Living a gluten-free lifestyle can be challenging, as gluten is found in natural foods such as barley, wheat and rye. Many restaurant meals and processed foods contain gluten. If you have an intolerance but consume gluten, you may experience abdominal discomfort or feel tired. If you suffer from celiac disease, or if your doctor has advised you to reduce the gluten in your diet, use gluten-free flours as a replacement for wheat flour.
Tapioca Flour
Ideal for gluten-free cooking and baking, tapioca flour comes from the root of the cassava plant. When ground, tapioca flour looks similar to bleached white flour. Use tapioca flour in baked goods, as a thickener in stews and soup and in warm gluten-free cereals. You can also use tapioca flour to make dumplings and biscuits. Fairly easy to find in larger grocery stores, tapioca flour stores well and has a long shelf life.
Brown-Rice and White-Rice Flours
Both natural brown rice and processed white rice kernels are gluten-free. When finely ground, you can use either type of flour in recipes. Brown rice flour has more nutrients and fiber than white rice flour, as well as a nuttier taste due to the retention of the bran. For lighter breads, consider combining both types, as you will get a higher nutritional value from the brown rice flour and the lighter texture of the white rice flour. If you desire, you can use rice flour in cereal for babies, according to Texas A&M University.
Buckwheat or Saracen Corn Flour
Buckwheat has a deceptive name, but it is not a type of wheat and has no gluten. Buckwheat flour is dark in color because the fragments of hull are not removed during processing. The flour has a protein content of 11 percent. When manufacturers harvest the plant, the tiny seeds are used to make buckwheat flour, also called Saracen corn flour. The flour has a strong taste; you may find that it overwhelms the other flavors in your recipe. Use buckwheat flour for rich, dense pancakes or combine the buckwheat with a lighter flour, such as rice flour, in biscuits or breads.
Quinoa Flour
Quinoa flour is made from grinding the seeds of the quinoa plant. Available through the Internet and in some specialty food stores, quinoa flour can be used in breakfast casseroles, as a crust for pizza or as an added delicate flavor to breads. Quinoa, containing naturally occurring sugars and starches, has an average protein content of about 16 percent, making it an excellent choice for vegetarians or those following a gluten-free diet.
Soy Flour
Soy flour, made from ground soybeans, contains neither gluten nor wheat. This flour is highly nutritious; breads made with soy flour have about 40 percent more protein than wheat bread. Unlike bread flours, soy flour has a high fat content. Combine soy flour with other gluten-free flours or cornmeal when making bread, to give your finished loaf the proper texture and lightness. Store soy flour in the refrigerator and bring the flour up to room temperature for a few minutes before using.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Celiac Disease
- Massachusetts General Hospital: Gluten Free Diet; 2008
- Oregon State University: Africa Reference Food and Culture: "Tapioca Root and Tapioca Flour: Consumption and Potential"; Lorraine L. Niba et al.; 1999
- Texas A&M AgriLIFE Research Center: "Rice Grain Quality"; Christine Bergman et al.; 2006
- Purdue University: "Alternative Field Crops Manual"; Buckwheat; E.S. Oplinger et al.
- The National Academies Press: "Lost Crops of the Incas"; National Research Council; 1989
