You may be wondering – is cassava flour low FODMAP?
This blog has you covered!
We will look at what cassava flour is, what it is used for, its benefits and the FODMAP content. Plus how can you add cassava flour to your low FODMAP diet?
There’s also information about other types of flour and answers about the gluten-free diet.
WHAT IS CASSAVA FLOUR?
Cassava flour is a type of flour used in cooking and baking. It originates from the root vegetable cassava, which is native to South America (1).
You will see cassava flour labeled as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
Cassava flour is made from several processes, including grating cassava into small pieces, drying the grated cassava, and grinding the dried, grated cassava into a fine powder.
This processing provides cassava flour with a neutral taste, and a smooth, fine texture.
WHAT IS CASSAVA FLOUR USED FOR?
Cassava flour can be used in many ways in cooking and baking. It’s fine and smooth texture makes it an ideal component in many recipes.
Here are some ways you can use cassava flour (2):
- To thicken sauces or soups
- To add a nutty flavor to dishes
- Alternative flour in baked goods, such as cakes, muffins, bread and cookies
- Add to a pasta dough to form gluten-free pasta or gluten-free pizza
- To be used for the basis of flatbreads and tortillas
Cassava flour is versatile and can be used in a variety of ways in cooking and baking if you are avoiding wheat flour.
You can store cassava flour in an air-tight container and a dry place, like a cupboard.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CASSAVA FLOUR?
The main component of cassava flour is starch, in the form of amylose and amylopectin (3).
It is rich in carbohydrates and contains no protein and fat. Carbohydrates provide you with energy, which you need for daily bodily functioning.
A 35g serving of cassava flour contains 130 kcal, 31g of carbohydrate and 2g of dietary fiber (4). It also contains small amounts of calcium and potassium.
Limited evidence has been published about the specific benefits of cassava flour in human health. More research is required in this specific area.
However, research shows that resistant starch, the main component of cassava flour, can provide health benefits.
For example, resistant starch has the ability to modulate microbial growth and could influence the colon, which may enhance the gut microbiota (5,6).
Resistant starch contains fiber, which can help to regulate bowel movements. For further information, read How To Get 30g of Fibre a Day .
IS CASSAVA FLOUR GLUTEN-FREE?
Cassava flour can be used in a gluten-free diet as an appropriate substitute for wheat flour.
You may follow a gluten-free diet for the following reasons:
- Celiac Disease, and the treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet (7).
- Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (8).
- Wheat allergy, so you are avoiding wheat flour (9).
If you need more information on following a gluten-free diet – we’ve written these blogs to help you navigate the dietary challenges:
- Navigating a gluten free diet (a printable gluten free food list inside)
- Does a Gluten Free Diet Help With IBS?
- Gluten and IBS: Unraveling the Connection
Please note, that you should only follow a gluten-free diet following a diagnosis as above or you have been told to by a healthcare professional, such as a dietitian.
Although there are several indications to follow a gluten-free diet, it is important to avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions that may lead to other complications. Speak to your dietitian first.
IS CASSAVA FLOUR LOW FODMAP?
The good news is you can include cassava flour in your low FODMAP diet.
Although cassava flour has not been formally tested by Monash, the university that tests the FODMAP content of foods and drinks, they have tested its origins.
Monash states that ½ cup of cassava root (per meal) is certified as low FODMAP. It is low in all FODMAPs including fructans, lactose, mannitol, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), fructose, and sorbitol.
Larger quantities of cassava root (over 1 ¼ cups per meal), increases the FODMAP content, specifically galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), a type of fermentable carbohydrate.
If you would like to read more about the elimination phase of this diet – click here about .
We’ve also added a guide if you’re looking for How To Reintroduce FODMAPs back into your diet, after the elimination stage.
4 LOW FODMAP CASSAVA FLOUR RECIPES
Cassava flour is used in many dishes, and we’ve searched for the best recipes that you can try at home.
Check out these low FODMAP cassava recipes to incorporate within your low FODMAP diet:
- Cassava Flour Bread
- Apple Crisp (AIP/Paleo/Refined Sugar-Free)
- Cassava Flour Tortillas
- Cassava Flour Banana Bread (Low FODMAP)
Most recipes don’t state cassava flour specifically, but if they use gluten-free flour as an option, you can choose cassava flour as the flour of choice within that recipe.
You can turn almost any recipe into a suitable, low FODMAP gluten free recipe!
For instance, the recipe may label it as ‘low FODMAP gluten-free all-purpose flour’, so using cassava flour is perfectly suitable here.
A list of Low FODMAP suitable cassava flours
All cassava flour is low FODMAP but incase you were looking for some specific brands in the shops, here are some examples;
IS FLOUR LOW FODMAP?
There are many different types of flours available. These include wheat flour, corn flour, rye flour, whole-grain flour, refined flour, barley flour, teff flour and amaranth flour.
Each type of flour originates from different sources and contains different compositions. Some flours are also enriched with nutrients.
Our Low FODMAP flour + high FODMAP flour list can guide you through the different types of flours and which flours are suitable to use when following the low FODMAP diet.
SUMMARY
You can enjoy cassava flour in your low FODMAP diet.
Cassava flour is a suitable gluten-free substitute for wheat flour, and is rich in carbohydrates providing you with energy. There is virtually no fat or protein in cassava flour.
Cassava flour is used in baking and cooking and can be incorporated into many recipes that require low FODMAP gluten-free flours.
Enjoy cassava flour, as part of a healthy, balanced, low FODMAP diet.
