Recently it was brought to my attention that I made a rather large factual error in my post Gluten Free is Not Healthy. You see, in this post I claimed:
Gluten free goods are generally made with ingredients such as rice, corn, potatoes, sorghum, tapioca and millet, which are higher in carbohydrates and lower in protein and other nutrients than wheat flour.
I apologize, as I did make a mistake in claiming that sorghum is not as healthy as wheat flour itself. Sorghum is not higher in carbs and lower in protein as I claimed, as you can see in the tables below.
Those who addressed my mistake, also helped me crystallize my point, which is that grains are not a nutrient dense food when compared to meat, nuts and vegetables. I don’t eat grains. I’ve been entirely grain free since 2001.
Sorghum flour and wheat flour have a similar protein to carbohydrate ratio of 1:7. Sorghum flour is actually the winner when it comes to glycemic load.
However, take a peek at the table below. As you can see, almonds have a protein to carbohydrate ratio of 1:1 and a glycemic load of 0. Far superior to both wheat and sorghum.
There are many ways to look at nutrients. Addressing nutrition from the perspective of a carbohydrate to protein ratio is merely one very simplistic and myopic way. However, as someone with celiac, this type of analysis is critical because celiac and diabetes ride on the same gene. For this reason, I make a point of controlling my carbohydrate intake and making sure that any carbs I eat are slowed down by either protein or good fats.
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To make things even more complex, let’s consider the protein to carbohydrate ratio of broccoli. It is 1:2, not as good as almond flour, yet far better than grains. However, I’ll take my broccoli over almonds any day. And then there are folks who can’t eat raw broccoli because of thyroid issues. But that’s a topic for another post entirely. I think you get the idea. Nutrition is complex.
My point? I wrote the post Gluten Free is Not Healthy to illustrate that fads can’t automatically make certain unhealthy foods healthy again, and that junk food is still junk even if it’s gluten free. I stand by that idea.
Finally, I want to thank you for your delightful comments, whether they agreed with my point or took it to task.
I am grateful for the respectful tone in which so many criticisms were made. The point of this blog is to provide information and conduct a positive and lively dialogue –that is the type of discusion that I will continue to encourage, and with which I will continue to directly engage on both Twitter and Facebook.
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy says
what an interesting post! i’ve been loving almond flour lately!
Linda says
Thank You for all you do :))
Lelsie says
All your comments are very informative and helpful…Thank You and keep up the Good Work!
Amanda says
I’m very grateful to have stumbled onto your site, Elana! I have been gluten free for 3 years and still struggle with feeling very tired, bad skin, and daily nausea so I’ve done research into being grain free. I think it’s a right fit for me, as it’s been 2 months and I’m beginning to feel a difference.
My comment / question is about Garbanzo Bean Flour: do you (or anyone) have experience using it to bake/cook with? I really enjoy using just garbanzo bean flour and not combining other flours with it. The “bean” smell goes away during cooking, and the only thing I’d say is different is that it makes food much more dense. I hope it’s a healthy alternative to the potato/rice/corn/etc flours that usually make me sick! Thanks for your dedicated work on this site!
Elana Daley says
Elana-
When I first became introduced to your blog it was 5 years ago. Sam was starting to eat solid food and I was making homemade babyfood from the fresh veggies we live on. It was cost effective and easy but more importantly it was healthy.
When I started researching and learning about gluten free living my reasons were purely to maximize my food. In other words a muffin made with almond flour was far superior nutritionally than one made with wheat/white flour. I was able to go on a run or swim, eat a muffin, and feel good about my consumption mentally and physically. My glycemic reaction was nullified and it tasted so much better.
While I do not suffer celiac, I cannot consume dairy and have been caseine allergic from birth. Many of your gluten free recipes do not require dairy products which made it even more enticing and easy to make the change.
I now have a colletion of gluten free recipe books and have researched and continue to research and play with a variety of bread recipes. Yes, many call for ingredients like white rice, but experimenting and playing with recipes is a passion so I attempt substitutions as I have done with many of your recipes.
It’s a welcomed relief and hopeful future to know you have broadened my foodie experience and my family’s and my community’s. More and more local coffee shops are serving gluten free products and their eduction is broadened because you inspired and educated so many of us.
Keep it up, Elana. We share the same name and the same passion for food perhaps for different reasons. The process and outcome are all great. You are truly my inspiration.
Thank you very much,
Elana Daley
Karen says
Well said! Thank you!
Tamika says
Elana,
Thank you for providing the facts. I sincerely appreciate the education you provide through your blog. Keep up the good work!
Tamika
Karen says
Ok…you can’t bring up a topic and not explain. Why no broccoli for people with thyroid issues?
Christina says
Karen,
You can have broccoli and other cruciferous veges, but they should be
steamed or cooked to get rid of the goitrogenic properties (that can
affect the thyroid and block the release of the hormones from it). You can find info about goitrogenic foods on the internet, but don’t get dismayed or scared. Cooking helps. So does not consuming broccoli everyday , seven days a week… Hope this helps.
Nicole says
A really simple answer is that broccoli is a goitogenic food which means it can negatively affect your thyroid if you have thyroid functioning issues (google goitogenic foods for more info). When cooked, the goitogenic properties are reduced. A bonus is that most vegetables, when cooked and paired with a healthy fat, have more nutrients available to your body.
Jane says
this is good info. . thanks so much,
one new question: I just found out I’m allergic to almonds.Is there another nut I can use to bake my amazing muffins, cookies, etc?
thanks
Amanda says
Try Garbanzo Bean Flour (if it’s a healthier alternative to those mentioned by Elana up top). I use it without adding other flours to it, but do have to modify recipes a bit (like more applesauce or coconut oil).
Terry says
I am grateful for you wonderful recipes and informative blog. Unfortunately, my signifIcant nut allergy prohibits my baking with or using almond flour/almond milk.
Christina says
May I ask – how do you know you are allergic to nuts? Through a specific type of “testing”? Or, elimination diet? Those are hard to determine for me because something you eat one day can delay a reaction for 3 or 4 days, so it is difficult to tell… Thank you.