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For individuals practicing a low-carbohydrate eating style or want to try an alternative flour, can incorporating almond flour help in their wellness journey?
Almond Flour
Almond flour and almond meal are gluten-free alternatives to wheat products in certain recipes. They are made by grinding almonds and can be bought prepared or made at home with a food processor or grinder. The flour is higher in protein and lower in starch than other gluten-free flour.
Almond Flour and Almond Meal
The flour is made with blanched almonds, meaning the skin has been removed. Almond meal is made with whole or blanched almonds. The consistency for both is more like corn meal than wheat flour. They can usually be used interchangeably, although using the blanched flour will produce a more refined, less grainy result. Superfine almond flour is great for baking cakes but is difficult to make at home. It can be found at grocery stores or ordered online.
Carbohydrates and Calories
A half cup of commercially prepared flour contains about:
- 12 grams of total carbohydrates
- 6 grams of fiber
- 12 grams of protein
- 24 grams of fat
- 280 calories (USDA FoodData Central. 2019)
- The glycemic index of almond flour is less than 1, which means it should have little effect on raising blood glucose levels.
- The high glycemic index of whole wheat flour is 71, and rice flour is 98.
Using Almond Flour
It is recommended for making gluten-free quick bread recipes, such as gluten-free:
- Muffins
- Pumpkin bread
- Pancakes
- Some cake recipes
Individuals are recommended to start with a recipe already adapted for almond flour and then make their own. A cup of wheat flour weighs around 3 ounces, while a cup of almond flour weighs almost 4 ounces. This will make a significant difference in baked goods. The flour is beneficial for adding nutrients to foods.
Almond Meal
- Almond meal can be cooked as polenta or grits such as shrimp and grits.
- Cookies can be made gluten-free with almond meal.
- Almond meal biscuits can be made, but pay attention to the recipe.
- Almond meal can be used to bread fish and other fried foods, but it must be taken care of so as not to burn.
- Almond meal is not recommended for breads that require true dough with a developed gluten structure, like wheat flour.
- More eggs are needed when baking with almond meal to provide the structure gluten in flour creates.
Adapting recipes to substitute almond meal for wheat flour can be a challenge that requires plenty of trial and error.
Sensitivities
Almonds are a tree nut, one of the eight most common food allergies. (Anaphylaxis UK. 2023) While peanuts are not tree nuts, many with peanut allergies can also have an almond allergy.
Making Your Own
It can be made in a blender or food processor.
- Care must be taken not to grind it too long, or it will become almond butter, which can also be used.
- Add a little at a time and pulse until it is ground into meal.
- Store unused flour immediately in the refrigerator or freezer because it will go rancid quickly if left out.
- Almonds are shelf-stable, and almond flour is not, so it is recommended that you grind only what is needed for the recipe.
Store Bought
Most health food stores sell almond flour, and more supermarkets are stocking it as it has become a popular gluten-free product. Packaged flour and meal will also go rancid after opening and should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer after opening.
Integrative Medicine
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research studies or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, don't hesitate to contact Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*
References
USDA FoodData Central. (2019). Almond Flour. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/603980/nutrients
Anaphylaxis UK. (2023). Allergy Factsheets (Anaphylaxis UK A brighter future for people with serious allergies, Issue. https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/factsheets/
Atkinson, F. S., Brand-Miller, J. C., Foster-Powell, K., Buyken, A. E., & Goletzke, J. (2021). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 114(5), 1625–1632. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab233
Looking for gluten-free alternatives? Try almond flour and almond meal. Learn how they're made and how to use them in your favorite recipes. For answers to any questions you may have, call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900 or 915-412-6677