Which flours can be used in the ketogenic diet - The ultimate guide

Published October 26, 2020·Mattia D.

One of the challenges faced during the ketogenic diet is the choice of alternative flours to replace the classic wheat flour.

Whether for recipes involving bread, pasta, cakes or biscuits, there are different types of flours that can worthily replace traditional flour with sometimes better results.

As we know, the classic wheat flour contains too many carbohydrates which are metabolized and converted into glucose very quickly. The ideal would be to find one or more flours with low amounts of sugar and possibly an average amount of fat and fiber. The latter in fact help to decrease the glycemic impact of a food as they are not digested directly in the stomach.

The most common flours used as a substitute in the ketogenic diet are the following:

Almond flour
Coconut flour
Flaxseed flour
Psyllium husk flour
Hazelnut flour
Walnut flour
Lupine flour

Almond flour

Almond flour is probably the most common type of low-carb flour given its low concentration of carbohydrates and high fat. This flour is produced by processing almonds, usually blanched and then peeled off.

Almond flour is very common in the ketogenic diet as it is the main substitute for flour in ketogenic desserts.

Almond flour has an average cost, but it is becoming more and more common and cheaper, so much so that today it can be easily purchased on Amazon.

Coconut flour

Coconut flour is another widely used ingredient in the ketogenic diet for sweets of various kinds due to its low amount of net carbohydrates. Coconut flour should be used in smaller quantities than almond flour as it is very absorbent, so if used in large quantities there is a risk of having a very dry cakes.

This flour is made from the dried pulp of the coconut, so it has a good amount of fat per serving, making it great for the ketogenic diet.

Coconut flour tends to be cheaper than almond flour, but as mentioned above, it must be considered that it must be used in smaller quantities. The ideal is a 1:3 mix of coconut and almond flour respectively.

You can easily find coconut flour on Amazon at this link.

Flaxseed flour

This ingredient is not well known in the field of low-carb recipes, but it is an excellent substitute for traditional flour in savory recipes such as bread or wraps.

Flaxseed meal is made by finely chopping flax seeds, both dark and golden, and is a good source of omega-3 and vitamin B.

It is used, as well as chia seeds, as an egg substitute in vegan recipes. In fact, mixing a tablespoon of chopped seeds with 3 tablespoons of water forms a gelatinous substance capable of binding the ingredients.

You can find flax seeds on Amazon at this link.

Psyllium husk flour

Psyllium peels are a little known product, but very useful as a substitute for gluten to bind the ingredients in recipes such as, bread, pizza, wraps etc.

They are a fiber, a non-digestible type of carbohydrate, so you don't have to worry about using them in your recipes.

However, it must be borne in mind that the high use of these fibers can cause digestive problems, so usually a low amount of psyllium husk flour is used, in combination with other flours, such as almond flour and seed meal. linen.

In addition, another tip is to use hot water with this ingredient, which is absorbed much more easily, creating a very compact compound.

Psyllium husk flour is relatively cheap, even considering that it is used in much lower quantities than others, and you can find it on Amazon at this link.

Walnut flour

Walnut flour, like almond flour, is made by peeling and finely chopping walnuts. These can be nuts of various kinds as almost any type of nut is valid in the ketogenic diet. These include walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pecans and the most common almonds.

These all have great amounts of fat and low amounts of carbohydrates, so they're perfect for the ketogenic diet.

Walnut flours other than almonds are generally more expensive than those mentioned above and are also more difficult to find online, however they are still approved flours for the ketogenic diet.

Lupine flour

Lupine flour is produced by finely chopping lupins, which are legumes rich in fiber. Esse is an almost unknown type of flour, so it is very difficult to find recipes that use it.

Furthermore, being produced from legumes, which have a high quantity of lectin, it should be avoided in case of sensitivity to lectin (such as gluten).

In any case, this flour is still low-carb and can be used as a substitute for traditional flour to make bread, focaccia and pizzas.

Lupine flour is among the cheapest mentioned and can be found easily on Amazon today. At this link you can find different products.

Tiger nut flour

The Tiger nut flour is obtained from the processing of the tiger nut, a type of tuber. It has a sweeter flavor than madorle flour, and produces better-tasting sweets and desserts than classic low-carb flours.

But is bunting meal low-carb?

The spontaneous question when reading the nutritional values of the bunting, which on a 100g portion has 43g of carbohydrates. In reality, the tiger nut, like many tubers, is considered a resistant starch, that is, a starch that is not absorbed, or at least is absorbed.

Generally the effects of resistant starches vary from person to person, so if you want to know if you can in your recipes just measure, use your blood level and ketones 12 hours after consumption. You can buy this very useful ketone meter on Amazon at a low price.

The Tiger nut flour has a medium/high cost and you can find it on Amazon at this link.

Sorghum flour

Sorghum flour is a type of gluten-free and nutrient-rich flour. Sorghum is a fiber rich cereal of African origin. However, sorghum flour is high in carbohydrates, with about 75g per 100g of product.

Some define sorghum flour as a resistant starch, while for others this flour is strictly non-keto.

My advice in this case, as with bunting, to try it and see if it causes a rise in blood sugar.

Chestnut flour

Chestnut flour is obtained from the processing of chestnut seeds, it has a sweet taste, so it is excellent in sweet recipes. It is high in protein and fiber, but unfortunately also in carbohydrates.

In fact, in 100g of chestnut flour there are about 70g of net carbohydrates, which makes it unsuitable for the ketogenic diet.

Other flours to avoid:

Cassava flour
Tapioca flour
Amaranth flour
Wheat flour
Corn flour

The complete table of flours

| ------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---- | ----------- |

| Almond flour | 10g | $$ | ✅ |

| Coconut flour | 8g | $ | ✅ |

| Flaxseed flour | 3g | $ | ✅ |

| Psyllium husk flour | 11g | $$ | ✅ |

| Walnut flour | 7g | $$$ | ✅ |

| Lupin flour | 8g | $ | ✅ |

| Tiger nut flour | 42g | $$ | ❓️ |

| Chestnut flour | 70g | $$$ | 🚫 |

| Sorghum flour | 70g | $ | 🚫 |

| Cassava flour | 74g | $ | 🚫 |

| Tapioca flour | 85g | $ | 🚫 |

| Amaranth flour | 57g | $$ | 🚫 |

| Wheat flour | 73g | $ | 🚫 |

| Corn flour | 74g | $ | 🚫 |

Conclusions

Giving up food products related to traditional flour is one of the greatest difficulties that every person starting the ketogenic diet faces.

However, we must not be discouraged by the fact that we can no longer eat sweets, bread, pasta, etc. because the benefits of the ketogenic diet go far beyond the inability to consume those foods.

Also in this article we have seen how there are different types of * low-carb * flours which, although they cannot replace 100% wheat or corn flour, are excellent alternatives as substituted in both sweet and savory recipes.

So don't despair, the net is full of ketogenic and low-carb recipes that can replace traditional recipes, and sometimes even surpass the originals in taste.

If you want to try some low-carb recipes you can visit the recipes on our website at this link.