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Low oxalate alternate options to almond meal and different kinds of nut flour for keto or grain-free baking and cooking wants.
My grain-free blueberry pecan cobbler meals characteristic within the weekly publication elicited various questions for a low oxalate various to the nut flour portion of the recipe.
Why Do Some Individuals Keep away from Excessive Oxalate Meals?
Extra folks than ever are following a low oxalate food regimen attributable to points with oxalate crystal build-up in bodily tissues.
Persistent issues with kidney stones are a trademark symptom.
About 10% of the inhabitants is genetically predisposed to break from a food regimen excessive in oxalates.
As well as, these with extreme fungus (candida) within the intestine are in danger from excessive oxalate meals as properly.
It’s because sure helpful strains of intestine flora, particularly species from the genus Oxalobacter, break down oxalates for us!
These anti-oxalate microbial strains are decimated by antibiotics and doubtlessly dozens of different prescribed drugs.
When these strains are lacking in an imbalanced intestine, oxalates in meals have the potential to trigger signs.
Keto Diets and Extreme Oxalates
So as to add insult to harm, many people who find themselves delicate to oxalates are additionally consuming grain-free with low to no starch in an try and shed pounds and/or heal the intestine.
For instance, the GAPS food regimen, Candida food regimen, and Particular Carbohydrate Eating regimen all disallow grains and starch as a part of the therapeutic protocol.
Many keto dieters discover this out the onerous method.
They minimize out the grain-based and starch carbs and substitute with greater oxalate meals like almond flour solely to undergo a kidney stone assault or extra severe signs like vulvodynia inside a couple of months.
With almond flour maybe the preferred grain-free possibility for cooking and baking, I assumed I might share a couple of phrases on what the very best alternate options is likely to be if you’re oxalate delicate and want to cut back publicity.
Low Oxalate Nut Flour?
Sadly, the time period “low oxalate nuts” is a little bit of an oxymoron.
Whereas there are nuts which can be decrease in oxalates than others, there actually aren’t any actually “low oxalate nuts” that I’ve come throughout.
For instance, pecans, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are maybe the bottom in oxalates coming in at 10 mg, 8 mg, and 12 mg per ounce, respectively.
To be thought-about “low oxalate”, a meals actually must be lower than 10 mg per serving.
Thus, even nuts that comprise the least quantity of oxalates are proper on the borderline of being too excessive.
Starch Flours
In relation to avoiding excessive oxalate nut flours, notably almond which is highest in oxalates, potato starch or flour is the very best various.
Nevertheless, keep away from cassava (tapioca) flour and arrowroot, that are each on the upper finish for oxalates.
Since potato flour may be very starchy, it will not be an appropriate selection for these on a low-carb food regimen for weight reduction functions or a gut-healing food regimen like GAPS.
Nevertheless, for individuals who are capable of tolerate a starch-based various to almond flour, potato flour is the very best low-oxalate possibility to think about.
Fruit Flours
One other good various to nut flour like almond is coconut, thought-about a fruit flour as a result of it comes from a drupe.
Nevertheless, be careful for others like inexperienced banana flour and plantain, that are considerably greater in oxalate.
The draw back of coconut flour is that it can’t be substituted 1:1 in recipes calling for almond flour.
Solely small quantities of coconut flour are appropriate in a recipe.
Thus, one other flour will usually have to be blended with coconut flour to attain the suitable texture. An alternative choice is to make use of one of many flours under by itself when subbing out the almond flour.
My favourite choices to make use of for this goal are mentioned subsequent.
Seed Flours
By far, my greatest suggestion for low-oxalate alternate options to almond flour is seed flour.
Particularly, sunflower seed flour is my private favourite adopted by pumpkin seed meal.
Keep away from flaxseed meal or flour, nonetheless, which is unfortunately a extremely popular low-oxalate dietary selection.
It’s because flax may be very estrogenic, second solely to soy. Common consumption of flax can set off precancerous breasts amongst different hormonal points if eaten regularly.
I personally by no means embrace something flax on the menu. Our world is so polluted with pseudo-estrogens as it’s.
Even in case you stay very clear and eat high-quality meals, you might be seemingly getting uncovered to their results. Therefore, for my part, there’s solely a draw back to including flax to your food regimen.
Sunflower seed flour is superb as a result of you’ll be able to substitute it 1:1 for almond flour in your recipes.
Bear in mind that you will want to make it your self as business variations are seemingly stale and/or rancid.
The excellent news is that it’s fairly easy to make.
I like to recommend shopping for sprouted sunflower seeds (that is the model I exploit) and milling into recent flour in a espresso grinder.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to soak hulled sunflower seeds in a single day, drain and dry them in a heat oven (or dehydrator), after which mill into flour. This technique is a little more time-consuming, however inexpensive.
Baking Ideas
Grain mills don’t work that properly for milling seed flours because of the oiliness. Thus, it’s a good suggestion to put money into a cheap espresso grinder for this activity.
In case you are cooking for a big family, make massive batches after which freeze for fast use later!
Frozen seed flour can be utilized in recipes straight proper out of the freezer with no thawing time vital.
Conclusion
Whereas greater oxalate meals are usually not unhealthy and have been routinely included in conventional diets from around the globe, in our fashionable period, some folks have to keep away from them a minimum of quickly.
This is because of a necessity for rebalancing the intestine to a extra various and favorable microbial stability.
Throughout this time, grains are greatest averted together with excessive oxalate almond and different nut flours.
Probably the most sensible 1:1 substitution in recipes that can be grain and starch free is sunflower seed flour adopted by pumpkin seed meal (a bit tougher to mill into tremendous flour).
Potato starch or flour can be an possibility for these capable of tolerate starch and never in any other case on a intestine therapeutic protocol.
As well as, coconut flour is an possibility, however solely small quantities work properly in baking attributable to textural points.
For an optimum digestive and dietary expertise, I like to recommend milling sunflower or pumpkin seed flour from sprouted or soaked seeds.
References
(1) Low Oxalate Nuts and Seeds
(2) Greatest Substitutes for Almond Flour
(3) Oxalates on a Gluten-free Eating regimen
