sprouted spelt plays a special role.
You get it as follows:
- The spelled is cleaned, washed and filled with water for a couple of hours.
- Place in a closed deep bowl and leave overnight.
- Once the sprouts appear, the spelt is often washed.
- Can be used when the sprout size is 1 cm.
In this form, it is recommended to add spelled to salads, sauces, and baked goods.
Spelled bread is used as a snack.
They are obtained by 2 methods:
- Extrusion method.
Grains and cereals are exposed to pressure and high temperatures. These breads contain only whole grains, spices, and salt.
- Baking method.
The dough is kneaded with the addition of yeast, water and various ingredients. Spelled is a grain that is not at all difficult to prepare.
Baked grits recipe:
- cauliflower - 150 g;
- spelled - 100 g;
- onion;
- celery.
- Place the cabbage in the oven (temperature 120˚C) for 15 minutes.
- Cook celery and spelt for 40 minutes.
- Dry the spelled. Do not use celery.
- Serve the cereal with cauliflower, sprinkled with finely chopped onion.
Diet recipe:
- spelled - 150 g;
- any vegetables - 1 pc.;
- oil, salt, spices.
- Rinse the cereal and cook for half an hour.
- Simmer the chopped vegetables in a saucepan for 30 minutes.
- Combine all ingredients and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Add spices to the finished side dish.
Rules for selecting and storing cereals
Affordable cost often becomes the reason for the popularity of this cereal. In order to diversify the menu without hitting your wallet and get the maximum benefit, you should treat your choice with special care. There are few requirements for the product, but failure to fulfill even one of them can lead to a completely different result.
What to pay attention to:
- intact, undamaged packaging;
- no traces of moisture;
- without unpleasant odor, rot, mold;
- homogeneous grain without dark units;
- the grains are approximately the same size;
- not too low price;
- data on the country of manufacture, importer, compliance with GOST requirements;
- an adequate expiration date is indicated.
After opening, the contents of the package must be placed in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dry place, inaccessible to direct rays of light.
Spelled: reviews
Although this cereal is still a new product for many, many buyers have already shared their impressions of the product. An analysis of reviews shows that the cereal has undoubted benefits: there are practically no negative user opinions on the Internet, and the average product rating, regardless of the brand, is 4.9 points out of a possible 5.0.
Many consider the main disadvantages to be the specificity of taste and the need for long cooking, because we have long been accustomed to quick breakfasts, which are not always healthy.
Oleg, 34 years old, Kirov city
I recently bought a grain called spelt from the supermarket. Initially, I was attracted by the modest price and the health benefits promised by the manufacturer. When I brought it home, my wife spent a long time fiddling around in the kitchen, but, as it turned out, it was not in vain. I liked the taste of the porridge, I was a little confused by the slight resemblance to barley, but otherwise everything was fine, I will buy more. I recommend.
Yana, 29 years old, Kaliningrad
To diversify the menu, I decided to buy a grain called spelt, which turned out to be quite inexpensive. When I cooked it for the first time according to the manufacturer’s instructions, I didn’t like it at all – it was undercooked porridge. The next day I cooked it until done, and it didn’t take 20 minutes, as was written on the package, but a whole hour over low heat under a closed lid, and I liked the result. Later I read on the Internet that it will turn out even tastier if you first soak the grains in kefir, and decided to check it out. Of course, the process took a lot of time, but it's worth it. I consider it a big omission of the manufacturer to incorrectly inform the buyer; perhaps, of course, this is a marketing ploy, because few people would want to buy porridge that needs to be cooked for hours. I recommend it for purchase.
Elena, 45 years old, Orel
I recently bought a new cereal online called spelt. The low price was a little alarming, but I found only good reviews about the product. As it turned out, penny cereal is also suitable for home cosmetology, so it turns out to be even more profitable. When I cooked the porridge, I didn’t really like the taste, but it’s good for a change, but I really liked the face masks - the skin becomes smooth, soft, elastic, so I recommend it.
How is spelled flour used?
Nowadays, modern housewives prefer to bake their own bread. This is correct. This way you can be completely confident in the naturalness and healthiness of the ingredients, and it also allows you to regulate the taste. Do you know what delicious baked goods are made from spelled flour?
Did you know that spelled contains 70% of essential amino acids that are not synthesized by our body? In addition, spelled contains ideal, easily digestible protein.
To process einkorn (spelt) into flour, various grinding systems are used in production. The grain is not cleared of gluten.
Whole grain spelled flour is used not only for porridge, but also for a variety of baked goods: pancakes, buns, muffins, bread, pies, etc.
FAQ
What kind of grain is spelled?
Spelled is also called wild or spelled wheat. With the beginning of cultivation, new species were bred, which differ in the thickness of the film covering the grains and other parameters, but the existing ones for more than one millennium were not completely replaced.
IMPORTANT. So, this cereal is a kind of progenitor of wheat.
Spelled is a cereal that consists of grains that have not been peeled from their outer shells and have not germinated. Due to the fact that cleaning is not carried out before packaging and release, a long cooking time or evaporation in a pot is required.
IMPORTANT. For germination, you should buy separate grains.
Can spelled cereals be given to children?
In terms of fiber content and nutritional value, the product does not differ from other cereals, so it can be used to prepare porridge for babies over seven months old. Long-term heat treatment indicates ease of absorption; the daily portion for a child under one year old should be no more than 50 grams.
Introducing it into the diet should begin with ½ teaspoon, gradually increasing the portion if the baby’s body does not react.
How much spelled grain can you eat per day?
The relatively low fiber content in cooked cereals suggests that eating 200 grams of porridge per day is enough. For children, the portion is halved.
Where can you buy a grain called “spelt”?
Cereal can be purchased in retail chains, health food stores, or ordered through the online service (iHerb). Before purchasing, you should pay attention to the appearance, cost, integrity of packaging and other parameters.
Spelled is a cereal made from what grain?
The cereal is obtained from a separate type of wheat – Triticum. The plant is different:
- fragility of ears;
- the presence of films on the grains.
The listed features distinguish the seeds of the plant from a number of cereals.
How is spelled different from wheat?
This cereal is characterized by a unique amino acid composition and better absorption, so the popularity of the crop does not fade over time, despite the fact that the cereal is the progenitor of modern wheat varieties.
Why and how to germinate spelt?
For germination, you should buy specially designed seeds, and consuming microgreens has great benefits for the body. The fact is that the chemical composition of sprouts contains substances that are better digested by the digestive system - amino acids, fatty acids in free form.
Indications for the use of spelt sprouts are the presence of:
- allergies;
- diabetes mellitus;
- obesity;
- anemia;
- reduced immunity;
- rheumatism;
- oncological diseases;
- drug intoxication.
Information is provided for informational purposes only, therefore use for medicinal purposes should be discussed with your doctor.
For germination:
- the seeds are washed;
- place linen cloth or gauze moistened with water on a saucer;
- distribute grains;
- cover the top with a cloth or gauze soaked in water;
- Spray every 2-4 hours.
Germination occurs on the third to fifth day, the greens are placed in the refrigerator or preserved in honey.
Use in folk medicine
Cereals are used for medicinal and preventive purposes in many German clinics. It is used as an adjuvant for cancer, nervous and mental disorders and disorders of the digestive system. And recipes based on it are often used in folk medicine.
Several of them are presented in the table:
Indications | Ingredients | Preparation and use |
Diarrhea |
|
Eat like regular porridge |
Cough |
|
Take 1 tsp. before meals until complete recovery |
Gout | Spelled cereal or flour |
|
For gastritis, doctors recommend following a gentle diet. It involves eliminating foods that overload the gastrointestinal tract from the diet. In this case, spelled porridge should become one of the main dishes. But in the acute stage, cereal is contraindicated, as it can irritate the walls of the stomach.
Brief summary
- Spelled, the benefits and harms of which are limited by compliance with the rules of use, has an ancient history of existence and has been known to our ancestors for more than one millennium.
- The first archaeological finds date back to the sixth millennium BC, which indicates the beginning of cultivation at least 9 thousand years ago.
- This ancient cereal is a kind of progenitor of modern wheat; it has a number of features in the structure of the grains and requires special attention due to its high nutritional value and many beneficial properties.
- If you follow simple rules, it will be easy to make a new side dish, and the cooked porridge with water and milk will acquire a soft consistency and will pleasantly surprise guests with faintly perceptible nutty notes of taste.
- The amino acids contained in the chemical composition help increase muscle mass, improve blood circulation, eliminate headaches, and to increase the benefits, the seeds can be sprouted.
- The grains ground into flour can be used for making bread, baking and cosmetic purposes.
- Before use, it is necessary to check for a tendency to an allergic reaction (external procedures) and take into account contraindications. Abuse can lead to excess weight gain or eating disorders.
general description
Distinctive features of the plant are the absence of interspecific crossing, unpretentiousness, early ripening, resistance to chemical influences, fungal diseases and radiation contamination. The ear of this type of wheat is brittle, breaking up when ripe into elements with segments of rods. The large, brick-red grain of the cereal is covered with scales (films) that are difficult to separate when crushed into flour.
There are 2 types of spelled - wild and cultivated. The list of filmy varieties of the latter includes spelled, maha, emmer, and Timofeev wheat. The naked variety is called Gramme.
Food products prepared with crushed spelled have a slight nutty flavor.