Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Wednesday, 10 October 2018.
Tagged: carbohydrates, carbs, flour, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, nutrition, wheat
White flour is highly processed, carbohydrate-dense (think 76 per cent), energy-dense (1540 kilojoules or, 358 Calories per 100 grams) and low in nutrients. And we seem to be addicted to it. Like all addictions, it feeds the pleasure response - think light and airy cakes, fluffy white burger rolls, pancakes and scones with lashings of jam. Is there a better alternative that is palatable and that does the same job? Take a look…
What is white flour?
White flour is made from wheat that has been milled (finely ground) and most of the “good bits” such as the germ and the bran removed so we’re mostly left with the endosperm - the starchy centre of the grain. Most of the fibre and the phytonutrients have been removed. It does contain protein but that protein is mainly gluten - a problem for some people.
Fortified flour
Most white flour in Australia (apart from that labelled “organic”) is required by law to be fortified with folic acid, one of the important B group vitamins. Folic acid is important in foetal development and protects against neural tube defects in newborns. (See my post on folic acid here)
It is also fortified with thiamin (vitamin B1) in an effort to combat marginal deficiencies of this vitamin in the entire population. You can read more about B1 here.
There are 5 easy ways we can reduce our intake of white flour.
Some people are sensitive to FODMAPS (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols) and others are sensitive to gluten and some poor souls are sensitive to both. To help you make your way through the flour maze, here’s a list of the FODMAP and gluten profiles of some of the more common flours.
Flour |
CONTAINS GLUTEN? |
IS HIGH FODMAP? |
White |
Yes |
Bread is Low up to 1 slice and High after that. |
Wholemeal |
Yes |
Sourdough is Low up to 2 slices and High after that. |
Rye |
Yes |
Yes |
Almond |
No |
1/2 cup is considered High and 1/4 cup Low. |
Coconut |
No |
Yes |
Psyllium |
No |
No |
Soy |
No |
Yes |
Chickpea (Besan) |
No |
Yes |
Buckwheat |
No |
No |
Rice (brown, white, wild) |
No |
No |
If you want to improve your nutrition then overcoming the love-affair with white flour is a good place to start. Start slowly, if you change your diet to whole grains, or high-fibre foods too quickly you’ll end up with bloating and other problems. Small steps allow your body's microbiome to adjust to the new diet.
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