Low-carbohydrate diets get a lot of attention and health-conscious individuals are always looking for ways to recreate their favorite treats in healthier ways. Many home bakers use refined, all-purpose white flour when they bake. Because whole-wheat flour contains more nutrients and fiber than white flour, it may be a healthier alternative to use when baking. This substitution may also result in lower-carbohydrate content per serving.
Low-Carb Baking Defined
Referring to something as "low-carb" typically means substituting a carbohydrate ingredient with a non-carbohydrate or non-caloric ingredient. Typically, this refers to using sugar substitutes; however, increasing the fiber content of your diet may also result in lower carbohydrate consumption. Low-carb options have gained attention because when carbohydrates are consumed, they are broken down and absorbed as glucose. Glucose circulates in the blood and enters the cells that need it. High amounts of circulating blood glucose indicate diabetes.
Fiber
Fiber, a type of carbohydrate that is not broken down and absorbed as glucose, increases the feeling of fullness after a meal. For those worried about excessive or persistently high blood glucose, eating a fiber-rich diet may improve post-meal glucose levels. One way to increase the fiber content of your diet is to substitute refined carbohydrates with whole grains, including whole-wheat flour. If you are counting carbohydrates and your food contains more than 5 g of fiber, you can subtract half the amount of fiber from the total carbohydrate content. For example if your food contains 6 g of fiber and 20 g of carbohydrates, you can say the food only contains 17 g of carbohydrates. However, subtracting carbohydrates based on fiber does not mean that you are consuming fewer carbohydrates. Portion size and mindfulness are important tools to utilize as well.
Traditional Baking Flours
Generally, bakers use all-purpose or cake flour in their baked goods. These light, refined flours create a fluffy texture when used to produce sweet treats. These flours contain approximately 17 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber per 3-tbsp. serving.
Whole-Wheat Flour
Whole-wheat flour refers to the powdery substance produced by grinding up the entire wheat grain. Enriched wheat flour may sound like it is a whole grain, but it does not have many of the nutrients and fiber present in whole-wheat fiber. Whole-wheat flour provides approximately 16 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fiber per 3 tbsp. You can substitute between one-fourth and one-half of the required amount of white or cake flour with whole-wheat flour in baking to maintain consistency and texture while increasing nutrient content. Substituting more than one-half results in a heavier-textured baked good, which may be undesirable.
Low-Carb Baking-Flour Substitutions
You can use many different types of flour in baking. Rice flour, corn flour and potato flour are comparable to white flour in terms of carbohydrate content. Almond and other nut flours have much lower carbohydrate content, approximately 1 g of carbohydrates, but contain more fat than wheat flours. Alternately, sugar substitutes can be used to decrease the carbohydrate content of your baked goods.
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