Spruce up your Salad with Sprouted Grain Croutons

I’ve been eating sprouted grain bread for years, and I’m thrilled more products are coming on the market and more readily available in just about every grocery store. You usually find sprouted breads in the freezer section because of the lack of preservatives in the bread. (YEA!!)

Now when I go to a restaurant I follow the, “thou shalt not add croutons to your salad” and “order the dressing on the side” commandments. (note: I don’t typically don’t order salads in restaurants because I know how unhealthy most of the dressings are.) However, I eat them at home and enjoy homemade croutons on every single one! Want more ways to spruce up a salad? Read this post. 5 Little Choices for a Slimmer Summer where I share a number of great ways to spruce up boring salads!

Here’s just a few reasons not to eat prepackaged croutons:
• Unhealthy carbs
• Most contain enriched flour (which strips out all the nutrients then they “enrich” it by adding synthetic nutrients and elements to the flour).
• “Enriched” with synthetic vitamins such as thiamine mononitrate which may cause allergic reactions and/or ferrous sulfate/gluconate which have been known to cause GI disturbances.
• Contains canola oil which will likely be a GMO product.
• Can contain high levels of sodium which causes bloating. (I use sea salt in this recipe which gives you added minerals our bodies need)
• Added processed sugar (sometimes organic sugar is used in organic products)

My favorite sprouted grain brand is Whole Foods 365 Brand but some of the others are amazingly delicious too. With the warmer days, I’ve been enjoying more salad and I love the varying textural components croutons give for a well rounded salad. For this recipe, I used  Dave’s Killer Bread. This bread usually isn’t in the freezer section and can quickly become dry, so it’s perfect for homemade croutons.

Here’s a post on the many reasons I eat sprouted grain bread. The Amazing Health Benefits of Sprouted Grain Bread.

These croutons will add great flavor to any salad. So easy and totally tasty! You can use any seasoning that you desire. I usually us and Italian blend, but I’ve also use oregano, basil, parsley, etc.

Sprouted Grain Crunchy Croutons

• 5 cups of bread cubes
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted organic butter
• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp dried seasonings
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir occasionally and making sure the butter doesn’t burn.

Cut your bread into cubes. I try to stay about 1/2 – 3/4″ size. Don’t remove the crust as it adds variety and great crunch to these croutons. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

Drizzle the seasoned olive oil over your bread cubes and toss until they have an even coating of oil. Spread the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375˚F for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown and crunchy.