Best Low-Carb Flours for Diabetic Baking

One of the hardest parts about adopting a low-carb diet is giving up traditional baked goods and sweets.

The good news, however, is that low-carb baking is relatively easy once you get the hang of which flours to use – and how to use them.

Low-Carb Flours

The following are good low-carb flour options that you may can substitute for wheat or white flour in many breakfast and dessert recipes.

Almond Flour

One of the most popular flours for low-carb baking, almond flour is versatile and easier to substitute in recipes than many other flours. It's naturally low in carbohydrates and is readily available in most grocery stores.

Note that almond flour is not the same thing as almond meal; the latter is flour ground from whole almonds with the skin.

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is also a viable alternative to wheat or white flour. Though it can give baked goods a distinct coconut flavor (and it can add a dry, crumbly texture if you use too much) it is very low carb.

Soy Flour

Soy flour is made from soy beans, and it is also lower in carbs than wheat flours. Some people say that soy flour – like coconut flour – is much drier than other flours, so you may need to adjust your ingredients accordingly when using this in baking.

Bean and Seed Flours

Many other flours are available that are made from beans, like fava bean flour, chickpea flour and garbanzo bean flour.

Not technically a flour, flaxseed meal is also an option for low-carb baking, as it can add structure, volume and fiber to baked goods.

Tips for Substituting

When learning about low-carb baking, it will probably take lots of practice and experimentation before you understand how each of these flours works best in different recipes. Making tweaks to your ratio of wet vs. dry ingredients as well as your oven temperature and cooking time may be necessary.

Also, it's generally best not to substitute these flours cup for cup, but to seek out low-carb recipes that are built around using these specific flours. That way, you'll end up with the tastiest end product.

source:http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/