Benefits of Wheat Germ and Whole Wheat Flour
in Healthy Dog Treat Recipes
Reap the benefits of wheat germ and whole wheat flour by using them in your homemade healthy dog treats. Loaded with good nutrition, they can help protect your dog from heart disease and cancer. Consider seriously adding wheat germ and whole wheat flour to your healthy dog treat ingredients for dog treats.
Wheat, and breads made from it, have long been considered in countries around the world to be the “staff of life” or ‘gift of the gods”. Cultivation of wheat can be traced back to southwestern Asia from 10,000 to 15,000 B.C. There’s a good reason that wheat has been highly regarded in countries all over the world and for thousands of years. Wheat is a nutrient dense food. It is high in B vitamins (for enhanced immunity), high in vitamin E for heart health and it possibly gives protection from some cancers.
Photo by mr. bologna (flckr.com)
Whole wheat flour also contains selenium (which may protect against lung cancer), and potassium and zinc. Wheat products are frequently found as dog food ingredients in commercial dog foods.
Wheat Germ
for Healthy Dog Treat Recipes
Wheat germ is rich in fiber for heart health, cancer protection and good digestive function. In addition, it’s a great source of vitamins like B complex and vitamin E. Wheat germ is one of the very best sources of zinc!Substitute 2-4 tablespoons of wheat germ for flour in your dog treats recipies to make them healthier.
Whole Wheat Flour
for Healthy Dog Treats
Whole wheat flour also gives you many of the benefits of wheat germ and wheat bran found in wheat berries. It’s one of the best preventives to constipation. All in all, it’s one of the healthiest foods available to man or animal!
Photo by Belinda Hankins Miller, US (flckr.com)
So, if your dog is not allergic to gluten, make sure that you include healthy whole wheat flour, wheat germ and wheat bran as some of the healthiest ingredients in his homeade dog treats!
Unbleached Flour for Healthy Dog Treats Recipes
This flour has fewer benefits than whole wheat flour but it still is much better for your dog than "white, bleached" flour.
The wheat germ and bran have been removed, but the vitamins remain intact. Bleached flour has been "bleached" by using chemicals. When it was first discovered that the chemicals were harmful, the dogs living around the mills started dying. This was the clue that led to the discovery that the chemicals used to bleach the flour were harmful. You don't want to use "bleached" flour as an ingredient in your treats. I use a little unbleached flour in my dog treats because it makes the dough easier to work with. When you use whole grain flours as the only ingredients, the dough can get pretty sticky. The unbleached white flour makes it nice and pliable. One way to add back some of the nutrition is to take advantage of the benefits of wheat germ and substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wheat germ for some of the flour.
If you would like to read more about other healthy dog treat ingredients, go to
dog nutrition
or
ingredients for healthy dog treats.
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