Have you ever heard of almond flour? This flour is increasingly popular because it can be a healthier alternative to regular wheat flour, because it is gluten-free, lower in carbohydrates, and contains more complete nutrition. Almond flour also has a sweeter taste, so it is very suitable for making various cakes.
What is almond flour?
Almond flour is a type of flour made from almond powder. Before being made into powder, almonds will first be boiled in boiling water to remove the skin.
Then, the ripe almonds will be ground and sifted to get a fine powder.
Almond flour is not the same as almond meal, even though both are made from almonds. Almond flour has a much finer texture.
Whereas almond meal made by grinding whole almonds with the skin, so the texture is coarser.
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What is almond flour usually used for?
When it comes to cooking, you may be more used to using wheat flour or rice flour. In fact, almond flour is also a cooking ingredient that has many uses, you know.
Usually, almond flour is used to make various types of dishes such as the following:
1. Make gluten-free cakes
Almond flour can be a healthier alternative to wheat flour because it is gluten-free. You can make any kind of cake with almond flour.
The cooking results are also considered tastier, because the texture of almonds can make baked goods denser than when made with wheat flour.
This is because the gluten in wheat flour helps trap air in the dough, which allows baked goods to rise more.
Almond flour will be a great choice for those of you who want to make gluten-free brownies, macarons, cookies and desserts.
2. Make baked goods
If you want to make toast with a different taste, you can mix wheat flour and almond flour in a ratio of 4:1.
You can also use almond flour to bake other types of food, such as cakes or pancake.
3. Substitute for breadcrumbs
Almond flour can also be used as a substitute for breadcrumbs or wheat flour to coat food before frying. To get crispy fried results, you can mix chicken or fish with almond flour, then fry in hot oil.
Nutritional value of almond flour
Almond flour is known to have a lot of nutritional content. This flour is rich in vitamin E and magnesium which are good for body health. Vitamin E in almond flour acts as an antioxidant which can prevent damage to body cells due to free radicals.
Meanwhile, magnesium is needed in many processes in the body. . A number of nutrients contained in one serving size (28 grams) of almond flour, namely:
- 163 calories
- 14.2 grams of fat
- 6,1 gram protein
- 5.6 grams of carbohydrates
- 3 grams of dietary fiber
- 35 percent vitamin E of the recommended daily requirement
- 31 percent manganese than the recommended daily requirements
- 19 percent magnesium of the recommended daily requirement
- 16 percent copper of the recommended daily requirement
- 13 percent phosphorus than the recommended daily requirements
Thanks to this variety of nutrients, the benefits of almond flour for health cannot be doubted.
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Benefits of almond flour for health
Here are some of the health benefits of almond flour that you can get:
1. Manage blood sugar
Almond flour is low in carbohydrates, but high in healthy fats and fiber. This characteristic makes it classified as intake has a low glycemic index because it does not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar after consumption.
Not only that, the magnesium contained in almond flour also plays an important role in controlling blood sugar.
It is estimated that 25-38 percent of people with type 2 diabetes experience magnesium deficiency. The condition can be corrected through food or supplements to significantly reduce blood sugar and increase insulin.
2. Gluten free
Almond flour can be a healthier alternative for people who cannot consume gluten, such as those with celiac disease or wheat intolerance.
In people with this condition, eating gluten can disrupt the functioning of their intestines, characterized by bloating, diarrhea, stomach ache, and even rashes. Body weakness and weight loss can also occur due to Celiac disease.
3. Lowers bad cholesterol and high blood pressure
Many studies show that almonds can help lower bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease.
Analysis of 5 studies involving 142 people found that participants who ate more almonds experienced an average reduction of 5.7 mg/dL in LDL cholesterol. However, this may also be influenced by other factors.
On the other hand, the high magnesium content in almond flour can help reduce high blood pressure associated with magnesium deficiency.
Unfortunately, more research is still needed on this matter because several previous studies have had inconsistent results.
Message from TipsForWomens
You can use almond flour to make bread, pancakes and other cakes. But remember, even though it has a variety of nutrients and health benefits, almond flour can also trigger allergies, so you still need to pay attention to its consumption.
If you have allergy symptoms such as rash, itching, coughing, dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath after eating almond flour, see a doctor immediately.
