Once you’ve been eating paleo for a while, it can become second nature. You crave the foods you’re allowed, avoid the foods you aren’t, and can barely remember what you ate before – most of the time. After a long hard day, even devoted paleo followers can find themselves yearning for a good slice of bread.
Bread is an easy food. All you need to do is take a slice from the packet, spread it with a thick dollop of butter, and dinner’s sorted. Quick, tasty, and oh-so comforting. However, bread is a big no on paleo. But Ezekiel bread, with its bright packaging and health food claims, seems like it could be something different.
Ezekiel bread, while potentially a better option than other breads, is still not suitable on a paleo diet. Despite the different processing it goes through, Ezekiel bread contains the grains that paleo removes.
However, you might still be able to include some in your diet. In this guide, we explore everything you need to know about Ezekiel bread and paleo.
Is Ezekiel bread paleo?
Ezekiel bread has long been a popular choice for healthy eaters who still enjoy bread. However, it isn’t suitable for the paleo diet. Even though it may process them differently, Ezekiel bread still contains grains. If you intend to keep strictly to the paleo diet, then Ezekiel bread must be avoided.
The cheerful packaging of Ezekiel bread is something that many of us are used to seeing at the breakfast table. For some, it was an early introduction to a different way of eating.
Unlike the ordinary processed slices of bread, Ezekiel sprouted bread offered a healthier alternative. The sprouted grains release enzymes that break down the nutrients of the grain, so the body can better benefit from them.
However, when you start the paleo diet, grains go out the window entirely. Grains contain gluten, lectins, and phytates, which many of us are intolerant of. They lead to inflammation, and can potentially increase blood sugar levels.
The body struggles to break the grains down to access the nutrients, meaning they don’t provide the kind of dense benefits that protein rich food offer.
The sprouting process used by Ezekiel breads may make the nutrient consumption easier, but the gluten and other issues are still present. Because of this, Ezekiel bread is not paleo.
Is Ezekiel bread better on the paleo diet than other breads?
Food cravings can be the strangest thing. It can be years since you last ate something, and then you’re suddenly hit with the deepest desire to try it again. Sometimes, after months of happily eating paleo, all you want is a slice of grain bread.
When this happens, many of us try to find the healthiest way to navigate a craving. Instead of grabbing the first bread packet we see on the grocery store shelves, we search out a variety with slightly more nutrients. Ezekiel bread, packed full of sprouted grains and boasting its goodness, seems like an obvious choice.
Potentially, Ezekiel bread is a better choice for those on the paleo diet than other brands. This is because Ezekiel bread uses sprouted grains.
To do this, grains are soaked in water until they start to sprout, and then ground down and made into bread. This sprouting process releases enzymes, which help to break down the carbohydrates and proteins.
In this state, nutrients are easier for the body to absorb. Sprouted grains put less stress on the body, give the bread its low glycemic qualities, and allow you to absorb more of the good stuff hidden in the grains.
That said, Ezekiel bread does still contain the grains the paleo diet urges you to avoid. Even if they’re sprouted grains, they can still cause a reaction like bloating, fatigue, and joint pain. Ezekiel bread also contains gluten, which can also lead to gut problems and food intolerance issues.
Once you’ve cut foods out of your diet, it isn’t always simple to add them back in. If you’ve been avoiding bread for a while, your body might not be prepared for the effect it has. Which means that one slice of Ezekiel bread can leave you feeling pretty crummy.
The sprouted grains in Ezekiel bread do allow you to absorb more nutrients than regular grain breads. For this reason, Ezekiel bread can be better for those on the paleo diet.
Sometimes, you want that soft and chewy texture that even the best paleo breads seem to lack. Ezekiel bread can be used for the occasional cheat day, or if you’re slowly cutting bread out.
Can you eat any bread on paleo?
When you’ve been eating bread for all your life, it can be very difficult to cut out. Not necessarily because of the flavor or consistency, but because of the ease.
Even a plain slice of bread can be a quick and filling snack on those days when time is short. When you’re used to having toast for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch, finding alternatives can be tough.
This is why so many paleo followers keep a secret packet of Ezekiel bread in the freezer. Although only needed occasionally, it’s there for those moments when nothing but bread will do. Most likely, after a hard day at work, when you just want to snuggle under the covers with a slice of toast slathered in spread.
While at one point it would have been impossible to enjoy any bread on the paleo diet, times are changing. Grain free paleo bread may not be easily available just yet, but it is slowly turning up on more and more grocery store shelves.
Brands such as Base Culture, Julian Bakery, and Mikey’s all sell paleo bread both online and in-store. You can also try making it yourself!
Ezekiel bread may not be the worst choice for the paleo diet, but it certainly isn’t the best. As paleo bread brands become more and more prolific, there’s less and less need to compromise.