Better batter??

[Adam_david]

Hey is there anyone that has an idea of what I could use to batter stuff with INSTEAD of white flour? A low glycemic carb would b great. I appreciate any ideas

[lstbred]

Low Carb Flour

Several ingredients are used for low carb baking to replace the regular flour used in most conventional recipes. Which you use depends on a number of factors:
- how low a carb count you are aiming for,
- what consistency and texture you want in the finished product,
- what kind of glycemic threshold (the extent to which your blood sugar level is elevated & for how long) you must maintain.

All flour substitutes have carbs. All of them will therefore affect your blood glucose level. For most of us, it is desirable to maintain as low a carb count and glycemic impact as possible. Low carbers need not worry ONLY about the number of carbs they ingest, but the type, and how they affect their blood sugar, since that affects whether we lose, maintain or gain weight.

There are a number of substances which are called "flour" but do not share any or all of the properties like 'Gold Medal' or 'King Arthur' flour most of us were used to using pre-Atkins. Some of these "flours" are ground from food items other than grains. Many can be more accurately referred to as 'meal' rather than 'flour'.

Grain flours sometimes used in LC recipes: oat, whole wheat, high gluten, vital wheat gluten. They are relatively high in carbs and have a pretty high glycemic index, so therefore are not appropriate for those who are metabolically challenged / insulin resistent.

Soy flour is derived from soy beans. It has a distinctive taste which many people find objectionable. It is lighter / fluffier than grain flours. It does not have any leavening properties.

Almond flour (also called almond 'meal') is finely ground almonds. There are other nut 'flours' / meals available commercially. You can make your own, but in my experience, it's a pain to do and hard to achieve the overall fine consistency without a professional grade food mill. There's also the problem of getting a little too carried away and ending up with nut "butter" ;-)
They are incredibly rich, high in fiber, high in fat. These nut meals do not have any flour properties, do not "rise" when baked, for instance. They are wonderful as flour substitutes in cakes, muffins, cookies. A book for flourless baking that relies primarily on nut flours: "Fabulous & Flourless: 150 Wheatless and Dairy-Free Desserts : Cakes, Tarts, Tortes, Roulades, Puddings, Souffles, Cookies, and More" by Mary Wachtel Mauksch.

Protein powder is another substitute for flour, but the least viable in my opinion. It is not always made of soy. In fact, most consider the soy protein powders the least desirable. IMO it's a poor substitute because it is so lightweight, doesn't add enough substance to batters / cookies, tends to make things too dry and insubstantial. It is best used in combination with another flour substitute.

Flax seed meal is a great flour substitute because of the high fiber content. It is nutrient dense, has more Omega 3 fatty acids than salmon, and it has 'substance'.


Bake Mix Options

Many low carb recipes, both on the
Atkins Center website and other, private recipe sites, call for Atkins Bake mix as an ingredient. However, it's very expensive. Happily, there are several alternatives:

- Aunt Pearl's Low Carb Bake Mix; 24oz cannister
available at www.lowcarbgrocery.com

- Carbolite bake mix (zero carbs)
Available at most of the large lowcarb vendor sites such as Low Carb Connoisseur - The Internet's Premier Low Carb Store! low-carb.com -Low Carb Diet, Atkins Diet Products, Low Carbohydrate Diet

Homemade:

Bake Mix #1

1 cup soy flour
2 cups protein powder
2 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbl Splenda

>>>>

Bake Mix #2

1.5 cups protein powder (unflavored is best, but vanilla will do)
1.5 cups vital wheat gluten flour
2 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbl Splenda

>>>>

locarbman's Flour / Bake Mix substitute

2 parts vital wheat gluten (24 carbs/cup [Bob's Red Mill brand])
1 part oat flour (48 carbs/cup)

[skaz915]

They do make whole wheat flour, rye flour etc..