Substitutes for corn starch?

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Roxannewwdb

Assistant Cook
Joined
Feb 5, 2007
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4
I was wondering if anyone had experience substituting whole wheat flour for corn starch.:question:
 
I am giving a presentation on Sauce and Soup Mixes. I just was looking for a healthier substitute for corn starch. I suppose that you would have to use corn starch for a clear sauce.
 
Cornstarch is pure starch ... the same starch that is in wheat Flour. As for health and nutrition benifits of using WW flour vs cornstarch ... I don't know that there is any difference. Although how you would treat them would be significantly different.

Starch is generally used in sauces and soups as a thickener.

So - what is there about WW Flour that makes you think it is healthier than cornstarch???
 
Have you tried making a slurry (water and flour) with ww flour? Not really sure if it will be the same as using cornstarch but it's worth testing. I know white flour works to thicken soups, but not sure how ww flour will work. Give it a try.
 
Have never used WW flout to thicken anything.

Can always experiment.

Maybe it will work fine.

Use cornstarch when I think it is the best choice, and flour when it seems to be preferential,

Have use arrowroot, but rarely.

Never use much of any thickening agent and don't know if the health benefits of WW flour would override my efforts to make the dish the most palatable one I can.

But maybe so, all I can suggest is you give it a try.
 
health benefits: Although cornmeal makes a nice mush, I don't use it as a thickener. I do substitute cornmeal for wheat germ on occassion. This is when I am making trail biscuit foods for backpacking.
The corn products in Illinois are milled very fine unlike the coarse ones in other areas of the country. I do use it in meatloaf when I want that corn-fed beef flavor.
 
Hello Roxanne

For the soups, u can use potato puree, to make them thicker.

Mel
 
StirBlue said:
health benefits: Although cornmeal makes a nice mush, I don't use it as a thickener. I do substitute cornmeal for wheat germ on occassion. This is when I am making trail biscuit foods for backpacking.
The corn products in Illinois are milled very fine unlike the coarse ones in other areas of the country. I do use it in meatloaf when I want that corn-fed beef flavor.

Cornstarch and cornmeal are a bit different. The starch would be a thickener. Cornmeal is more like grits (it IS grits) and would be a cereal, basically. When it is finely ground it makes a smoother product--like corn muffins (using it more like a flour). When coarsely ground, it is a polenta-like product. I often have a problem finding the coarser grind in supermarkets, but can find it under Bob's Red Mill label of "yellow grits".

As for WW flour, I think to use it as a thickener for a sauce, it would need to be a roux or a beurre manie. I'm not sure it is any "healthier".
 
use Xanthan gum instead then, you only need the tiniest amount and it makes the most perfectly clear sauce.

you can buy it at the supermarket in the section for people that are wheat intolerant as a Gluten replacement for bread making.
 
Soy flour can be used as a replacement for corn starch on a 2 to 1 basis and for wheat four on a one to one basis for thickening. The health benefits are a severe reduction in carbohydrates for whatever is being thickened.
 
I realize that we are not talking about a significant amount of corn starch vs whole wheat flour. I do know that ww flour has less calories because it is not all starch. There is the fiber advantage in ww flour and the germ which contains most of the vitamins. I'm just always looking for ways to add healthier options to my cooking even though the amount used to thicken is very small.
 
WW flour would change the texture, flavor and color of the sauce.

For such a small amount, the IMO undesirable change in the sauce would outweigh any discernable health benefits. I wouldn't sub.
 
I'd go the arrowroot route.. (try to say that a few times fast :) ) for clearer sauces. unless you have the option to just cook it down a bit.

you could also use gelatian (sp? sorry too early for me to remember how to spell yet) if you have an option to cool said sauce and re-heat before service.
 
Roxannewwdb said:
I realize that we are not talking about a significant amount of corn starch vs whole wheat flour. I do know that ww flour has less calories because it is not all starch. There is the fiber advantage in ww flour and the germ which contains most of the vitamins. I'm just always looking for ways to add healthier options to my cooking even though the amount used to thicken is very small.

I guess it depends on how you guage "healthier" Roxan. Yes, WW flour will give you fiber and vitamins that cornstarch doesn't - but they are going to be trace amounts for the amount normally used in thickening a sauce or soup, plus you are adding fat that cornstarch doesn't have, and more calories.

Using the standard equation that 1 Tablespoon cornstarch = 2 Tablespoons flour (in thickening power):

1 Tbsp cornstarch = 30 calories ... 2 Tbsp WW flour = 50-55 calories. The cornstarch contains no fat, the WW flour has 2.5 grams. If you make a roux or beurre manié from the flour - add about another 200-220 calories and 22 grams of fat - how many grams will be saturated fat depends on the fat source (type of oil or butter).

The reason cornstarch, arrowroot and tapioca are interchangeable is because they have essentially the same carbohydrate content (7-8 grams/Tbsp). Soy flour is reduced in carbs (compared to cornstarch) - but about the same level as wheat flour, which is why it can be subed about the same as for wheat flour in thickening things. What does the thickening is in the carbs - amylose and amylopectin. If soy flour was "severly reduced" in carbs compared to "something" - you would have to severly increase the amount used to achieve the same level of thickening as that "something".

Just something to think about ....
 
Carbohydrates:

Whole wheat flour = 22g in 1/4 cup
Cornstarch = 32g in 1/4 cup
Soy flour = 7g in 1/4 cup

As I said, "a severe reduction."
 

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