Is There a 'Healthiest' Flour and Grain Blend for Pancakes/Waffles/Baked Goods?

Is There a 'Healthiest' Flour and Grain Blend for Pancakes/Waffles/Baked Goods?





opinionatedchef less than a minute ago

I hesitate to ask this question because my nutritional knowledge is def sub-par. After 40+ yrs of cooking, I have, in the past few yrs, become fixed on using whole grains and wh grn flours as much as possible. I bought Whole Grains and Good to the Grain but so far, i haven't found an answer to this question:

Given the myriad choices, what ingreds are best to include in pancakes and baked goods? Ex:I created a multigrain pancake recipe that uses whole wheat flour, cornmeal, oats, nuts and berries. I'm very proud of it but i realize that there may be a much healthier ingred mix that i could use. (Do oats really contribute much besides fiber?) What about wheat germ and chia seeds, or other things....

Savory Ex: I created a curried chicken pancakes recipe that uses a base mix of white whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, and TrJ Multigrain Pilaf (blend of brown rice, red rice and black barley ). Should i add/sub other flours or grains?
Should i use all chickpea flour(is it more nutritive than whole wheat?)
I am def a carbo holic and improving my protein and vitamin intake when i make carbo dishes-- would make me feel psychologically better, though i don't know if it would actually BE healthier. I look forw to your help;TIA.

LeBec Fin
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1 Comment

Valentina S.
Valentina S. September 22, 2013
Some flours can definitely be controversial ingredients, and substitutions also largely depend on what you want to bake. Gluten free flours - which usually have a better nutritional profile than wheat, can be used for anything but pasta and breads, so if you stick to pancakes and crepes you can experiment with any mix you like without using wheat! Nut flours (Almond, hazelnut, chestnut, coconut) are nutritionally wonderful, and taste great in pancakes, cakes, waffles and the like. A great addition is also ground seed meal, like flaxseed meal. The fiber content in oat flour is a great addition IMO. Nuts and seeds are packed with healthy fats, good protein and loads of vitamins.

As for savory mixes, try chickpea, lentil, chestnut, spelt, quinoa...

For a sweet pancake, try: Almond meal + flaxseed meal + Oat or coconut flour.
For a savory mix, try: Chickpea or chestnut flour + buckwheat or quinoa flour.
 
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