Flour is a fine meal made traditionally by grinding grains, with legumes and nut flours quickly gaining popularity.
Typically, flour refers to the fine meal made of wheat, although many gluten-free flour varieties are now available and include: almond flour, coconut flour, black bean flour, fava bean flour, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, quinoa flour, millet flour, rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour and teff flour.
Most supermarkets carry steel-ground flour which is crushed with huge, high-speed steel rollers. In this process, the wheat germ is stripped away and valuable vitamins and enzymes are destroyed. Stone-ground flour is a healthier alternative-produced by grinding the grain between two slowly moving stones, keeping the germ intact.
HEALING TIP: Always choose whole grain flours and foods made from "whole grains" for maximum nutritional benefits.