3 Bone-Smart And Grain-Free Bread Recipes That Are Perfect For Fall (Made With Coconut Flour) - Save Our Bones

The cooler temperatures of fall often evoke a desire for a hot beverage and a hearty snack. There are very few things more comforting on a chilly day than a warm piece of bread.

Bread has long been a staple of the human diet. In fact, some historians estimate that people began making bread over 30,000 years ago. A rich and inexpensive source of carbohydrates, this portable food spans all cultures and countries.

Despite its deep-rooted history, bread has gotten a lot of negative attention in recent years, mainly because grains contain gluten, a family of proteins that can wreak havoc on the health of those who are sensitive or intolerant to it. Further, industrialization has dramatically changed the way we process grains, and especially wheat. Once a nourishing grain, wheat has become stripped of nutrients and is genetically modified.

Savers know that at the Save Institute we don’t believe in deprivation. So today we bring you three bone-healthy bread recipes made with coconut flour. An excellent alternative to store-bought bread, these alkalizing, grain-free loaves are as nutritious as they are delicious!

Is Store-Bought Bread Unhealthy?

The short answer is yes. In most cases, commercially prepared bread contains unhealthy ingredients. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far between.

Also, conventional breads are made with grains that can be difficult for some people to digest because of their gluten content. Gluten is a protein made up of the peptides gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin has a large amount of amino acids, such as proline and glutamine, that can challenge the digestive process and lead to inflammation.1

To further muddy the waters, we are no longer eating the bread that our grandparents ate. In an effort to grow wheat faster and more resistant to bugs and drought, wheat has been genetically modified. In fact, it’s estimated that up to five percent of proteins found in wheat are new proteins that were not in the original wheat plants.2 This hybridization also contributes to increased inflammation in the body.

Industrialization has changed the way that grains are processed. In the late 19th century, the invention of roller mills forever altered wheat. Milling strips away the bran and the germ part of the grain, leaving only the endosperm. As a result, most grain today has been stripped of many of nutritional qualities, such as vitamin B, vitamin E, and nearly all of its fiber. The food industry compensated for this by fortifying the food with nutrients, but the original nutritional value was lost forever. Additionally, certain healthy components, such as phytochemicals cannot be added back in.

If this is not enough to cause you to stop eating store-bought bread, just take a quick look at the ingredient list on the back of the package. A standard bread should only require few, natural ingredients. However, most breads at the grocery store have a lot of ingredients, with additives such as high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings and coloring, and chemical dough conditions such as azodicarbonamide, a chemical also found in rubber products. And more often than not, flour is typically treated with several different chemicals before it ends up on store shelves – including chemical bleach!

Is Bread Good Or Bad For My Bones?

Grains are one of the few plant foods that generate acidic by-products. They contain sulfur compounds, which break down into compounds like sulfuric acid. This process leads to an increase in the body’s overall acidity3, and as a result, calcium is pulled out of bones to maintain an alkaline pH. The net effect is decreased bone mineralization and brittle bones, unless grains are consumed in proper balance with alkalizing foods.

Additionally, your intestines are lined with small hair-like structures called microvilli, whose job it is to absorb micronutrients such as calcium and magnesium from the food that passes through. Over time, excessive consumption of gluten can break down the microvilli in your gut. When these microvilli become damaged, they are unable to absorb these vital nutrients required by your bones to renew themselves. Several studies have demonstrated this relationship between low bone mineral density and intestinal malabsorption.4 So moderation is key when it comes to eating gluten-containing grains.

How To Enjoy Bread Without Harming Your Bones

Fortunately, there are healthy and delicious ways to get your bread fix. Savers know that sprouted bread is a great option, as the sprouting process breaks down the proteins making them easier to digest, and also alkalizes the grains. Sprouted bread uses the whole grain, and although it still contains small amounts of gluten, the nutritional content is much higher. Also, when used in moderation and consumed in balance with alkalizing foods, whole wheat flour (preferably organic) is another option, unless you are gluten intolerant or sensitive, of course. And last but not least, spelt bread is alkalizing and contains moderate amounts of gluten.

Yet another bone-smart alternative is using coconut flour, which is rich in protein, fiber, and fatty acids, and 100% gluten-free. Its texture makes it perfect for baking hearty, nutritionally dense bread, such as the recipes listed below.

Three Alkalizing Delicious Bread Recipes:

Cherry Pecan Delight

pH Balanced
Mini Loaf

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup coconut flour, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 ½ tablespoons honey
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup dried cherries, chopped
  • ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
  • 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F, and sift the coconut flour and baking powder in a bowl, and set aside
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and honey
  3. Add flour mixture slowly, gently stirring to remove all lumps. Fold in the cherries and pecans
  4. Using a large spoon, transfer into a greased mini loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean

Blackberry Banana Bomb

pH Balanced
Mini Loaf

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flour, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca starch or arrowroot (you can substitute with non-GMO cornstarch if you prefer).
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt (omit if desired)
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large ripe banana
  • 1 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
  3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, and sweetener
  4. Mash the bananas until very soft, and add them to wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly
  5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, gently stirring to remove all lumps
  6. Fold in the blackberries
  7. Using a large spoon, transfer into a greased mini loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean

Sweet Potato Spiced Swirl

pH Balanced
Loaf

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • ¾ – 1 cup raisins
  • 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup cooked sweet potato (approximately 2 large potatoes)
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ to ½ cup of honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Combine coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl
  3. In a separate bowl, mix sweet potato, coconut oil, eggs, sweetener, and vanilla, being careful to stir until most lumps are out
  4. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir well
  5. Slowly fold in raisins and walnuts
  6. Using a large spoon, transfer into a greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean

Preparation And Moderation Are Key To Building Your Bones

One of the keys to nutritional success when you follow the Osteoporosis Reversal Program lies in preparation and moderation. The recipes presented above can all be made ahead of time and stored in your refrigerator or even frozen. They can be pulled out with little notice when a friend is visiting or when you are attending an event where less nutritious food will be available.

Our companion cookbook to the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, Bone Appétit contains bone-healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert recipes that can be prepared and enjoyed later. Strawberry Muffins, Exotic Quinoa, Zesty Zucchini Sticks, Mambo-Jambo Salad, “Fool Me Twice” Burgers, and many more are a few examples of such dishes. Bone Appétit provides you with the tools you need to ensure that building healthy bones never means you are missing out.

Eat Your Way to Stronger Bones!

Discover over 200 mouth-watering bone healthy recipes for breakfast, smoothies, appetizers, soups, salads, vegetarian dishes, fish, and plenty of main courses and even desserts!

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Till next time,

References:

1 Krupickova S., et al. Identification of common epitopes on gliadin, enterocytes, and calreticulin recognised by antigliadin antibodies of patients with coeliac disease. Gut. 1999 Feb. 44(2): 168-73. Web: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=9895374

2 Szakacs, E., Molnar-Lang M. Identification of new winter wheat – winter barley addition lines (6HS and 7H) using fluorescence in situ hybridization and the stability of the whole ‘Martonvásári 9 kr1' – ‘Igri' addition set. Genome. 2010 Jan. 53(1): 35-44. Web: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20130747

3 Dawson-Hughs B, et. al., Potassium Bicarbonate Supplementation Lowers Bone Turnover and Calcium Excretion in Older Men and Women: A Randomized Dose-Finding Trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2015 Nov . 30(11): 2103-11. Web: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25990255

4 Larussa T, Suraci E, Nazionale I, Abenavoli L, Imeneo M, Luzza F. Bone Mineralization in Celiac Disease. Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2012. Web: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3378976/

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Comments on this article are closed.

  1. Elene Gusch, DOM

    Please be clear: Commercial wheat is NOT genetically modified. It has been changed over time, true, but that was done by regular breeding practices, not in a lab. It is not GMO in the same sense as most corn and soy in the US. While GMO wheat has been created, it is not being grown by farmers. (Yet.)

  2. Danica Cordell-Reeh

    What about bread made with:

    1. tapioca. (Against the grain brand). Or like Brazilian cheese bread

    2. Chickpea flour. ( mixed with water and spices and cooked on a griddle to use as a pizza crust

    For the sweet potatoe are you using the orange or does the Japanese with red skin and white pulp also work? It has a lovely nutty flavor

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      The breads you mention are acceptable options to replace wheat flour bread. Just make sure the commercially made versions you get don’t contain toxic additives. And to answer your last question, we use orange sweet potatoes, but any variety works 🙂

  3. Susan

    There are a lot of eggs in each of these recipes, and I would think that would make the bread quite acidic in your body?

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      Susan, the acidifying effect of eggs is balanced with the rest of the alkalizing ingredients. You can replace the eggs with a flax or chia seed mixture, both of which are alkalizing. One tablespoon of seeds whisked into three tablespoons of water, left in the fridge for 15 minutes, replaces one egg.

  4. Blanaid

    I experiment with a blend of coconut oil and a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to allow mixture to rise.

  5. Lynn Edman

    I am allergic to coconut. Is there a substitute I can use for these recipes?

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      You could use almond or oat flour instead of coconut flour. Just make sure to adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe, since coconut flour absorbs more moisture.

      • Jill

        Vivian, what is the best alternative to coconut oil? Thanks.

  6. B

    Recipes for bread look wonderful only I dont use eggs. Is there a substitute a person can use to replace the eggs.

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      You can substitute an egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground chia or flax seeds with three tablespoons of water. Then place the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, to thicken and bind just like an egg would.

  7. L

    “Over time, excessive consumption of gluten can break down the microvilli in your gut.”

    Doesnt this statement refer to those with Celiac? I’ve read this article twice and it appears to suggest that it may apply to anyone.

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      As we age, the microvilli work less efficiently since they tend to flatten. However, it is not nearly as extreme as for those who are genetically predisposed to gluten intolerance, such as celiacs.

  8. Margaret Buckley

    I would like to use your grain free bread recepies but I am allergic to eggs. What could I use instead of eggs?

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      Margaret, to replace one egg, whisk one tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds in three tablespoons of water, and let it set in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

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