A new vegan bakery called  Vegan Divas  opened in my hood and all the cakes, muffins, doughnuts and cookies  are made with spelt rather than wheat.  I was intrigued.  Is spelt healthier?  Less calories?

Grain for grain wheat actually has about twice the fiber and 25% more protein than spelt.  On the plus side, spelt is  lower  in gluten so it can be  a better  choice for milder gluten problems or eczema control.  Like most grains, spelt is an excellent source of B vitamins (especially thiamin) and minerals including manganese and iron.  Spelt  pasta, crakers and  bread have a hearty, nutty flavor that is definately  more assertive  than traditional wheat based recipes.

The Vegan Divas bakery was packed with women clearly hungry  for healthy treats.  And unlike the cakes and muffins at Starbucks or Panera that give you calorie sticker shock, the vegan spelt   based baked goods  could be  part of your day without breaking  a diet.   For example, the doughnuts were 150 calories ( compared to at least 300 at Dunkin Doughnuts), a brownie  was another 150  while  a big piece of  tofu rasberry cheesecake was a  mere 247 Kcals. 

So how did they taste?  The coconut topped doughnut and brownie  were amazing while the cinnamon doughnut was    quite satisfying.   While the  tofu cheesecake will never be a threat to The Cheesecake Factory, it was still wonderful with an iced coffee.

To bottom line it,  spelt may not  be my go-to grain,  it  adds  much needed variety to healthy meal plans. 

My Favorite Spelt and Chicken Salad

Ingredients: 1 cup spelt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 carrots, shredded, 1 medium onion, chopped,  1 preserved lemon, diced ( optional),  1 1/2 cups of cooked shredded chicken, 1 cup of arugala,cut up, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro,  1 1/2 tablespoon of vinergrette ( 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon mustard)

Steps: Put spelt in a  pan and add enough water so that the spelt is under one inch of water.  Cook on a simmer for one hour. Drain and  cool to room temperature. Heat oil  and saute carrots and onions until softened.  Mix with  cooked cooled spelt.  Add chicken, arugala, and cilantro and moisten with vinergrette.  Season with freshly ground pepper.  I purposely omitted  salt, but if you really really  need  it, please use sea salt  that   offers big flavor and additional minerals.