Let’s go back to the basics of Great Harvest, all the way down to our key ingredients. We use honey, salt, yeast, water, 100% whole grain flour, and any additional delicious goodies we feel like throwing in there like crunchy pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or sweet cranberries. But let’s focus on one of those key ingredients: 100% whole grain flour.
Every Great Harvest Bakery you can find mills their own wheat kernels into whole grain 
flour every day to provide you with the most fresh and flavorful flour and ultimately the best bread we can figure out how to make. We mill the whole grain for not only its flavor and function, but also for its nutritional value. Keeping it whole maintains all parts of the grain and thus all of the valuable vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and nutrients so you can reap each and every single health benefits the natural grain can provide you with.
So now, let’s break the grain down into all of its key parts and see what it has to offer:
The Bran
This is the tough and fibrous outer shell of the wheat kernel. This was created by nature to actually protect the interior of wheat berry from pesky insects and the elements so the kernel can sprout and grow into a new plant. It contains important antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber.
Endosperm
This is the largest part of the grain, which is a good thing too because it is the built-in food supply for the third part of the grain, the germ. This can nourish the sprouting germ as it develops into a new plant until it can grow roots to take in nutrients from the ground and grow leaves to create energy from the sunlight. This is the starchy part of the grain where most of the carbohydrate can be found. It also provides proteins and small amounts of vitamins and minerals
Germ
This is the most important part of the grain in regards to its development because this is the embryo that will transform into a plant. This is also the only portion of the grain that contains healthy fats. It also contains B vitamins, some protein, and minerals.
So keep it whole and enjoy everything the grain has to offer you. Even if it is just for that addictively appetizing fresh flavor.
How do you like to implement whole grains into your diet?
