Wheat allergies are among the top 8 food allergens that people suffer from in the United States. The allergy is mainly due to the gluten. Preppers with this allergy are looking at different sources to grains to get around this problem.
Wheat Alternatives
Most wheat alternatives are gluten-free with the exception of barley and rye. The list below are both wheat and gluten free. Note: flours that do not have gluten will cause breads not to rise. Unleavened breads can still be made.
- Arrowroot Flour- This type of flour is ground from the root of the Arrowroot plant. It is tasteless and ideal to use as a thickener.
- Brown Rice Flour – Brown rice flour has a higher nutritional base compared to white rice flour. It is much heavier in comparison to white rice flour. And is suggested not to buy this in bulk as it is better used when it is fresh.
- Buckwheat Flour – The small seeds of the rhubarb plant are ground to make this flour type. It has a strong nutty flavor that tends to overpower itself in the recipes.
- Corn Flour – Corn is ground into a very fine powder. It has a bland taste and is therefore good to use for multiple recipes.
- Corn Meal – Cornmeal is much heavier and coarser than corn flour.
- Nut Meals – Such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts can provide rich flavor as well as a good flour substitute for cookies and cakes. Their shelf life is brief and should be stored correctly. Most nut meals require a bonding agent such as eggs. Note: chestnut flour has a longer shelf life.
- Potato Flour – potato flour is not potato starch flour. It does have a stronger flavor compared to other wheat alternatives. Due to the heaviness, a little can go a long way. The shelf life for this type of flour is not very long, so long term storage could be a problem.
- Potato Starch Powder – This has a lighter potato flavor which is hardly detectable in recipes. This type of flour keeps very well.
- Quinoa Flour – “The Mother Seed” as the Incas call this has a large variety of vitamins and is high in protein. Quinoa flour is not readily available in many stores, so locating this could pose a problem.
- Soy Flour – This flour is a fine powder ground from soybeans. It adds a pleasant texture to different recipes and is also high in protein and a good vitamin source.
- Tapioca Flour – Tapioca flour adds chewiness to baking and is a good thickening agency. It also stores well.
- White Rice Flour – this type flour does not have a high nutritional value. The taste is bland and ideal for recipes that require light texture. The shelf life is adequate as long as it is stored properly.
Ethnic groceries are a great place to try out alternative flours. For example Indian cuisine uses these and more:
Flour from Indian groceries
Besan (gram) chickpea flour (used 50/50 with water as egg replacement in vegan cooking)
Kala Chana Besan whole chickpea flour
Moong Dal Flour green moong bean
Udad (Urad) dal black gram, sold whole as “black lentil”
Juwar sorghum flour
Handva chickpea, rice, urad dal blend
Rice flour (idli, rava)
Soya flour
Sooji wheat groat (whole grain)
Bajri pearl millet
Bhakri wheat
Fada cracked wheat
Dhokla chickpea, lentil, rice blend
Ragi finger millet