// Leaf Group Lifestyle. All-purpose flour, also known as white flour, is usually made from a mix of hard and soft wheat, to achieve the ideal protein content (figure, 10 to 12 percent, but it varies by brand). © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. It also has less gluten than whole wheat flour (gluten is needed when baking with yeast). * Whole wheat flour weighs less than white flour; it's also able to absorb more liquid. USDA National Nutrient Database: Wheat Flour, White, All-Purpose, Unenriched, USDA National Nutrient Database: Wheat Flour, Whole-Grain, Harvard Medical School: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for 100+ Foods, USDA National Nutrient Database: Wheat Flour, White, All-Purpose, Enriched, Calcium-Fortified. Virtually anything you make with all-purpose flour can work with whole-wheat flour, as long as you experiment and adjust as necessary. http://www.WowYouAreReallyLucky.comWhole wheat bread is healthy bread. For making pastries and cakes, use whole wheat pastry flour, made from soft wheat kernels, to make fluffier confections. Pasta made with 100-percent whole wheat feels gummy after cooking thanks to the pasta's fiber content, so choosing pasta made using some whole-wheat flour boosts the nutritional content of your meal without sacrificing texture. As a result, whole-grain flour often contains higher levels of vitamins than unenriched white flour but roughly compares to vitamin-enriched white flour. Whole wheat flour provides about 13g of protein, which is quite good. For example, 1/2 cup of white flour contains 1.3 grams of fiber, while an equal serving of whole-wheat flour contains 6.4 grams. The wheat used to make white flour has been highly refined. In other words, bread/wheat is a necessary part of ones diet.. Why, then, has it become such the "bad guy"? When you bake at home, try using a mix of whole-wheat and white flours for cookies, muffins and cakes, and opt for 100-percent whole-wheat flour to make homemade bread. It’s lighter in flavor and color and works well in recipes that call for whole wheat or graham flour. Though these factors result in less protein and gluten in cake flour vs all-purpose flour, nutritionally, and for those with dietary sensitivities, it’s not significant enough to consider switching from AP to cake flour. In the pasta isle, skip the white pasta and opt for noodles made from a mix of white and whole-wheat flour. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Based in Ontario, Canada, Tremblay is an experienced journalist and blogger specializing in nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, health and biotechnology, as well as real estate, agriculture and clean tech. Vitamins. 5. For example, use the same amount of almond flour as you would wheat flour. To substitute higher amounts or use only oat flour in a recipe that calls for white or wheat flour, you may find you need to tweak the recipe to add more moisture or leavening agent. So by using the same amount of whole wheat flour (by volume) as white flour, you can make up somewhat for white flour's heavier per-cup weight — which in turn will help compensate for whole wheat's higher absorption. Whole wheat flour naturally contains the level of fibre found in wheat. One key difference between whole wheat flour and plain white flour is the fibre content. Whole grain flour is a healthy addition to your family's diet. One of the main differences between whole wheat and white flour is the fiber content. Making a few easy substitutions in your diet helps you reap the nutritional benefit of whole-wheat flour without sacrificing the foods you love. 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