5 Healthy Alternatives to Refined White Flour

Hi, I’m Stella, a Gut Health Coach and Gluten-Free Practitioner. In this blog, I’ll explore tasty substitutes for highly processed white flour, a common component in today’s diet.

In our modern diets, a significant portion of our daily caloric intake often comes from refined, white flour. Need convincing? Here’s a simple experiment: jot down everything you ate today, including quantities, then quickly search for the calorie content of each item online and do the maths. You might be surprised to find that 30%, 50%, or even 70% of your diet is linked to flour. This is a worldwide trend, and it isn’t unique to adults; it’s prevalent in children’s diets too.

Now, is consuming white flour inherently bad? Not necessarily. Flour is a decent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc and fibre. However, relying too heavily on one single ingredient deprives our bodies of the diverse nutrients, antioxidants, and plant compounds that are necessary for overall health and well-being. While completely cutting out wheat or gluten isn’t always the solution (unless medically necessary due to allergies, Celiac disease or sensitivities), reducing our wheat intake and replacing it for other sources of nutrients could benefit our overall health.

Consider this: in our world of standardised meals and heavy reliance on processed foods, we have overlooked the ancient grains that previous generations thrived on. These grains offer unique nutrients and are often cultivated in smaller, more sustainable ways, without the need to rely on GMOs or conventional farming practices. Buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and a plethora of other grains are waiting to be rediscovered.

Thanks to the modern kitchen appliances like Thermomix®, we are now able to transform any grain into fine flour effortlessly. This is a cost-effective option that ensures we preserve all the important nutrients, making sure we get the most out of the grains. Plus, we can get creative by making flour from things like lentils, chickpeas, almonds, or pumpkin seeds, giving us endless options beyond just refined white flour. Think grinding lentils to thicken a soup or incorporating chickpea flour into baking recipes for added protein and fibre.

Check out my top 5 flour alternatives and how I incorporate them into my cooking routines with a Thermomix®:

Despite its misleading name, buckwheat is entirely gluten-free and unrelated to wheat. Known for its nutty flavour and earthy taste, it’s an inexpensive, versatile ingredient used in cuisines across the globe, particularly in Eastern European and Asian cooking. Buckwheat groats can be ground into flour for pancakes and bread, or used whole in dishes such as salads and stir-fries. A simple and delicious way to enjoy it is by blending overnight soaked buckwheat with a milk of choice, vanilla and honey to make a cold porridge for breakfast.

These quick Buckwheat and Almond Buns don’t need yeast and are a snap to make using Thermomix®. I often prepare additional batches and store them in the freezer for convenient access whenever I need a quick accompaniment to a soup dinner.

Social media may be giving oats a bad rap, but they’re actually an inexpensive, versatile, and widely available food that should not be dismissed. Oats are packed with nutrients like fibre, which promotes heart health and aids digestion, and they can be enjoyed in various forms. Instead of sticking to plain old porridge, consider soaking oats in a milk of choice for overnight oats, adding them to smoothies and soups, or incorporating them into baked goods. You could also blend them with baby spinach and water, then spread the mixture thinly on a non-stick pan to make simple green sandwich wraps.

Try these Coconut Oat Biscuits made with Thermomix®, which combine the sturdy flavour of oats with rich hazelnuts and creamy cashew nuts.

With Thermomix® you can blend almost anything into flour. So why not try making flour from nuts and seeds? Adding a variety of unsalted raw nuts and seeds can provide numerous nutritional benefits. Consider almonds for their rich flavour and vitamin E content, brazil nuts for selenium, pumpkin seeds for magnesium and zinc, or flaxseeds and chia seeds for omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. If you like experimenting, try a mixture of nuts, seeds, and other gluten-free flours in your baked goods to elevate flavour and nutrition. Or if you want to keep it nice and simple, you can create a one-ingredient bread using ground golden flax seeds alone.

Everyone loves these Chocolate Power Balls, mixing sweet dates with rich hazelnuts and cocoa powder for an antioxidant boost. They’re easy to whip up in minutes with a Thermomix®.

By now, everyone is familiar with quinoa, which is not a grain, but a seed harvested from a plant related to spinach and beets, offering the benefit of being a complete protein. It has a nutty and earthy taste, which can sometimes be tricky to incorporate into recipes. Personally, I find that mixing it with fruits like raisins, cranberries, or fresh mango helps balance its flavour. Given its higher price, I recommend buying quinoa in bulk.

Give this Thermomix® Lentil and Quinoa Salad a try, made with simple ingredients that deliver a burst of flavour and a balanced meal for any day of the week.

Chickpea flour boasts a wealth of protein, fibre, and essential nutrients such as iron and folate, crucial for supporting muscle health, aiding digestion, and enhancing overall well-being. It’s an incredibly versatile ingredient to have in your pantry, suitable for a range of dishes. Use it to whip up savoury breakfast pancakes or as a simple thickener for soups and stews. It can also serve as a more nutritious coating for fried foods or act as a base for homemade veggie burgers. It’s a staple in cuisines from regions like the Middle East, South Asia, and the Mediterranean, where chickpeas feature prominently in traditional cooking. Growing up in Sicily, I remember indulging in hearty breakfasts featuring ‘Panelle sandwiches’ made with chickpea fritters. Those were the days!

Try this fantastic Thermomix® Chickpea Pancake recipe with hummus, avocado, and tomatoes, a satisfying meal ready in under 20 minutes.

Exploring alternatives to refined white flour opens up a world of new culinary possibilities, allowing you to experiment with new ingredients that elevate the taste and nutritional value of your daily cooking. Are you ready to embark on this flavourful journey and discover the endless potential of alternative flours? Start experimenting today and enrich your meals with wholesome goodness!

_{Note: Health Coaching isn’t a replacement for medical advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information you have read on this post.}

Stella Faso is a qualified Gut Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), Gluten-Free Practitioner,  and a Thermomix® Consultant.

Founder of thegreatgutsy.com, Stella offers personalised health coaching and Thermomix® Demos.

Contact her at info@thegreatgutsy.com or @thegr8gutsy on Instagram.