What to replace wheat flour, what flour is healthier, what to make PP baked goods with

Adherents of healthy eating have discovered quite a few new products. Among them are not only exotic superfoods and unfamiliar vegetables, but also various types of alternative flours. Because of the components of the primary product, many people fail to cook the intended dish from already produced flour: cheesecakes come out bitter, and “healthy” bread – not puffy enough. Together with nutritiologist Alyona Stepanova we tell you what properties each flour has and what dishes should be cooked with it.

nutriciologist

The greatest benefit, of course, in the groats, not in the flour. Because flour is added to baked goods, start frying and mixing it all with oils – the benefit is lost. To say that flour is beneficial is not quite correct.

Why give up wheat flour?
Some people prefer to use other types instead of wheat flour because of gluten intolerance, others choose less caloric alternatives. White wheat flour of the highest grade is considered particularly harmful – it is a completely processed product that carries no benefits.

Зміст

Oat flour

Oat flour is used for cooking a variety of dishes. Most often it is added to baked goods. Oatmeal cookies are the most famous dish from this type of flour. To get a healthy dessert, it is prepared with cottage cheese, pumpkin, carrots and dried fruits. Another famous recipe is oatmeal pancakes. They are quick and easy to prepare and in addition, they are more nutritious and better satisfy the feeling of hunger. Also from this flour make oatmeal kissel, adding honey, fruit or milk to it. In addition, it is used in the preparation of bread and breads, pies and fritters.

Alyona Stepanova

nutritionist

Contraindications to the use of oatmeal flour is only if it contains gluten, which could get into the production. In factories, it is made together with wheat and rye, which just has gluten.

This flour is good because it coats the walls of the stomach. Therefore, it is recommended for those who have erosions and ulcers. It also has quite a lot of healthy fats, B vitamins, iron and zinc.

Rice

In a pure form, baking from rice flour is not obtained, since this cereal does not have plastic properties. Therefore, the dough is kneaded on eggs or with the addition of starch. The corn starch is best suited. Adding bananas or mixing with flour from other grains can also help. Try making gluten-free rice pancakes, cheesecakes, dessert bread, cookies, pancakes and muffins.

Alyona Stepanova

nutritionist

Rice cleanses the body, removes excess fluid, gives energy. There is no gluten in such flour, it is considered hypoallergenic, so it is good to make pancakes, pancakes, pancakes – they turn out more tender than on wheat flour. Rice flour has no contraindications. The only thing is that it has a high glycemic index, it quickly raises blood sugar, since it has little fiber.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat flour is used mainly in baking. Pancakes, breads, cookies, pancakes, porridge, flatbreads and muffins are great options for a dietary breakfast and for saturating with fiber for the whole day.

Alyona Stepanova

nutritionist

Buckwheat flour is made from uncooked green buckwheat, so it has a specific flavor that not everyone likes. Cooking dishes from this flour is good for those who follow some treatment protocols, for example, because of autoimmune diseases, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis.

This flour is considered dietary, it has a lot of fiber, protein, no gluten, a number of B vitamins, zinc, iron, calcium. It strengthens the immune system, helps to restore blood circulation, improves hair, skin, nails.

Flax

Flax flour, just like buckwheat flour, is often added when preparing baked goods. In the dough you can interfere with cottage cheese, various fruits, dried fruits and vegetables. The main thing – do not add flaxseed flour more than required by the recipe, and observe the proportions.

Alyona Stepanova

nutritionist

Flaxseed flour is considered a leader in protein. It has a low glycemic index and a high fiber content, so blood sugar does not rise quickly. It contains antioxidants – vitamins omega 3 and omega 6. Cooking with this flour is not recommended, because the fats in its composition are oxidized. But sometimes flaxseed oil is squeezed out, and in the cake remains only a small percentage of these fats, so pay attention to the packaging.

Contraindications can be a tendency to bloating and flatulence, the presence of kidney stones, thyroid problems and diabetes mellitus.

Corn

It is corn flour that can become a full-fledged substitute for wheat or rye flour. From it you can make flatbreads, bread, fritters, cookies and mamalyga – a traditional dish of Moldovan and Western Ukrainian cuisine, steeped corn porridge on the basis of groats or flour.

Alyona Stepanova

nutritionist

Corn flour is quite pleasant in smell, a little sweet, it has a crumbly structure. Cooking, for example, pancakes is very difficult, as they will fall apart, but for flatbreads, muffins and casseroles is great.

The flour has a lot of fiber, vitamins A, E, B, minerals – calcium, potassium and phosphorus – and no gluten. It helps to normalize the nervous system, stabilize the heart and blood vessels, adjusts digestion. Contraindications may be acute phases of gastrointestinal diseases and problems with blood clotting.

Why is alternative flour so popular?

The body perceives flour in the same way as cereals. It is better to choose whole-grain, that is, obtained from ground whole grains of cereal. Top-grade wheat flour is obtained by peeling the grain from the shell and grinding the kernel. The kernel is the most high-carbohydrate part of the grain, so blood sugar levels rise faster. And proper saturation with fiber, which restrains the sugar spike, does not happen, because it is in the shell.

Alyona Stepanova

nutritionist

Today, many people emphasize gluten-free flour, because gluten itself (gluten) destroys the epithelial layer of the intestine, because of which vitamins and minerals are not assimilated. Wheat flour can be consumed by those who do not have gluten intolerance. This can be determined through a genetic test.

Because of today’s disordered eating and fast food, I recommend eliminating wheat flour from your diet for 2-3 months to allow your body to recover. This needs to be done because gluten promotes inflammation in the body.