Alternatives to white flour: here are the best solutions

For celiacs and diabetics it is a necessity. But in general the White flour, or refined flour, like type 0 and 00 flour (more processed, powdery, and almost impalpable), can also be substituted for simple health reasons. It contains more carbohydrates, but less protein, fiber, and natural salts. Alternatives to white flour are numerous, ranging from corn flour to soy flour, from legume flour to potato starch.

Index of topics

What

White flour is obtained from milling of soft wheat grains, from which both the germ (which determines the loss of vitamins and minerals) and the bran (which contains the fibers). When we say that "white flour is bad for you", we mean the loss of components that are very good for your health and its high glycemic index which promotes diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. Hence the choice to replace white flour. But what are the best alternatives? And under what circumstances are they used?

Purposes

White flour is present everywhere in our diet: breadPasta, sweets, and baked goods contain it. The need to find alternatives arises from the fact that the process that takes the wheat grain to flour eliminates germs, rich in amino acids, fatty acids, mineral salts, B vitamins and vitamin E and the bran Rich in fiber, leaving only the part richest in gluten and sugars. Gluten intolerances are on the rise, and in addition to refining, flours are also chemically bleached to make them white with nitric oxide and chlorine, which also act as preservatives.

How to replace white flour

Here are all the sustainable alternatives to partially or totally replace white flour.

Wholemeal flour: It is a wheat flour from which the bran has not been removed, rich in fibre, it can be used in all culinary preparations, both desserts how salty
Rye flour: It is particularly suitable for preparing bread which takes on a darker appearance and for desserts to which it gives a rustic appearance
Corn flour: It is the flour we use to prepare the polenta, exists in white version and yellow
Rice flour: It is a flour obtained from rice, very rich in starch and very digestible.
Kamut flour: It is found mainly in organic shops and is much more nutritious and richer than white flour
Soy Flour: obtained from the grinding of toasted soybeans, it is a variety of flour rich in proteins and fibres
Almond flour: This flour is made from toasted almonds and is very tasty when used in baking and bread, adding a delicate almond flavor to all preparations. There's also hazelnut flour with the same characteristics, but it's harder to find.
Chestnut flour: Chestnut flour is used in desserts typical of the autumn season but it is very valid in all types of desserts in the kitchen as an alternative to white flour
Carrot flour: Carrot flour would be a very valid, healthy, genuine and very sustainable substitute but it still has a very high price and is rarely found in shops.
Oat, barley and spelt flour: they are excellent alternatives for all preparations, bread, pizza, desserts and soups, they are cheap and easy to find
Chickpea flour: It is one of the best known and most used both for the farinata which is used for panelle and is excellent for making bread, pizzas and focaccias, for breading vegetables and for making fritters
Legume flour: It is obtained from broad beans, beans, lentils and other legumes and is excellent in making bread
Potato starch: It is a flour obtained from potato starch and can be used to partially replace white flour.
Cornstarch: It is corn starch and can be a partial substitute for white flour, it is usually used to give softness to desserts

What is the healthiest flour?

Certainly the most complete flour for health is wholemeal flour, due to its contribution of minerals and nutrients, and because it's lower in calories than, for example, white flour. Whole-wheat flour has a yield of 100: from 100 kilograms of wheat, 100 kilograms of whole-wheat flour are obtained.

Which flour should I use when dieting?

If you are doing a dietIt's best to avoid refined flour, or white flour. It's therefore a matter of choosing one of the alternatives, also based on your tastes and preferences. ancient grain flours, for example, are more nutritious, more digestible, lighter, and contain less gluten. They are particularly suitable for dieters.

What is the best flour for baking?

The most suitable flour for desserts and creams is the one bianca 00: But Manitoba flour is also suitable for this type of dish, due to its strength (due to a significant presence of proteins) which favours the formation of the glutenAnd it's gluten that makes flour more suitable for products that require long leavening, such as desserts.

Alternatives to white flour: the best solutions