What is the benefit of baking from scratch? In addition to consuming your creation right out of the oven, it gives you complete control over your ingredients. A pantry essential, flour is used to make pasta, baked foods, casseroles, and desserts. However, certain flour varieties are healthier than others. For instance, because they are processed to eliminate the wheat bran and germ, which contain most fiber and nutrients, white and all-purpose flours are less healthful. Do you want to try healthier alternatives to traditional flour?

We know flour is one component in practically all baked goods. But regardless of whether you bake straight out of the box or have been producing Mary Berry-caliber pastries for years, you have many flour options. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with all-purpose white flour, except that it offers little nutritional benefits.

To simplify things the next time you’re in the baking aisle and feel like mixing things up, we’ve outlined the differences between some of our favorite healthy alternative flours here.

Whole Wheat Flour

Making homemade bread and other baked goods with whole wheat flour is a great way to indulge without compromising your commitment to eating whole foods. The wheat berry’s bran, germ, and endosperm are all in wheat flour. Because of this, whole wheat flour has a much higher fiber content than white flour [1].

Whole wheat flour is higher in protein and iron than all-purpose white flour and fiber. Whole wheat and white flour, however, are very dissimilar. White flour is produced by removing the bran and germ from whole wheat flour, prepared by grinding the entire wheat kernel into a powder.

It contains lots of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and protein. In any recipe, whole wheat flour can be used in a 1:1 ratio with white or all-purpose flour. Because it is unrefined, keep in mind that it produces a less airy texture than white flour.

A 1/2-cup (60-gram) serving of 100% whole wheat flour provides [2]:

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 8 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Carbs: 42 grams
• Fiber: 8 grams
• Iron: 11% of the DV
• Potassium: 5% of the DV

It is delicious, baked into bread, muffins, cakes, cookies, rolls, pizza dough, pancakes, and waffles.

Whole grain flours are particularly good for giving bread, muffins, and other baked goods structure and nutty flavor. If working with whole-grain flour is new, try blending it with all-purpose flour and altering the ratios to your specifications. Try using whole wheat flour that has been sprouted, which increases the ingredient’s nutritional value and digestibility.

Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat, a plant recognized for its seeds that resemble grains, is processed to make buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is not linked to wheat, despite its name, and is consequently gluten-free.

Traditional Japanese soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, which has an earthy flavor. In addition to micronutrients like manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, and phosphorus, it is a good source of fiber and protein.

According to research, this flour may help people with diabetes lower their blood sugar levels and enhance biomarkers for heart health. Additionally, it might be prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer [3] [4].

Prebiotics are a particular kind of fiber that nourish the good bacteria in your stomach that promote digestive wellness [5].

A 1/2-cup (60-gram) serving of buckwheat flour offers [6]:

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 4 grams
• Fat: 2 grams
• Carbs: 44 grams
• Fiber: 6 grams
• Iron: 17% of the DV
• Manganese: 34% of the DV
• Magnesium: 33% of the DV
• Copper: 73% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 17% of the DV

Buckwheat flour can create gluten-free crepes, pancakes, muffins, bread, and cookies. It has a distinctive, nutty flavor. It works well in pancakes and quick bread and makes a delectable crumb coating for meat or other proteins.

Coconut Flour

The dried coconut meat is ground into a smooth, soft flour to create coconut flour, which is grain- and gluten-free.

Compared to conventional grain-based flour, it has more calories per serving and is a rich source of protein, fat, fiber, and minerals, including iron and potassium.

Coconut flour has a high-fat content compared to grain flour. The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that make up most of this fat are predominantly saturated and may help maintain a healthy metabolism [7].

Although debatable, saturated fat from coconuts probably has a different impact on health than fast food, fried foods, and processed meats—and might even have advantages [8].

Additionally high in antioxidants, coconut flour also seems to have antibacterial qualities [9]. Cakes, cookies, and muffins are the greatest baked goods to use coconut flour in.

A 1/2-cup (64-gram) serving provides [10]:

• Calories: 210
• Protein: 8.5 grams
• Fat: 13 grams
• Carbs: 34 grams
• Fiber: 25 grams
• Iron: 22% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Potassium: 18% of the DV

The flavor of coconut flour lends itself to cakes, cookies, bread, and other baked items. It is pleasantly sweet.

It tends to be gritty and absorb a lot of liquid, which could cause some baked items to dry out. Therefore, it functions best in foods that rely on eggs to preserve moisture and structure, like muffins.

Almond Flour

Blanched almonds are ground into a fine powder to create almond flour. It is naturally free of gluten because it doesn’t include wheat. Almond meal, a more coarse substance produced by grinding almonds with their skins on, should not be confused with almond flour.

Magnesium, omega-3 unsaturated fats, plant protein, and vitamin E, potent antioxidants, are all in moderate amounts in almond flour.

The ingredients in this wheat provide several advantages, including reduced blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as better insulin resistance. Vitamin E may lower the chances of Alzheimer’s, and almonds may safeguard brain health [11] [12].

A 1/2-cup (56-gram) serving of almond flour offers [13]:

• Calories: 340
• Protein: 12 grams
• Fat: 30 grams
• Carbs: 12 grams
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Calcium: 5% of the DV
• Iron: 6% of the DV
• Potassium: 8% of the DV
• Magnesium: 65% of the DV
• Vitamin E: 100% of the DV

Almond flour is available at grocery stores or can be made at home. Almond flour is perfect for sweets like cupcakes, cookies, and macarons because of its mildly sweet flavor and silky texture.

You can use about a third cup of almond flour for every cup of all-purpose flour in recipes that call for yeast, such as bread and pizza dough. Change out a quarter of the all-purpose flour in recipes for cookies, scones, and cakes that don’t call for yeast for almond flour.

Quinoa Flour

To create quinoa flour, quinoa is ground into a fine powder. This gluten-free pseudocereal is frequently referred to as a whole grain because it has yet to be refined or processed, preserving its natural benefits.

Particularly noteworthy is that it’s a good source of protein, fiber, iron, and unsaturated fats. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may improve digestive health, stop tumor growth, and reduce the chance of contracting various diseases [14].

Quinoa serves as a complete, plant-based protein supply because it has all nine essential amino acids your body cannot produce.

Additionally, high in fiber and other vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, B vitamins, and antioxidants like quinoa and by extension, quinoa flour.

A 1/2-cup (56-gram) serving of quinoa flour provides [15]:

• Calories: 200
• Protein: 8 grams
• Fat: 2 grams
• Carbs: 38 grams
• Fiber: 6 grams
• Iron: 33% of the DV
• Potassium: 4% of the DV

Make pancakes, waffles, and muffins with quinoa flour. Since spices and chocolate go well with the flavor of quinoa, I especially enjoy using [quinoa flour] in recipes that call for these ingredients. To add nutrients and a mild nutty flavor, replace half of the all-purpose flour in traditional recipes with quinoa flour.

Final Words

Final Words

How do you break your relationship with refined wheat while still enjoying bread, dessert, and pasta in a world obsessed with healthier alternatives and swaps?

Researching and experimenting with flour alternatives in your diet is worthwhile. However, take your time reading the labels and look for fiber, protein, and major food allergies on the packaging.

More Flours to try:

• Banana
• Oat
• Sorghum
• Amaranth
• Potato
• Brown rice
• Spelt Flour
• Chickpea
• Rye
• Millet

For recipes and flour substitutions, refer to this tool for flour conversion.

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18558703/
2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/819564/nutrients
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17645626/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7840076/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463098/
6. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/359354/nutrients
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5044790/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30395784/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31930831/
10. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/375652/nutrients
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21241290/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4116579/
13. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/553156/nutrients
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6175902/
15. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/373794/nutrients

If you would like to learn more about how to make healthier versions of meals, schedule now with Tradena N. Rayner, MS, RDN, CDN, the Weight Inclusive Dietitian.