If you have diabetes, finding healthy low carb recipes can be challenging.
Modifying recipes to meet your needs is one of the easiest and most effective ways to give dishes a diabetes-friendly twist. Doing so often requires you to swap out ingredients like white flour for low carb alternatives.
Fortunately, several flour options are suitable for people with diabetes.
Here are a few of the best flour options for people with diabetes, along with a few that you may want to limit or avoid.
1. Almond flour
Almond flour is made from finely ground almonds and a great gluten-free alternative to regular flour.
It’s low in carbs and high in protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats, giving it a low glycemic index, which is a tool used to measure how much certain foods affect your blood sugar levels
It has a mild, nutty flavor and can be used in many recipes, including muffins, cookies, bread, and biscuits, in place of wheat flour.
However, keep in mind that it may give foods a denser texture, as it’s free of gluten, which is the protein that gives dough its elasticity and helps baked goods rise
You can generally substitute 1 cup of almond flour for 1 cup of regular flour.
2. Coconut flour
Coconut flour is a type of flour made from coconut meat that has been dried and ground.
Compared with regular flour, it’s lower in carbs and higher in fiber, which can slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream to support better blood sugar management
It has a slightly sweet flavor and can be used in a variety of recipes, including many cakes, cookies, muffins, brownies, and breads.
However, remember to adjust your recipes accordingly if you use coconut flour in place of wheat flour, as it absorbs more liquid and can give foods a dry, gritty texture.
You’ll generally need about 1/4 cup of coconut flour for each cup of regular flour, and you may need to increase the total amount of liquid by the same amount of coconut flour added to the recipe.
