Cassava Flour: 40+ Favorite AIP Recipes - Gutsy By Nature (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat cassava flour on AIP? ›

AIP, being grain-free as well as gluten-free, creates a fairly good challenge. The main flours used in AIP baking are as follows: Cassava flour, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Flour, Tigernut Flour, and Arrowroot Starch.

FOODS ALLOWED Beverages Juice, soda, sports drinks, coffee, tea and rice, oat, potato, hemp or coconut milk. Breads, crackers, flours, pasta and cereal made from the following: amaranth, arrowroot, barley, buckwheat, cassava, chickpea, lentil, millet, oats, potato, quinoa, rice, rye, sago, tapioca, and T'eff.

Bonus: Cassava flour is low in sugar and minimally processed, so it's considered a Paleo-friendly ingredient that allows those following the diet to still enjoy baked goods when cravings strike.

Cassava flour is a highly versatile ingredient with numerous uses in the food industry, including in all sorts of baked goods, tortillas, porridge, pancakes, and gluten-free pasta and pizza. Manufacturers also sometimes use it as a thickener for ice cream, sauces, and dressings ( 1 ).

Cassava contains anti-inflammatory properties due to its high vitamin C content. When eaten regularly, cassava's vitamin C content can help lower inflammation by reducing the risk of oxidative stress. It does this by providing antioxidants that can balance out free radicals.

It's High in Carbs

Lastly, due to its starchy nature, cassava flour is a high-carb flour which means that it won't work well for individuals following low carb diets like the ketogenic diet.

Additionally, cassava contains various chemical components. These components include balanophonin, scopoletin, and tannins which have been studied to exhibit anti-oxidant activity, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties.

NO BLOATING OR GAS

Since it is made from the whole root, it is typically more easily digested than extracted starches like tapioca. Given cassava's lighter consistency and high fiber content, cassava can help to feed good bacteria, reduce inflammation and symptoms of bloating or flatulence.

Cassava is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to cassava may be different than someone else's.

Cassava has a low glycemic index of 46, which means that it is less likely than some foods to cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. If you have diabetes, cassava could be a healthier choice than white potatoes, which have a high glycemic index of 85, according to DietAndFitnessToday.

Who should not eat cassava? ›

Nutrition of Cassava

However, it's a good source of potassium, folate, vitamin C, and several other nutrients. Though this doesn't make cassava unhealthy, people following low-carb diets and people with blood sugar regulation issues, such as those with type 2 diabetes, should avoid consuming large amounts of cassava.

Cassava isn't a nightshade, a group of plants that include potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. Some diets (like the autoimmune protocol diet) ban nightshades, which makes cassava an ideal substitute for potatoes. Research, however, doesn't suggest that nightshades are harmful to eat, the Cleveland Clinic says.

Cassava is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when eaten regularly as a food in large amounts.

Great for maintaining gut health, cassava flour contains 2 grams of fiber per ¼ cup. Eating a diet rich in dietary fiber will help add bulk to your stools, making digestion a lot easier. Fiber also helps regulate the body's use of sugars.

You can use cassava flour pretty much as you would any other flour, but its taste and texture lend it to be particularly special in specific recipes. "I use cassava flour to make bread, cookies, salsas and mole because its fine texture is a thickening agent.

These Gluten-Free Tortillas with Cassava Flour are soft, foldable, and the best, quick and easy grain-free tortilla wraps! They're super adaptable and versatile — use them for sandwiches, burritos, tacos and more! Plus, they're naturally AIP/paleo and vegan too.

Plantain Chips & Cassava Chips are two of My Favorite AIP Store-Bought Snacks. These chips are both great options because you can usually find these nowadays at regular grocery stores.

Complex carbs like cassava flour take longer to digest than simple carbs do. This long digestion time allows your body to use the sugar more slowly, having a less immediate impact on blood sugar and fat storage. When choosing which complex carbs to eat, stick to those that haven't been overly processed or refined.