You probably don’t equate the word “flour” with “Paleo-friendly” – and in most cases, you’re right! A Paleo diet generally avoids most types of flour because they are made from grains, legumes, and other non-Paleo sources.
In this article, we’ll review 44 types of flours that aren’t Paleo-friendly, as well as give an explanation for the reason each one isn’t Paleo.
Don’t worry – we’ll offer some resources on how to find Paleo-friendly flours, too – just keep reading!
Paleo diet refresher
The Paleo diet, also called the “caveman diet”, is meant to mimic what hunters and gatherers were able to eat thousands of years ago during the Paleolithic era. That means that modern crops such as wheat, legumes, and anything made with refined sweeteners (to name a few) are off-limits.
The foods avoided on a Paleo diet include:
- All grains, including gluten-free and “ancient” grains
- “Pseudocereals”/”pseudograins” like quinoa and amaranth (pseudograins aren’t technically grains, but have similar nutritional properties so are often avoided; some Paleo dieters choose to include)
- Dairy products
- Refined sugar/sweeteners, as well as artificial sweeteners
- Legumes (beans, peanuts, soy, etc.)
Which flours aren’t Paleo-friendly?
Most flours are made from grains that are off-limits on a Paleo diet – even ancient grains. That means that the majority of flours aren’t Paleo-friendly. (But fear not – there are several options that are allowed on a Paleo diet, which we’ll get to at the end!)
Flour made from legumes, soy, or other non-Paleo ingredients isn’t allowed either – even if it is gluten-free.
Below is a list of 44 non-Paleo flours, each with a brief explanation of why it’s not considered Paleo-friendly.
44 flours that aren’t Paleo-friendly
- All-purpose flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Amaranth flour
- Pseudograins aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Barley flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Bread flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Brown rice flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Buckwheat flour
- Pseudograins aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Bulgur wheat flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Cake flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Chapati flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Chickpea flour
- Made from legumes.
- Corn flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Dal flour
- Made from legumes.
- Durum flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Einkorn flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Fava bean flour
- Made from legumes.
- Gluten-free all-purpose blend
- Contains non-Paleo ingredients like legumes, ancient grains, etc.
- Graham flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Instant flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Lupin flour
- Made from legumes.
- Kamut flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Millet flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Mung bean flour
- Made from legumes.
- Noodle flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Oat flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Okara flour
- Contains soy, which isn’t Paleo-friendly.
- Pastry flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Peanut flour
- Made from legumes.
- Potato flour
- Some Paleo dieters may allow potato flour, but many avoid white potatoes and potato flour (made from white potatoes) and opt for sweet potatoes instead.
- Quinoa flour
- Pseudograins aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Red whole wheat flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Rice flour (white rice)
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Rye flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Self-rising flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Semolina flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Sorghum flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Soy flour
- Soy isn’t allowed on Paleo.
- Spelt flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Sprouted flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Teff flour
- Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo.
- Tipo 00 flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Vital wheat gluten flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- White whole wheat flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Whole wheat flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- Made from wheat (a grain not allowed on Paleo).
Paleo-friendly flours
There are several flours made from Paleo-friendly ingredients like nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Here are a few popular Paleo-friendly flours – but there are plenty more!
- Coconut flour
- Almond flour
- Cassava flour
- Pecan flour
FAQs:
If you’re on a Paleo diet and still want to enjoy Paleo-friendly baked goods, then you’ll need to use a Paleo-friendly flour such as almond flour, coconut flour, or others.
Since all grains are avoided on a Paleo diet, Paleo-friendly flours do not contain gluten (gluten is in wheat, rye, and barley – all grains).
Paleo flours are typically lower in carbs because they’re made from low-carb ingredients like nuts and seeds – but that isn’t always the case. Paleo-friendly flours can still contain carbs – just look at apple and banana flours, which aren’t low-carb but are Paleo-friendly.
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