Ever wondered why there were so many types of flours? Wheat is so versatile that it can be used to produce flour best suitable for certain purpose. Here we will look at different types of flours, their uses, and their benefits.
All Purpose Flour
This is the flour that is used most commonly for baking and cooking. It comes from the endosperm of the wheat kernel, also hard and soft wheat is used to get this type of flour. It is rich in Vitamin B, namely:
- Thiamin
- Niacin
- Riboflavin; and
- Folic Acid
Bread Flour
Milled specially for commercial use, this flour is produced from hard red spring wheat kernel. Higher in Gluten content, it is otherwise similar to All purpose flour.
Self Rising Flour
It is basically an all purpose flour, with a bit of baking powder and salt added.
Cake Flour
Low in protein and low in gluten, Cake flour is milled from soft wheat. Suitable for cakes, cookies, pastries etc…
Pastry Flour
It has similar properties as Cake flour, except that pastry flour has less starch as compared to cake flour.
Gluten Flour
Often used in combination with low protein or non wheat flours, gluten flour is milled from high protein wheat.
Semolina
This is what Pastas, macaroni and spaghetti are made out of. This is produced from coarsely ground endosperm of Durum wheat.
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour is a coarse-textured flour containing the bran, germ and endosperm. The presence of bran reduces the gluten development, therefore, bake products make from whole wheat flour tend to be heavier and denser than those made from white flour.
Whole wheat flour is rich in B-vitamins, vitamin E and protein, and contains more trace minerals and dietary fiber than white flour.
Farina
Farina is the coarsely ground endosperm of hard wheats. It is the prime ingredient in many hot breakfast cereals. it can also be used for pasta.
Kids Need Fiber
Lets face it, fiber is very important for kids growth, but kids hate foods that are rich in fiber. Important information for parents: consuming foods that contain fiber reduces chances of heart diseases and protects against some types of cancer later in life.
According to experts "A child’s daily intake of fiber should equal “age + 5 grams” to determine fiber needs for kids between the ages of 3 and 18. For example, a 9-year-old child would need about 14 grams of fiber, 9+5=14".
So how do we get kids to eat more fiber? well...follwing are a few ideas that have worked. Take a look and feel free to comment if you have more ideas.
1. Treat kids to the colorful foods they love – make funny-faced sandwiches using pita bread stuffed with their favorite veggies. Use parsley for hair, radishes and black olives for eyes and nose, and a slice of red pepper for the mouth.
2. For an extra crunch kids will eat up, make a crunchy crouton-and-vegetable salad. Top a base of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and cucumbers with whole grain bread crumbs. Wet your kids’ appetites for this crunchy creation with their favorite low-fat dressing.
3. Great for tikes on the run, cereal makes a quick take-along snack kids will eat without a fuss. For a “fiberful” sidekick, pack a tasty pear with a slice of low-fat cheese along for the ride. Yummy!
4. Concoct a low-fat, fiber-topped version of the banana split. Take one scoop of frozen yogurt, add one sliced banana and garnish with strawberries and a sprinkle of crushed cereal.
According to experts "A child’s daily intake of fiber should equal “age + 5 grams” to determine fiber needs for kids between the ages of 3 and 18. For example, a 9-year-old child would need about 14 grams of fiber, 9+5=14".
So how do we get kids to eat more fiber? well...follwing are a few ideas that have worked. Take a look and feel free to comment if you have more ideas.
1. Treat kids to the colorful foods they love – make funny-faced sandwiches using pita bread stuffed with their favorite veggies. Use parsley for hair, radishes and black olives for eyes and nose, and a slice of red pepper for the mouth.
2. For an extra crunch kids will eat up, make a crunchy crouton-and-vegetable salad. Top a base of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and cucumbers with whole grain bread crumbs. Wet your kids’ appetites for this crunchy creation with their favorite low-fat dressing.
3. Great for tikes on the run, cereal makes a quick take-along snack kids will eat without a fuss. For a “fiberful” sidekick, pack a tasty pear with a slice of low-fat cheese along for the ride. Yummy!
4. Concoct a low-fat, fiber-topped version of the banana split. Take one scoop of frozen yogurt, add one sliced banana and garnish with strawberries and a sprinkle of crushed cereal.
Labels:
Fiber,
Wheat nutrition
Iphone App helps find Gluten free products
Midlife Crisis Apps announces the release of “Is That Gluten Free?” for the iPhone in an effort to simplify the grocery shopping experience for those individuals leading a gluten free lifestyle. At an initial release price of $5.99, this application for Apple’s iPhone contains over 13,500 verified gluten free Products, 300 brands, including Private Label grocery store brands, and a searchable Ingredients tab designating safe, unsafe and possibly unsafe ingredients.
Other features of “Is That Gluten Free?” include the ability to search by category, brand or product name as well as a “one-touch” link to company websites allowing users to search for more information on specific products or the company itself.
An updated version of “Is That Gluten Free?” was recently submitted to Apple, adding over 500 new products from 11 new brands and improving the search function within the application. This iPhone application also provides its Users with free updates and welcomes user feedback and suggestions to continually improve the overall user experience.
Since its introduction, “Is That Gluten Free?” has consistently ranked in the Top 100 Paid Applications within the Healthcare & Fitness category on Apple’s App Store. In a posted review, user knlorenz states “this app has everything I have been looking for since being diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease. It is so helpful at the grocery store when I would normally spend most of my time reading through ingredients, but now I can search for what I need before I go! I would highly recommend to anyone with a gluten intolerance or wheat allergy!”
Other features of “Is That Gluten Free?” include the ability to search by category, brand or product name as well as a “one-touch” link to company websites allowing users to search for more information on specific products or the company itself.
An updated version of “Is That Gluten Free?” was recently submitted to Apple, adding over 500 new products from 11 new brands and improving the search function within the application. This iPhone application also provides its Users with free updates and welcomes user feedback and suggestions to continually improve the overall user experience.
Since its introduction, “Is That Gluten Free?” has consistently ranked in the Top 100 Paid Applications within the Healthcare & Fitness category on Apple’s App Store. In a posted review, user knlorenz states “this app has everything I have been looking for since being diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease. It is so helpful at the grocery store when I would normally spend most of my time reading through ingredients, but now I can search for what I need before I go! I would highly recommend to anyone with a gluten intolerance or wheat allergy!”
Labels:
gluten free,
iphone app
Wheat nutrition facts
When it comes to eating healthy, nothing can beat the goodness of wheat, unless of course you are intolerant to wheat, in which case you should read no further! Or just read for the matter of fact.
Health practitioners generally recommend a balanced diet. Every source of nutrition has something that others don’t. Therefore do not eat too much of the same foods. Balance your diet by trying out different meats, vegetables and fruits.
Coming back to our main topic wheat as a source of nutrition, wheat grains contain: Manganese, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Selenium in very large quantities. Rich in Zinc, Copper, Iron and Potassium. However, Calcium is also present in small amounts. As far as vitamins go, wheat is loaded with: Vitamin B6, Niacin, Thiamin, Folate, Riboflavin and Pantothenic Acid. Vitamin E and Vitamin K are also present in small but considerable amounts. Wheat has a calorific value of 339.0 per 100 gm.
There are many health benefits associated with the consumption of wheat on a regular basis. In fact the dietary guidelines stress the need to eat at least five to ten ounces of bread, cereal, rice and pasta each day (depending on age, gender and activity level), with half of them coming from whole grain.
Organicfacts.com lists following health benefits associated with consumption of whole wheat “it is necessary for a healthy metabolism, as it prevents Breast Cancer, Gallstones, childhood Asthma and heart risks. Definitely an essential food to intake for women for gastro-intestinal health, also reduces risk of high blood pressure, Diabetes and high cholestrol. To add up to it all, it has phytonutrients which promotes better health through maintaining high blood levels.”
Health practitioners generally recommend a balanced diet. Every source of nutrition has something that others don’t. Therefore do not eat too much of the same foods. Balance your diet by trying out different meats, vegetables and fruits.
Coming back to our main topic wheat as a source of nutrition, wheat grains contain: Manganese, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Selenium in very large quantities. Rich in Zinc, Copper, Iron and Potassium. However, Calcium is also present in small amounts. As far as vitamins go, wheat is loaded with: Vitamin B6, Niacin, Thiamin, Folate, Riboflavin and Pantothenic Acid. Vitamin E and Vitamin K are also present in small but considerable amounts. Wheat has a calorific value of 339.0 per 100 gm.
There are many health benefits associated with the consumption of wheat on a regular basis. In fact the dietary guidelines stress the need to eat at least five to ten ounces of bread, cereal, rice and pasta each day (depending on age, gender and activity level), with half of them coming from whole grain.
Organicfacts.com lists following health benefits associated with consumption of whole wheat “it is necessary for a healthy metabolism, as it prevents Breast Cancer, Gallstones, childhood Asthma and heart risks. Definitely an essential food to intake for women for gastro-intestinal health, also reduces risk of high blood pressure, Diabetes and high cholestrol. To add up to it all, it has phytonutrients which promotes better health through maintaining high blood levels.”
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