Wheat flour

Wheat flour, raw and dry as it comes in the bag, provides about 340 kcal per 100 g, with 10 g of protein, 71 g of carbs, 1 g of fat and 3 g of fiber. It is a very carb-concentrated ingredient that is almost free of fat. These figures describe the dry powder, not the cooked dough: once turned into bread, crepes or cake, flour is mixed with water, eggs, milk or butter, and the values of the final plate change completely.

For daily reference, 30 g of flour, about three heaped tablespoons, represents 102 kcal, 3 g of protein, 21 g of carbs, 0.3 g of fat and almost 1 g of fiber. A level tablespoon weighs roughly 10 g. Always weigh your flour on a scale rather than by the spoon: packing in the bag changes the volume significantly, and an error of a few tens of grams quickly weighs on a recipe's total calories.

In France, the type number corresponds to the ash content, meaning the amount of bran and germ kept. T45 and T55 are white, highly refined flours, ideal for pastries and crepes. T80, T110 and T150 keep more of the grain's husk, are darker, richer in fiber, minerals and B vitamins, and make denser breads. The 3 g of fiber on this page correspond to a common white flour.

If you want more fiber and better fullness, replace half of your white flour with T80 or T110 in your recipes. The taste becomes more rustic, the texture denser, and water absorption rises slightly, so adjust the liquid. Whole flour is not magic though: it brings more fiber but remains an energy source in the form of carbs, to fit into your total intake rather than eat without counting because it is whole.

To eat more when your appetite is limited, flour is an excellent starting point: 71 g of carbs per 100 g, with no bothersome volume once turned into crepes, pancakes, bread or fresh pasta. Protein crepes made with 60 g of flour, eggs and milk give you a breakfast rich in carbs and protein, to top with banana or peanut butter. Flour then becomes the calorie foundation of meals designed for your goal.

With only 10 g of protein per 100 g, flour is not enough to build muscle, and its proteins, mostly gluten, are low in lysine, an essential amino acid. Compensate by pairing it with eggs, milk, fromage blanc or whey. In a recipe such as beef lasagna, the flour in the béchamel and the pasta provides energy, while the meat and cheese supply the complete proteins you need to recover.

When cutting, flour is not your enemy, but it demands precision. At 340 kcal per 100 g, it does not fill you up much for its calories, because preparations made from white flour are eaten quickly. Plan it with a clear budget: for example 40 g of flour for crepes to share, with eggs and fromage blanc to raise the protein. You keep the pleasure of batter without blowing up the day.

The trap is hidden flour: roux, breadings, thickened sauces, béchamels, Sunday cakes. A tablespoon of flour in a sauce weighs only 34 kcal, but with the butter that goes with it the total climbs. To lighten, replace part of the flour with blended rolled oats, use less fat in roux, or thicken your sauces with fromage blanc. Weigh and log what you add, even small amounts.

White flour is refined: the bran and germ have been removed, so it contains less fiber, magnesium, iron and B vitamins than the whole grain, even though many countries require some flours to be fortified. Its fullness is low, because digestion is fast. Compensate by pairing your preparations with protein and vegetables, or by choosing more whole flours for part of your recipes, without aiming for perfection.

Wheat contains gluten, a protein responsible for the elasticity of doughs. It should be avoided with celiac disease, wheat allergy or a diagnosed sensitivity, and in that case, ask a health professional. For everyone, one last safety point: do not eat raw dough, because flour is not a sterile product and may contain bacteria destroyed only by cooking. This information is general and does not replace medical advice.

Choose a flour whose packaging is intact, with a sufficiently distant best-before date. Depending on use, take a T55 for crepes, cakes and pizza dough, a T65 for baguettes and a T80 or T110 for a more rustic bread. Store it in an airtight container, dry, away from light and heat. Whole flours, richer in germ fats, go rancid faster: keep them cool and use them within a few months.

As for preparation, sift your flour before mixing it in to avoid lumps and get a lighter texture. For crepe batter, add the liquid gradually while whisking, then rest it for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes. For a béchamel, cook the flour for at least one to two minutes with the fat to remove the raw taste before adding the milk. Proper salt and a good rest are worth more than any sophisticated ingredient.

Classic mistakes: measuring by spoon instead of weighing, tasting raw dough, forgetting to count flour in sauces and breadings, or believing a so-called whole flour allows unlimited portions. Another trap: adding too much flour to a sticky dough, which gives dry, dense results. Add it gradually, and note your proportions so you can easily find the recipes that worked for you.

For inspiration, prepare protein crepes with flour, eggs, milk and a little whey, make banana oat pancakes, a homemade bread, or a pizza dough topped with vegetables and chicken breast. Beef lasagna is a great way to use flour in a complete recipe. Whatever the idea, weigh the flour, pair it with a protein and keep an eye on the added fat.