The human body is as unique as the leaves of trees or like snowflakes - not to find two similar ones, even if they are twins. Therefore, the surprising fact that different people react to some products differently is not considered. But the individual reactions of the body are far from the only reason why sometimes you have to abandon the usual ingredients of certain dishes. For example, wheat, rye or barley flour. How could such a seemingly harmless at first glance product cause intolerance? Is it possible to replace flour with something, and if so, with what?
Reasons for refusing flour
For some people, the main argument for refusing flour in their diets is allergies. Most often, a similar reaction occurs in wheat varieties. In this case, there are two types of allergies. The first is intolerance to flour dust. Such an allergy is similar to hay fever (a reaction to various types of pollen), and therefore occurs most often in people suffering from this ailment. The second is gluten intolerance. This substance is one of the elements of wheat grain. There are two ways out of the situation: either take antihistamines that relieve allergy symptoms, or refuse to use flour.
Another disease that forces you to abandon flour products is celiac disease - high sensitivity of the small intestine to gluten. Such a disease makes digestion difficult, a person suffers from frequent stools, bloating, skin problems and other symptoms that, without proper treatment, can provoke oncology of the gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, celiac disease is not treated with medications, and the only way to avoid the negative consequences is to look for ways to replace flour and other products containing gluten.
But there is a third reason. This is the so-called gluten-free diet. Refusal from dishes containing flour, according to many, improves the condition of the body. People on a similar diet say that it not only helps to lose weight, but also has a beneficial effect on digestion and cleanses of toxins and toxins. However, nutritionists doubt it, in their opinion, this effect is not achieved due to the rejection of gluten.
Possible substitutes
For many housewives, it’s difficult to say right away what flour can be replaced in baking. The simplest answer is rice, buckwheat, corn, or oatmeal, although there are other, more exotic ingredients. Semolina and starch are other popular products that can be used to replace wheat flour (however, when it comes to wheat allergies, it makes no sense to replace flour with semolina). Many housewives believe that muffins, cakes and rolls with such ingredients are much tastier.
Rice flour
Such a product is made from unpolished rice and can be of two types: white from white varieties and brown from, respectively, brown varieties. Surprisingly, this flour has not become a popular ingredient, because it is extremely versatile. With its help, you can both thicken the soup and bake a pie. However, there are a couple of tips. Although rice flour is similar to wheat flour in texture, it is better to mix it with other types in baking.
Of the beneficial properties, one can distinguish a rich content of fiber and protein, which greatly facilitates digestion.
Buckwheat flour
Another product that can replace wheat flour. It is made from buckwheat unroasted cereals. She has a very bright nutty flavor that will decorate any pastries. However, the smell and taste of flour can kill the rest of the ingredients. Therefore, before cooking, you should make sure that the use of this product can not be harmed in the end. To avoid unpleasant taste in the finished dish, it is recommended to mix buckwheat flour with other types, such as rice.
The beneficial properties of this product are its richness in protein, fiber and calcium, which also has a beneficial effect on the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Almond flour
This product has recently become popular thanks to a new fashion for French pastries called "pasta." They are made from egg white, sugar and almond flour, of course, which gives a pleasant taste and the effect of a melted snowflake on the tongue. This ingredient is ideal for baking cakes, pastries and, of course, cookies, however, it is important to remember that it absorbs the liquid in a slightly different way, so problems can arise. You will either have to reduce the amount of water / milk in the recipe, or use those in which the almond flour is originally found.
This product is much easier to absorb by the body, it contains many vitamins, minerals and fats, so it is good for health just like a handful of whole almonds.
What else can replace flour
There are other analogues to this product. First, in some cases, flour can be replaced with different types of starch. Potato absorbs more moisture, making the dish airy. Corn has the same properties, only tastes better than potato starch, so baking is not so fresh.
Secondly, you can replace flour with semolina. However, this cannot be completely done, since semolina is not sufficiently sticky. But you can mix it with other varieties of flour in certain proportions.
In addition to the usual ingredients, you can find several exotic substitutes. For example, coconut flour, from hazelnuts, from chia grains, chickpea flour, from quinoa and other varieties. It is also often recommended to use oatmeal, but here it is worth paying attention to the fact that the product may contain a small content of gluten due to cross pollination with cereals.