Kamut, pronounced “kah-moot,” is ancient wheat that has a sweet nutty flavor. This wheat is also referred to as Khorasan wheat and Oriental wheat.
Kamut Nutritional Value
Khorasan wheat is packed with nutrients. This nutrient-dense wheat is primarily made up of water (65 grams), but it is also has a healthy serving of protein (6 grams) and fiber (4 grams).
The minerals most prominent in kamut are phosphorus (147 milligrams) and potassium (164 milligrams).
Calcium (9 milligrams) and magnesium (48 milligrams) are also present in this wheat.
Thiamin (0.01 milligrams), Niacin (2.3 milligrams), folate (11 micrograms), and vitamin E (0.24 milligrams) are just some of the vitamins present in kamut.
Kamut Health Benefits
The health benefits of Oriental wheat include lower cholesterol and greater bone health. Khorasan wheat can also boost your immune system and help maintain your muscle strength.
The antioxidant minerals present in this wheat such as manganese help to protect the body from free radicals. Left unchecked, free radicals can cause genetic mutations and damage to your cells.
Selenium, another antioxidant mineral present in this wheat, helps the body produce hormones. It plays a key role in producing thyroid hormones. These thyroid hormones are called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and they are responsible for helping the body regulate your metabolism.
How to Incorporate Kamut into Your Diet
There are many ways that you can mix Khorasan wheat into your diet. You can use it as a whole grain, or you can use it as flour.
This wheat can be pre-added to cereals, bread, and pasta. It is often pre-added to other baked goods as well.
Prior to using Khorasan wheat in your food as a whole grain, it is best to first rinse it then soak it overnight.
Khorasan wheat can be used to make pancakes, salads, bread, porridge, pasta, soups, and stews.
To create salads using this wheat, it should be boiled. Then it can be used as a base for any salad you want.
Blending soaked Khorasan grains creates a great porridge that you can flavor and decorate however you choose.
To make bread using Khorasan wheat, use it as a substitute for the flour required in your recipe.
When added to a pasta sauce, this wheat adds texture and additional nutritional benefits.
Khorasan Wheat Safety Concerns
This wheat is not gluten-free. Some people who are sensitive to gluten can tolerate eating this wheat as an alternative to all-purpose flour, but anyone who has Celiac’s disease should be aware that this wheat can be difficult for your body to digest.
Khorasan wheat contains some sodium (8 milligrams) and sugar (about 5 grams). Though this wheat has great nutritional value, you should still be aware of how much of it you consume.