# Coconut flour



## Radders (Oct 9, 2016)

I thought I'd try making a low carb cheesecake and found a recipe that calls for coconut flour. I was so pleased to find this in Morrisons and it wasn't until I was checking the total carbs in the dish that I noticed that coconut flour (as well as smelling absolutely gorgeous) has 58g carbs per 100 g! Made me wonder why it is being used in a low carb recipe!


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## Mark Parrott (Oct 9, 2016)

That sounds high. Coconut flour is higher carb than almond flour but still should be a lot lower than regular flour. I make a low carb cheesecake but use almond flour in the base. Of course, if you have a nut allergy, that's no good.


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## Marsbartoastie (Oct 9, 2016)

In order to reduce the amount of coconut flour/almond flour in a dish I substitute some of it with oat fibre powder.  The oat stuff is simply fibre and therefore adds no carbs/cals and dosn't affect the flavour.  It is, however, mega absorbent...so more moisture is required.  I've also starting whisking a teaspoonful into egg for my omelette wraps.  This seems to give them a little more body.


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## Radders (Oct 9, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> That sounds high. Coconut flour is higher carb than almond flour but still should be a lot lower than regular flour. I make a low carb cheesecake but use almond flour in the base. Of course, if you have a nut allergy, that's no good.


The recipe only used a third of a cup which worked out at less than 30g so not too bad, I guess it was adapted from a gluten free recipe perhaps. As I say though, the smell of it is heavenly and it makes me wonder what else I could use it for to give that rich coconut flavour.


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## Radders (Oct 9, 2016)

Marsbartoastie said:


> In order to reduce the amount of coconut flour/almond flour in a dish I substitute some of it with oat fibre powder.  The oat stuff is simply fibre and therefore adds no carbs/cals and dosn't affect the flavour.  It is, however, mega absorbent...so more moisture is required.  I've also starting whisking a teaspoonful into egg for my omelette wraps.  This seems to give them a little more body.


That sounds like a good idea, I looked in the health food and free from sections of a few local shops yesterday and didn't spot it: is it something you have to get online?
That reminds me actually, there used to be a cereal: I think it was called crunchy oat bran: I used to get it in small boxes from the local whole food shop but they stopped selling it. I seem to remember it being lowish carb but very palatable. Can't seem to find it anywhere now :-(


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## Radders (Oct 9, 2016)

I've contacted the Groovy Food company and asked them if there's a mistake on the packaging of their coconut flour, since other brands seem to have far lower carb amounts. Annoyingly I can't find any nutritional data on their website.


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## Marsbartoastie (Oct 9, 2016)

Radders said:


> That sounds like a good idea, I looked in the health food and free from sections of a few local shops yesterday and didn't spot it: is it something you have to get online?
> That reminds me actually, there used to be a cereal: I think it was called crunchy oat bran: I used to get it in small boxes from the local whole food shop but they stopped selling it. I seem to remember it being lowish carb but very palatable. Can't seem to find it anywhere now :-(



I buy oat fibre powder online.  This is the one I use
https://mydiet-shop.co.uk/fibers/741-lifesource-foods-oat-fiber-500.html

I've never tried these, but they look as though they might fit the bill in terms of crunchy oats.
http://www.healthysupplies.co.uk/rude-health-puffed-oats-150g.html


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## Radders (Oct 9, 2016)

Marsbartoastie said:


> I buy oat fibre powder online.  This is the one I use
> https://mydiet-shop.co.uk/fibers/741-lifesource-foods-oat-fiber-500.html
> 
> I've never tried these, but they look as though they might fit the bill in terms of crunchy oats.
> http://www.healthysupplies.co.uk/rude-health-puffed-oats-150g.html


Thanks for those. I've tried puffed rice and wheat, which are bulky so you feel as if you are eating more with relatively small portions, but I do find they leave me hungry. Haven't tried the oat version, I imagine it would have a better flavour. The one I used to get was not wholegrain, it was mostly fibre and of a similar consistency to grapenuts.


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## Radders (Oct 10, 2016)

Fast response from Groovy Foods: on some packets they included fibre in the totalcarbs. Net carbs are actually 16g per 100g! 
Good job I didn't use more of it in the recipe or I could have overdosed!


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## Martin Canty (Oct 10, 2016)

Radders said:


> Net carbs are actually 16g per 100g


Wow, that could have been a problem!!! In the US we use total carbs & a figure for dietary fiber..... Makes life so much easier


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## Radders (Oct 10, 2016)

Martin Canty said:


> Wow, that could have been a problem!!! In the US we use total carbs & a figure for dietary fiber..... Makes life so much easier


In the U.K. fibre is listed separately and no calculation is needed normally: Groovy just got it wrong.


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## PinkGrapefruit (Oct 11, 2016)

Radders said:


> Fast response from Groovy Foods: on some packets they included fibre in the totalcarbs. Net carbs are actually 16g per 100g!
> Good job I didn't use more of it in the recipe or I could have overdosed!


I'm using the same flour (very nice - but makes a weird cheese sauce). My packet says 58g carbs too.

I make these micro muffins and was working them out to be around 8 carbs a price. Sounds like they are more like 3 carbs a piece!


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## Radders (Oct 11, 2016)

PinkGrapefruit said:


> I'm using the same flour (very nice - but makes a weird cheese sauce). My packet says 58g carbs too.
> 
> I make these micro muffins and was working them out to be around 8 carbs a price. Sounds like they are more like 3 carbs a piece!


I have replied to their email explaining how dangerous this could be, and suggesting they recall the wrongly labelled packs. I have seen recalls for far less serious errors.


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## Mark Parrott (Oct 11, 2016)

PinkGrapefruit said:


> I'm using the same flour (very nice - but makes a weird cheese sauce). My packet says 58g carbs too.



My wife makes a cheese sauce without any kind of flour. Just grated cheese melted with double cream plus a bit of pepper. Thickens up nicely.


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## Brunneria (Oct 11, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> My wife makes a cheese sauce without any kind of flour. Just grated cheese melted with double cream plus a bit of pepper. Thickens up nicely.



Thats exactly how I make it too - with a wee dash of mustard or horseradish, for a bit of bite.


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## Radders (Oct 11, 2016)

Mark Parrott said:


> My wife makes a cheese sauce without any kind of flour. Just grated cheese melted with double cream plus a bit of pepper. Thickens up nicely.


Yum!


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## Radders (Oct 18, 2016)

Received a reply from Groovy Foods saying that it was mandatory to include fibre in total carbs! I replied saying not in the UK and proved it with a photo of some prunes where the sugar plus fibre exceeds the total carbs figure.
I also wrote to Morrisons who said they've spoken to Diabetes UK: 
"They confirmed that, when calculating carbohydrates, ingredients used for baking or cooking from scratch are added into the overall carbohydrate count for the meal. Then, if the recipe is for more than one person, it is divided as per portion size to calculate the intake. In a situation where an ingredient has fibre included in the carbohydrate count the effect on the calculation is reduced by the other carbohydrate containing ingredients, thus making any issues with matching insulin levels less likely. This is as opposed to a ready-meal , for example, where the carbohydrate figure reflects directly what is about to be consumed in that meal."

I have replied explaining that as coconut flour is a favoured ingredient for those reducing their carbs, it's less likely to be mixed with other carbs but since Diabetes UK have confirmed what they wanted to believe I think I am fighting a losing battle!


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