Flaxseed flour does not contain gluten and is ideal for the ketogenic (keto) and low carb cuisine.
Flaxseed Flour
You can find flaxseed in three forms on the market.
• Whole flaxseeds
• Grinded flaxseeds (flaxseed meal)
• Reduced fat flaxseed flour
There are also dark (brown)
and golden flaxseeds.
It's better to use the whole seeds that you can grind when needed, as they oxidize easily and go rancid due to the extremely delicate oil they contain.
It is said that it's good to consume at least 30 grams of fiber per day, and 100 grams of flaxseed already contains 22.7 grams!
Of course nobody can eat this amount daily but 1-2 tablespoons per day (for example in salads or in low carb bread) has a positive effect.
Important
Have a lot of water when consuming.
Golden or brown flaxseed?
Despite having the same fatty acid content and health benefits, golden flaxseeds are considered better in taste.
So if you are not sure what to choose, go for golden flaxseeds.
The difference between ground flaxseeds (flaxseed meal) and flaxseed flour lies in the processing method.
In the first case, the seeds are simply grinded in a powerful mixer while in the second version they are grounded in an oil press.
1 Flaxseeds (whole or grinded):
Nutrients per 100 grams:
Energy: 488 Kcal
Protein: 22.3 g
Carbohydrates: 7.7 g
Fat: 36.5 g
2 Reduced fat flaxseed flour
Reduced flaxseed flour does not contain gluten from nature.
It's rich in protein and fiber and low in carbohydrates.
This flour is a by-product of the processing of flax seeds for the production of flaxseed oil.
At first, the seeds are pressed with a special press (cold pressing method).
Then the mass resulting from mechanical cold pressing is collected and cooled.
After that It's grounded into flour.
Depending on the type of flaxseeds the flour is golden or brown.
Thanks to the gentle production process, all the valuable flaxseed components are also preserved in the flour.
Benefits:
This flour is rich in ω3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals such as bone-strengthening calcium, vitamin B1, magnesium, manganese and iron.
It also contains lignans, the so-called phytonutrients and antioxidants that protect the cell walls from free radicals, the skin and the hair structure.
Selenium also, contained in flaxseed flour has a detoxifying effect on the body since it binds heavy metals and helps to eliminate them from the body.
Flaxseed oil
Linseed oil consists of 70% polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Along with vitamin E, which is also present in good amounts, regulates high cholesterol.
It also contains a large amount of calcium.
You have to store this oil in a dark bottle, in a cool place, away from light and should be consumed quickly.
Reduced Fat Flaxseed Flour Uses:
Flaxseed flour is not used as a main flour in recipes but it can be used in many ways in the keto and low carb cuisine.
Thanks to its earthy, nutty flavor, it's suitable for both savory and sweet recipes.
Nutrients per 100g
Energy: 339 Kcal
Carbohydrates: 4.7 g
Protein: 29 g
Fat: 14 g
You can replace about 20% the amount of wheat flour with flaxseed flour, in a conventional recipe.
The rest of the flour can be other flours, such as almond flour, or coconut flour.
Also interesting is that it can be used to replace eggs in recipes.
Of course, this method cannot be used in recipes that have a lot of eggs.
It's called vegan egg and it's made as following:
1 tablespoon golden flaxseed flour or grinded flaxseeds, mixed with 3 tbsp water to replace 1 egg in a recipe.
Flour and broken seeds swell, thanks to their high fiber content, when mixed into a liquid.
In Generally:
Flaxseed flour gives elasticity to mixtures and doughs and helps to gain volume during baking.
You have of course to pay attention to the proportion of liquids as well as the combination of the remaining flours in your recipes.
This flour absorbs a lot of moisture and if you are not careful, the result can be, for example, a bread with a muddy interior.
Fraxseed flour absorbs five times more liquid than wheat flour, while coconut flour binds 4 times more and almond flour (also reduced fat), 3 times more.
Flaxseed flour can be replaced with Chia seed flour, which also absorbs the same amount of liquidd in recipes
but the final product will have different taste, aroma and color.
• Storage
Whole or grinded seeds should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or in a cool place and consumed quickly.
Fat reduced flaxseed flour has a low oil content, so it doesn't oxidize as easily as flaxseed meal.
If stored in a cool place, protected from light, it can be kept for up to 12 months.
Cons
Flaxseed, despite all the benefits, has some disadvantages.
As for those with hypothyroidism, they should generally be careful with phytoestrogens because they may reduce the effectiveness of medications.
Not for babies. Recommended only for children from the age of 12.
More than 20 grams per day, (2 Tbsp) daily, can be an issue, as flaxseed can contain small amounts of hydrocyanic acid and cadmium.
However, it is reported that the hydrocyanic acid ratio is destroyed by heating (baking).
It should be avoided by pregnant and lactating women, by people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, by people with irritable bowel and women suffering from gynecological and hormonal problems.
Also from those suffering from hypotension and hypertension because flaxseed can lower blood
pressure, and hypertensives taking medication may have a further reduction in blood pressure.
Any nutritional analysis (macros) in this blog is based on an estimate calculated by the "Cronometer" application for the ingredients of each recipe. Differences can arise for a variety of reasons, such as product availability and food preparation. There is no guarantee that this information will be accurate.
I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in the recipes as values may vary per brand.
Always keep in mind that ingredient replacements can change the outcome of a recipe in terms of taste, texture, appearance and of course macronutrients.
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