“Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it.” Biblical verses are not my strong point, but they are a foundation for the products made by Food for Life. This particular verse is the inspiration for their Ezekiel 4:9 breads, tortillas, pastas, and cereals that, based on these instructions, uses wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt. The company also makes a Genesis 1:29 line of bread and English muffins.
Food for Life is a family-owned and operated specialty bakery deeply devoted to natural foods. The company started in 1964, in the back of a small neighborhood natural foods store in Glendale, California, known as Foods For Life Natural Foods. The bakery quickly gained a large following, with customers often driving many miles to get their hands on product. To meet this growing demand, Food for Life expanded to become the first wholesale bakery in the United States specializing in natural foods.
Food for Life Genesis 1:29 Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain & Seed Bread and Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain & Seed English Muffins.
There’s more than just Biblical references to this company, however, as they are devotees of sprouted grains. If you don’t know, sprouted grains are exactly what the name implies: grains that have been allowed to sprout. The sprouting process, it’s said, increases the nutrient value of the grains and promotes better absorption of their protein and carbohydrates via the action of enzymes. According to Food for Life sources, the blend of grains and beans/legumes in their Ezekiel 4:9 formulations also creates a complete, high-quality protein — a rarity in breads, pastas, and cereals.
Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Flourless Almond Cereal and Organic Sprouted 100% Whole Grain Flourless Bread.
Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Flourless Burger Buns and Organic Sprouted Whole Kernel Flourless Corn Tortillas.
I have not tried anything approaching the entire product roster, but the Sprouted Whole Grain Bread is delicious toasted, and I’m a big fan of the Ezekiel 4:9 cereals. As with all of these products, the grains, beans, and lentils used for these cereals are all certified organic. All products are also made with filtered water and are kosher-certified. No conditioners, additives, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives are ever used. Food for Life cereals are bursting with whole grains (again, this carries over into their other products, as well), they’re hearty, and they really taste good. The cereal is available in Original, Golden Flax, Almond, and my favorite, Cinnamon Raisin. A bowl of this cereal with milk, heated briefly until it’s hot and topped with fresh or additional dried fruit, is a breakfast that will fill you up nicely, and you’ll know you’re doing something good for yourself at the same time. Those with special dietary needs will want to check out these products, too, as they’ll find examples of yeast-free, low glycemic/diabetic friendly, gluten free/wheat free, and high fiber specialties. The latest thing from these folks are their vegan “meats”, Cluckphrey and Moophrey (sorry, no prizes for figuring out those names!).
Food for Life vegan meats: Cluckphrey Patties and Moophrey Burgers.
In the 1960s, products like these would have been dismissed as “hippie food”, but I like to think that at least some people have seen the whole grain light since then, and the benefits of eating living, sprouted foods are just too many to ignore. Food for Life products are fairly easy to find not only in health food stores but regular supermarkets and grocery stores as well; use the website’s store finder to find a reseller near you.
Top photo: Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Sesame Bread & Whole Grain Flourless Tortillas.
