Whole grain wheat flour types and health
Dr. Nirmal - is the wheat flour (atta) we purchase at the Indian grocery store considered whole grain wheat flour? And how about the milled whole wheat floor in an American super market which is much coarser. Is that also whole grain? Which one is better?
To my knowledge, from a nutritional standpoint they are similar—both are considered whole grain (since they include the entire grain)—it is just the milling process that is different…….Atta works well for Indian cooking (Roti) but can be very difficult to make Western bread out of. So depending on which kind of cooking you are doing—you may choose one or another. Another factor is the glycemic index of different types of atta—a function of how much fiber they have—so those such as bajra with more fiber are healthier because they blunt blood sugar spikes after consumption….. Renu often combines whole wheat flour with chana atta for example to lower the glycemic index… So you can “play with” the different types of “healthier” options to arrive at a good compromise of taste, texture and healthiness. Besan is fine flour compared to Kala Chana flour . It has more fiber . So mixing that is better .