When whole-grain flour undergoes the process of refinement, it loses some of its natural nutrients. To make enriched flour and improve the nutritional content of refined flour, manufacturers add certain vitamins and minerals. Read the list of ingredients on products made with refined flour to find out whether the flour is enriched.
Calories
A cup of enriched refined all-purpose wheat flour has 455 calories. Enriched refined flour is present in breads and pastas; baked goods such as cookies, muffins, cakes, pies and pastries; battered foods such as onion rings or fried chicken; and snack foods like pretzels. These foods are among the top sources of calories in the typical American diet, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Flour itself is not fattening in small quantities, but it can lead to weight gain when you overeat high-calorie foods with flour.
Macronutrients
A cup of all-purpose enriched flour has 1 g total fat, less than 1 g saturated fat and 13 g protein. It has 95 g total carbohydrates, including only 3.4 g dietary fiber. Even though enriched refined flour is not high in fiber, it is a primary source of fiber for many Americans, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. You can increase your fiber intake by choosing products made with whole-wheat flour, which has 12.8 g fiber per cup, and eating more fruits, vegetables and beans.
Iron
A cup of enriched flour has 5.8 mg iron, or 32 percent of the daily value. Iron is one of the nutrients that is lost during the process of turning whole-grain wheat into refined wheat, and it is a required mineral in enriched flour, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. A cup of unenriched refined all-purpose flour has only 1.5 mg iron. Children, adolescents and women of child-bearing age are among the populations at highest risk for iron deficiency.
Vitamins
Enriched flour must contain thiamin or vitamin B-1, riboflavin or vitamin B-2, and niacin or vitamin B-3 to replace the amounts lost during processing. A cup of all-purpose flour has 1 mg thiamin, 0.6 mg riboflavin and 7 mg niacin, or at least one-third of the daily value for each of these nutrients. To provide adequate folic acid and reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects, enriched flour has 229 mcg folic acid per cup, or 57 percent of the daily value.
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