Prepping With Wheat Allergies

Anyone with allergies know how degraded they feel after they have a flare up.  Wheat allergies are among the top 8 food allergens that people suffer from in the United States and in most cases, the culprit is 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.
• 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 courser 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 soy beans.  It adds a pleasant texture to different recipes and is also high in protein and a good vitamin source.
• Tampioca 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.

Source – http://www.wheat-free.org/wheat-free-flour.html

When Using Alternatives to Wheat Keep this In Mind

In the blog  Preparedenss Brings Peace, there were pre-measurements of these substitutes listed.

Try substituting 1 cup wheat flour with one of the following:

Barley 1-1/4 cups
Oat 1-1/3 cups
Rice 3/4 cup
Soy 1-1/3 cups
Corn 1 cup
Potato 3/4 cup
Rye 1-1/3 cups
Tapioca 1 cup

Potato and soy flours are best used in combination with other flours. They have a strong flavor and soy flour has a darker coloring. Rice flour gives a distinctively grainy texture to baked products. Rye flour is frequently used although it has a dark color and distinctive flavor. Barley, oat, and rye flours all contain slight amounts of gluten. Other grains are available that do not. Here are some suggestions:

Gluten-Free Flour Mix: 1 part white rice flour, 1 part corn starch, 1 part tapioca flour, 1/2 part white bean flour.

Rice Flour Mix: 3 cups brown rice flour, 1-1/4 cups potato starch or cornstarch, 3/4 cup tapioca flour.

Bean Flour Mix: 1-2/3 cups garbanzo/fava bean flour, 2 cups potato starch or cornstarch, 2/3 cup tapioca flour, 2/3 cup sorghum flour. Mix all ingredients together, use in place of wheat flour.”

Allergies to wheat products dos not need to stop a person from prepping.  There are alternatives available.  These alternatives may not have to same consistency that wheat products have, but most do the job nicely.