When diagnosed with an intolerance to wheat, many people are not sure of the right way to change their diet in order to help their bodies to function properly. It is a misconception that foods containing wheat are completely off limits now. Simple changes can be made to foods like cake in order for someone who is intolerant of wheat to enjoy their fair share.
These days there are flour substitutes that can be used in a cake recipe and are free of wheat. Many of the following wheat flour substitutes are superior to wheat in their nutritive qualities as well. Millet is the most easily digested grain available. It is also the least allergenic. It is a good source of silica and protein and millet flour can be used for baking. Similar to millet is sorghum. It is a cereal grain that is ground to produce sorghum flour. Amaranth is another grain which is ground for baking. It is a wonderfully rich source of calcium and is also high in magnesium and silica. The amaranth grain has been hugely used in Mexico to prevent malnutrition.
While there are a lot of alternatives to use to substitute wheat in your cake recipes, there are also types of flours that you should stay away from. Brown, bulgar, cake, granary, durum, plain and self-rising flours should all be avoided due to the wheat they contain. Plus, semolina, wholemeal flour, triticale, sauce flour, kamut, spelt, and graham flour should all be avoided as well.
Although, substituting flour containing wheat for flour without wheat in a cake recipe may not be the issue. The issue might be; where can these different kinds of flour be purchased? Many of the wheat flour substitutes listed above are available at natural health stores, many Asian food stores, or online. With the growing popularity of substituting wheat in cake recipes, many of the main grocery stores are beginning to catch on and now stock these flours and grains. Plus, people who are not wheat intolerant but are just looking for a healthier alternative to wheat are also driving this popularity as the benefits of these non-wheat grains are now becoming apparent.
It is important to understand the difference between gluten intolerance and wheat intolerance. People who are gluten intolerant can not eat anything that has gluten in it. For instance they can not eat wheat, rye or barley and any other cereals that contain gluten. But, someone who is wheat intolerant can eat rye and barley due to the fact that the main culprit in their intolerance is wheat. There is no avoiding the fact that some foods, like breads, will taste differently then those that are made with wheat flour substitutes. The texture of such foods will also be different. It is the gluten in wheat that binds the dough and helps the bread to rise. Intolerances to foods get worse with age and are likely to increase the conditions that may already be in existence like, heart disease, liver, kidney and lung problems. It is also a fact that like allergies that run in families, the same applies with food intolerances. If a member of the family is intolerant to a particular food, it is very likely that another member will also suffer from the same intolerance or that it could be passed on to the next generation.
Roslyn Carter
