Ok, ok, gluten free, wheat free, flour free, sugar free, whatever free it may be, it’s never going to be as delicious as the regular flour and sugar alternative. After all, it seems that everything that is tasty isn’t good for us.
But lets face it, we always knew that.
The point is, we are all training to become fitter, faster, stronger, bigger and leaner and we need to make sacrifices in order to achieve this.
And this means cutting out the crap.
I’m hoping most of you are clean-eaters and that means preparing all your food from scratch.
Some of your favourite flour and sugar recipes can now have cleaner substitutes to increase the nutritional content and fitness-promoting benefits.
The recommendations below are all gluten, lactose, dairy and soya free, which means your tummy will stay happy.
Quinoa Flour
Quinoa flour can be substituted for regular flour to make bread, muffins, pancakes and other savoury dishes.
BULK POWDERS™ Quinoa Flour is 100% organic, is a valuable source of soluble and insoluble fibre and contains 15% protein.
In his book, New Optimum Nutrition Bible, Dr Patrick Halford says, “quinoa has a long-standing reputation as a source of strength”, “it is rich in vitamins and minerals, providing almost four times as much calcium as wheat, plus extra iron, B vitamins and vitamin E.”
Over regular flour, you can see it offers a multitude of health benefits.
Brown Rice Protein 80
I use BULK POWDERS™ Brown Rice Protein 80 in protein pancake and muffin mixtures, and to thicken casseroles, soups and chilli. In fact, if I can sneak it into any food and drink I will, including smoothies and shakes.
With an outstanding 80g of protein per 100g, being neutral-tasting and easy mixing, it can be added to most recipes to increase protein and amino acid content without being noticed.
Coconut Flour
Coconut Flour can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes, including muffins, breads, pancakes and curries.
Substitute regular flour with coconut flour in pancakes and job’s a good’un.
Coconut flesh naturally contains Manganese, Potassium and Copper, is high in fibre and is jam-packed full of good fats.
It’s high fat content (Medium Chain Triglycerides – these are good!!) means it will provide you with loads of energy to lift heavy, run hard and replenish your energy stores ready for your next session.
VitaFiber™ Powder
First things first, let me blow you away with some facts:
- Per 100g, VitaFiber™ has 0g fat, 5g carbs, 0g protein and a whopping 91g of fibre!!
- It can used as a substitute for flour and sugar in baking treats like muffins, cakes and breads, and as a sweeter in tea and coffee.
- It is a dietary fibre, prebiotic (helps stimulate friendly bacteria in your gut) and low-calorie sweetener that makes you feel full and therefore helps beat that dreaded sugar craving.
I am not usually into (low-calorie) supplements like this, but as it is naturally derived from non-GMO corn starch, I am all for it. There are times when a muffin or piece of cake can save my life, and if it’s made without sugar then even better!
As you can see, wheat flour and sugar doesn’t have a lot to offer compared to these.
You may not want to substitute all of the regular flour and sugar in your recipes with the above, instead maybe substitute half or a quarter of the amount, but certainly these ingredients allow you to explore new options and inject more energy and nutrients into your cooking.
About the Author
Laura Try is a super-clean eating, unprocessed food loving, fitness fanatic who runs Obstacle Course Races competitively.
