Containing High In Nutrients, These 6 Gluten-Free Flour Alternatives

Illustration of flour for cakes (Unsplash / Elle Hughes)

JAKARTA - Gluten is a protein that affects the elasticity of bread. When bread is made from gluten flour, it expands. When mixed with water, gluten flour will have a sticky texture.

Some people believe that a gluten-free diet can lead to weight loss. There are also those who choose to use alternative flour that does not contain gluten because of health problems such as celiac.

Not a few alternative flours are also chosen to absorb their nutritional content. If you're looking for non-gluten flour, there are 6 below.

Sorghum flour

Sorghum flour comes from sorghum seeds which contain three types of carbohydrates, namely starch, dissolved sugar and fiber. Quoting from the Agricultural Research and Development Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, the cereal content in it is not inferior to wheat and barley.

The dissolved sugar content in sorghum flour consists of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltose. For those of you who are on a glucose diet, sorghum flour can be an alternative choice because it has a low glycemic index.

Brown rice flour

Cake makers often use brown rice flour for several types of products, such as Apem, Serabi, Nagasari, and Layer cakes. This flour is processed from finely ground brown rice.

The nutrients contained in brown rice flour include iron, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, and of course it is high in protein and fiber. A study also shows that brown rice contains lignans that can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Glutinous rice flour

Glutinous rice flour is the main ingredient for dodol and jenang in several regions in Indonesia. This flour is anti-gluten because it comes from mashed glutinous rice.

The nutritional content is almost the same as brown rice flour, but contains high levels of amylopectin so that it is sticky when mixed with water or processed into food.

Cornstarch

Just like the two previous flours, corn flour also comes from grains, namely corn. Corn that is pounded rather coarsely is often found as an alternative food to replace rice.

Not without reason corn flour can be an option, this is because corn flour contains fiber and a source of antioxidants. In addition, other beneficial nutrients in corn flour include vitamin B6, thiamine, manganese, magnesium, and selenium.

Cassava flour

The next gluten-free flour is cassava flour. This flour contains resistant starch and has the most similar character to wheat flour. This means that when mixed with water, it will be slightly sticky.

Almond flour

Almond flour is often used as a substitute for wheat flour for making bread, especially when processed by baking. Its nutritional content includes magnesium, calcium, manganese, vitamin E and monounsaturated fatty acids. But keep in mind, although it's gluten-free, almond flour is high in calories.