Is Tapioca Flour Keto? 3 Tapioca Flour Substitute On Keto
Some people think so because it is made from cassava, and cassava flour has numerous health benefits. For instance, it produces short-chain fatty acids that fight inflammation in the colon.
However, tapioca flour and cassava flour are not the same things.
Do you know how they make tapioca flour? They grind the cassava until it produces a liquid that eventually evaporates, leaving the powder behind. On the other hand, Cassava flour is made using more straightforward methods. They simply grind the cassava root. Therefore, you shouldn’t confuse the two.
You should also realize that cassava flour is terrible for the keto diet. And unfortunately, because it comes from cassava, tapioca flour has the same problem. I stopped using it the moment I started my keto diet. So it would be best if you did the same.
Do you have a particular question about eating tapioca flour on keto? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Is Tapioca Flour Healthy?
The carbs in tapioca flour are not your only concern – it is not quite as healthy as people think. Yes, it is grain and gluten-free. But people dismiss the flour because it doesn’t have any nutritional value. A nutritional analysis of tapioca flour shows that it has no proteins, potassium, or fat.
It has more carbohydrates than traditional flour, but it will only add empty calories to your body. People use it because the flour is cheap. Additionally, it acts as a binding agent, preventing certain food items from falling apart.
People that can’t stand gluten will flock to it. But the highly glycemic flour has nothing to offer keto dieters.
How Many Carbs In Tapioca Flour?
The carbs in tapioca starch will kick you out of ketosis. It isn’t an exaggeration to call the substance pure carbohydrates. A ¼ cup of tapioca flour has 26g of carbs and 100 calories. You can lower the tapioca carbs if you reduce the amount of flour.
For instance, chefs that use tapioca as a thickening agent in a recipe will use a tablespoon or less, a quantity that is less likely to ruin your keto diet. But even if you can make tapioca starch keto-friendly, it has no nutritional value. You are better off eliminating the food item from your diet.
Is Tapioca Flour Keto Friendly?
To benefit from the keto diet, you must keep your carb intake below 50g a day, ideally below 20. You cannot call tapioca flour keto-friendly because it has too many carbs. A 100g serving has 88.7g of carbohydrates. That is too much for dieters to include in their daily meal plan. Tapioca won’t let you enter ketosis because it is high in carbs and low in fat.
Is Tapioca Starch Keto?
You cannot use tapioca starch in your meal plan because it comes from cassava. Cassava is not keto-friendly because it has too many carbohydrates. 3.5 ounces of cooked cassava has 40 grams of carbs.
People in developing countries consume it in large quantities because it is high in calories. But for anyone that needs to maintain a keto diet, the carb content is far too high.
Tapioca comes from the cassava root, so you have to eliminate it from your keto diet. In addition, the high carb content makes the substance a threat to your keto objectives.
While cassava has some nutritional value (1.5g of protein, 3g of fat, and 2g of fiber), tapioca flour is of no nutritional use, so many people prefer cassava flour.
Individuals whose diets feature tapioca flour have to supplement their meals with leafy greens and berries. In conversations about the keto diet, people mention tapioca because some manufacturers use it in low-carb foods.
But just because a manufacturer gave their item a ‘Low-carb’ label doesn’t mean it is right for you. For an ordinary person, 26g (0.25 cup of tapioca flour) of carbs is not a lot. But for a keto dieter, it is too much.
Tapioca Flour Substitute On Keto
Finding a suitable tapioca flour keto substitute isn’t particularly difficult. People use them all the time, so many stores stock them. They include:
Almond
A ¼ cup of almond flour has just 6g of carbs. Unlike tapioca flour, it is nutritious, boasting fiber, magnesium, manganese, and vitamin E. People use it to make pancakes, pudding, and cookies. Almond meal has a similar carb content.
Coconut
You can find coconut flour in most stores. People use the pulp of the coconut to make it. Coconut flour is quite dense, so you have to use it in smaller quantities. It also requires more water.
Flax Meal
A tablespoon of flax seeds has 3g of carbohydrates. You make flax meal by grinding flax seeds. Besides the low carb content, they have vitamin B1 and B6, calcium, folate, and omega-three fats, to mention but a few.
This makes flax meal more nutritious than tapioca flour. Flax meal is even better than whole flax seeds because flax meal is more digestible.
Thanks for the graphics: Canva.com
Disclosure: At vegketodiet.com I only mention the products that I researched and considered worthy. But it’s important to note that we are a participant of several affiliate programs, including but not limited to VigLink and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Also please note that I am not a doctor. As such readers are strongly recommended to make decisions that might affect their health by doing their own research. At vegketodiet.com I only document and describe thoughts, researches and ideas that proved to be working for me.