
Posted In
October 29, 2025
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A few years ago, I picked up Bob Quinn’s book Grain by Grain, and it changed everything I thought I knew about flour. At that point, I was trying to find a happy medium between two scientific thoughts: “gluten causes mega gut inflammation,” and “gluten intake doesn’t matter whatsoever.” Bob’s research into grain processing helped me gain a much healthier perspective on food and navigate the best way forward.
Here’s the thing: bread used to be a hearty food that powered our ancestors through hours of hard labor. They had few proteins, fats, and perfectly plated meals — just bread (see: Italy). This is because ancient grains are significantly different from our modern grains. We’ve processed modern grain a little too close to the sun, removing essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins that used to make bread a more complete food. Luckily, ancient grains are still around, and brands like Sunrise Flour Mill are making them accessible again.

When you pick up a bag of flour at the grocery store, you’re choosing a grain that’s been significantly altered. Over the last century, we’ve bred wheat for higher crop yields and easier cultivation. The final product is so nutritionally void that we actually add synthetic vitamins and minerals back into the wheat (called fortified wheat).
There’s also the heavy glyphosate levels, bleaching, and bromating to consider in most grocery store flour. Bromated flour is a possible carcinogen, and it’s banned by the European Union. It’s also designed to increase the gluten content in flour, which is a problem for gluten-sensitive people. These are just a handful of reasons why modern wheat has become highly inflammatory.
But it wasn’t always like this. Our ancestors’ wheat was much different, and it might even be considered a superfood by today’s standards. Ancient grain blends are nutritionally intact, with an impressive profile of fatty acids, minerals, protein, and vitamins. Although the studies are limited, ancient grains like Kamut flour have shown to actually decrease inflammatory markers and protect against oxidative stress. Ancient grains give us the option to add wheat back into the modern diet as a health food rather than an inflammatory risk.
Sunrise Flour Mill is a modern brand that’s pioneering ancient grain flour. They use blends like Turkey Red and White Sonora to produce working grains for easy cooking and baking. Using ancient grain flours can be a little tricky (trust me, I’ve tried), since the conversions aren’t always a 1:1 ratio with conventional all-purpose flour.
The great thing about Sunrise Flour Mill is that they consider this. Their blends are made for 1:1 conversions, so you can follow your favorite recipes without doing math. Each bag of flour is freshly milled, grown organically without glyphosate, and minimally processed to keep the nutrient profile intact. You can genuinely tell a difference by the vibrant taste, and if you’re gluten sensitive, you can feel the difference, too.
Their ancient grain flour is…
Honestly, I’ve used exclusively ancient grain flours and European blends for years now. Sunrise Flour Mill stands out from other brands for its conversions, taste, affordability, and variety of options.
Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of eliminating food groups. Grain powered our ancestors for thousands of years, through hours of physical labor and exposure to the elements. It doesn’t make sense that we’re all suddenly gluten sensitive. There has to be more to the story, right?
Restoring ancient grains to their rightful place is how we reclaim this nourishing food group, instead of simply labeling it as “anti-inflammatory.” Grocery prices are rising and not everyone has the time and energy to keep up with a protein-fueled elimination diet. Ancient grains are a happy medium that allow us to enjoy easy, price-conscious foods with true nutritional benefits.
Your Sunrise Flour Mill Coupon:
Click to get 20% off any order of ancient grain flour
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