Whole grain flours are superior nutritionally to white flour products, even though white flour is often iron enriched. When used in baking products, white flour creates pleasing dishes. However, the whole wheat kernel is removed from white flour in processing, and the flour is bleached with chlorine for whitening purposes. As an alternative, many foods are nutritionally superior substitutes, and it is easy to replace white flour foods with foods that are healthy and delicious.
Foods With Hidden White Flour
Not all white flour products are easy to identify. Some variations of breads contain a mixture of wheat flour and white flour. Croissants, donuts, bagels, cakes and cookies typically contain white flour unless otherwise labeled. It is safe to assume that pancakes, waffles, biscuits and rolls, rye bread and even sourdough rolls contain white flour as a foundational ingredient. Consider that varieties of gravy contain white flour, as well as other liquid foods such as cream-based soups that call for flour as a thickening agent. Pasta, macaroni and cheese, fast food burger buns, pizza, bread sticks and stuffing are common white flour products. Some chefs use white flour to braise meat before roasting as well.
Non-White Flour Grains
Grains with color are the best choices when you are avoiding white flour. Consider whole grain, whole wheat, brown rice or sprouted grains for nutritious pastry and bread products. For rye bread, select breads made from a combination of ground rye flour and whole wheat flour. For pasta, select from spaghetti squash or brown rice pasta. For crackers and snacks, look for "whole grain" or "whole wheat" on the packaging. However, it is still imperative to read the label for additional ingredient information to determine if a product contains white flour. For any recipes that contain white flour, there are whole wheat flour alternatives. According to Eat Right, a division of the American Dietetic Association, switching to whole wheat flour adds nutritional value. Whole wheat flour is appropriate for bread, cakes, cookies, pastries, pie crusts, crackers and rolls.
Non-White Flour Alternatives
Gluten-free flour does not contain white flour and often is a nice substitute for recipes that call for white flour. Other alternatives include chickpea, potato starch, arrowroot and tapioca flour. For non-white flour pizza dough, sorghum flour and millet flour create a nice crust when used in combination with a rice flour blend. For cookie recipes, consider substituting hazelnut or almond flour for white flour. Many nuts and seeds can be turned into flour if you whirl them in a blender. Amaranth, barley, buckwheat and cottonseed flours, as well as potato, soy and triticale flours, make acceptable non-white flour alternatives also. The American Heart Association recommends graham flour and even oats for heart-healthy choices.
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