What are the substitutes for wheat flour for proper nutrition?
From crushed nuts, seeds, roots and alternative grains, flour from almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, corn, rice, buckwheat and millet has become a favorite choice for many. Depending on your diet, flour options high in protein, fat, fiber, nutrients, and gluten-free alternatives are widely available.
Nutritional value of flour
This information is about the nutritional value of 30 grams (1/4 cup) of wheat flour.
Calories: 100
Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 23 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 3 g
Refined white flour also contains trace amounts of calcium (5 milligrams), iron (1.5 milligrams) and potassium (30 milligrams) per serving, but they are not enough to meet the recommended daily dose. White flour also contains no sugar. Nutrients, including B vitamins, were added to most of the refined white flour.
Why use a substitute
Apart from the exhaustion of traditional flour and the need for an alternative, there are a number of other reasons why someone might need a flour substitute. For example, people with wheat allergies, gluten sensitivity, or gluten disease should avoid traditional versions of all-purpose flour.
Being one of the eight most allergenic foods that cause 90% of food allergies, the protein found in wheat can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Reactions to wheat can affect the skin, mouth, throat, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and in severe cases even lead to anaphylactic shock.
Similarly, people with gluten disease or gluten sensitivity should also avoid any gluten-containing flour. In addition to wheat flour, people who need to avoid gluten will want to avoid barley, rye, coarse flour, semolina, and any other type of flour that is not labeled gluten-free.
Even flour made from oatmeal, corn and rice flour can sometimes contain gluten. Make sure you always read labels and look for the "gluten-free" sign if you have been advised to avoid gluten-containing foods.
Alternatives to flour
The flour market offers a number of suitable alternatives if you want to give up wheat, gluten or change the taste of the dish. Here are three alternatives to traditional all-purpose flour.
Coconut flour
Coconut flour is ideal for those who adhere to a keto diet nutrition plan. It contains many of the nutritional properties of the coconut itself. Compared to refined white flour, the same serving of coconut flour contains fewer carbohydrates (9 grams) and more fiber (5 grams per serving).
Coconut can help improve the level of good cholesterol and reduce the chance of inflammation, and this is against the background of many other benefits. However, coconut is one of the few plant foods containing saturated fats that should be restricted in excess for heart health.
Coconut flour, often used as a low-carb option, has a denser consistency than white flour. For this reason, you will not be able to replace wheat flour with coconut flour as 1:1, since it retains more liquid.
If you try to replace as 1:1, the recipe will require more water, eggs or butter, which means there will be an increase in calories.
You may have to experiment with your recipe to get the desired consistency, but usually you will need 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flour for every 1 cup of traditional flour. However, coconut flour is a suitable substitute for baking cakes, pancakes, cookies and bread to enhance the taste and add a little sweetness.
Keep in mind that coconut flour is rich in soluble fiber, which can help you feel full longer. But immediately too much fiber in one serving for people who are not used to it can cause stomach upset. If this is a new addition to your meal plan, start with small amounts.
Oatmeal
This whole-grain alternative has all the benefits of oats in a ready-to-eat powder. Although the same ratio of oatmeal and white flour is required, the nutrient content varies. A 30-gram serving of oatmeal contains 120 calories, almost the same amount of carbohydrates and 3 grams more fiber per serving. The potassium content is about three and a half times higher than in traditional white flour.
Oats are an excellent source of fiber and have many potential benefits, including the ability to control insulin levels and help with weight management. It can also be useful for lowering cholesterol and treating diabetes, in addition to other positive properties.
This flour, available in most supermarkets or prepared by simply grinding whole oat flakes in a food processor, gives the pastry a nutty hue and a restrained sweetness, and also creates a more crumbly texture.
As a rule, you will use 1.5 cups of oat flour for every 1 cup of plain flour. But you may have to experiment once or twice to improve the consistency of your baking.
Although oats are naturally gluten-free, keep in mind that not all brands are because of potential cross-contamination with other gluten-containing grains if they are processed at the same facility. Therefore, it is better to check the label or use an alternative if you suffer from intolerance.
Other varieties and availability
Many other varieties are available in supermarkets, health food stores and on the Internet.
Almond flour
Buckwheat flour
Cashew flour
Hazelnut flour
Peanut flour
Potato flour
Quinoa flour
Rice flour (white and brown)
Soy flour
Result
If you are looking for a flour substitute to change the taste and texture of your baking, or you have reasons that prohibit you from using traditional flour, there are a number of flour substitutes.
Keep in mind that not all flour can be replaced in a one-to-one ratio, so it may take some trial and error to find the right consistency and taste for your favorite pastries. But you can be sure that when it comes to replacing flour in your recipe, you have a variety of alternatives to choose from.
