# Gluten Free - Nutrition Density



## BattleGnome (Jun 18, 2017)

I've been looking at my diet the past few days and it could due with some improving. I don't eat very much bread so I figure replacing nutritionally sparse bread products with nutritionally denser options would be a good way to start. 

I found a yummy looking replacement for hamburger buns (link) but I know garlic bread can easily be my deterrent. 

Does anyone have any recourses or suggestions for me to start looking? Google is currently giving me lists that seem to be the same 4-10 things reformatted to fit the blogger.


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## Susie (Jun 18, 2017)

Do you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance?  Because if you don't, then you do not need a gluten free recipe or products.


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## BattleGnome (Jun 18, 2017)

I am not looking to cut gluten completely, I know that's a dumb idea. I'm not quite sure how else to phrase it. 

What I would like to add to my diet are more nutritionally dense bread like foods, if that makes sense. The majority of the bread products available to me have at least 8-10g of sugar per serving, no minerals, no vitamins, are not filling, 100 calories per slice of bread, etc. I'm looking for options that don't have added sugar. Maybe I can trick myself into eating more veggies. With luck someone can help me find that website that will help me understand other types of wheat better (I know sorghum, millet, and einkorn are healthier options I just can't find sources for practical use).


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## earlene (Jun 18, 2017)

*BattleGnome*, perhaps you would like to try Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread.  It is kept in the freezer section in Health Food stores.  Some grocery stores carry it, as well (in the freezer section.)  It is quite costly, but if you plan to cut down on breads anyway and want denser nutrition, this is a very good way to go for those bread needs.  I like the taste of it, and have a friend who eats only Ezekiel bread when she eats bread.

Another thing to try and you may find you like it, is to eat only raw sprouted nuts rather than roasted nuts (if you eat nuts.)  The taste of raw sprouted nuts taste far superior to roasted nuts, but again, they are more costly.

For bread-like replacement if you don't want to substitute wasted calories, I found that iceberg lettuce leaves make a fabulous wrap for the innards to a sandwich.  Of course, you may want to take a look at what those innards are.  Burgers might not go so well wrapped in a leaf of lettuce.  

Anyway, good luck with your re-designing of your dietary habits.  It can be a fun journey.


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## Soapmaker145 (Jun 18, 2017)

BattleGnome said:


> I am not looking to cut gluten completely, I know that's a dumb idea. I'm not quite sure how else to phrase it.
> 
> What I would like to add to my diet are more nutritionally dense bread like foods, if that makes sense...).



Are you willing to bake your own breads or are you looking for pre-made products?


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## Susie (Jun 18, 2017)

My solution to people wanting to improve their diet is to eat all meals in this order:

Vegetables-be sure to get two full servings.  It can be a salad (oil and vinegar dressing, or very small amount of regular dressing), or cooked vegetables.  

Wait five minutes.

Eat your protein.  Not breaded this or that.  

Wait five minutes.

Eat your carbohydrates.  Be sure it is only one serving.

Normally, by this time, your stomach has told your brain you are full.  Stop eating now.


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## BattleGnome (Jun 18, 2017)

Soapmaker145 said:


> Are you willing to bake your own breads or are you looking for pre-made products?



Most of the premade products that's seem to be available to me seem to replace the wheat aspect with something extra sugary to supplement flavor. I'm not opposed to premade stuff, but without analyzing every label I'm not sure how much I trust them. 

I'm trying my best to make stuff at home, I think I've 75% succeeded (that was the last challenge). So recipes are ideal but I won't say no to convenience.


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## Soapmaker145 (Jun 19, 2017)

BattleGnome said:


> Most of the premade products that's seem to be available to me seem to replace the wheat aspect with something extra sugary to supplement flavor. I'm not opposed to premade stuff, but without analyzing every label I'm not sure how much I trust them.
> 
> I'm trying my best to make stuff at home, I think I've 75% succeeded (that was the last challenge). So recipes are ideal but I won't say no to convenience.



Good!!! I can't help you with premade stuff because I rarely buy anything premade but I can help you with making your own.  I always recommend Tartine #3 baking book for nutrient dense breads (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452114307/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20).  I'll be back within the next 2 days and I'll give you the general guidelines I used and the substitutions I made.  I make 4 to 6 loaves at a time and freeze them.


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## lenarenee (Jun 19, 2017)

A good bread alternative is very difficult to be happy with. I'm a low carber....and I'm still searching.

Here is one of my favorite sites: alldayidreamaboutfood.com     Although I don't remember how many bread recipes she has. Her cakes are the best low carb recipes ever....and are so nutritious  I'll let little one eat it for breakfast. 

Also look up Soul bread, made with whey protein flour. That's what I like for sandwiches or toast. Or Oopsie rolls.

I've taken a good quality protein powder and made flat bread with the pancake method.


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## penelopejane (Jun 20, 2017)

BattleGnome said:


> I've been looking at my diet the past few days and it could due with some improving. I don't eat very much bread so I figure replacing nutritionally sparse bread products with nutritionally denser options would be a good way to start.
> 
> I found a yummy looking replacement for hamburger buns (link) but I know garlic bread can easily be my deterrent.
> 
> Does anyone have any recourses or suggestions for me to start looking? Google is currently giving me lists that seem to be the same 4-10 things reformatted to fit the blogger.



I've recently gone gluten free (not coeliac but working out if I'm non coeliac gluten intolerant) and I eat brown rice mostly. Have only found one GF bread worth eating. So your alternatives sound great battlegnome! 

Rice cakes (no additives just brown rice) are excellent. 
Watch the additives in GF store bought stuff (I am intolerant of corn - that's not just me but most GF has corn so if you are still feeling unwell try no corn as well). GF doesn't necessarily mean healthy!


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## WeaversPort (Jun 20, 2017)

As someone who is Celiac, I can tell you that most pre-made gluten-free substitutes are going to be *less* healthy than their whole grain counterparts. That's because gluten-free bread-type foods often have more oil and more sugar than the normal foods. Otherwise they often come across dense and mealy. 

If you are looking to branch out in ingredients; quinoa and  millet are nice side dish ingredients where you might otherwise use rice. I use Turnip and parsnips in soups instead of potatoes. I make a quinoa hot breakfast cereal with coconut milk and spices, instead of oatmeal. 

Earlene makes a great suggestion with the Ezekiel bread, and breads like rye breads are going to be a nice option as well. (I miss good rye and pumpernickel...) You can also see if you can use spelt flour or buckwheat in things like pie dough or pancakes. Oatmeal also makes for a good addition to pancakes if you are open to a slightly denser option. 

The paleo diet fad has a lot of interesting substitutes for things like pasta, pizza crusts, etc. They'll use things like spaghetti squash or zucchini instead of noodles, or cauliflower instead of rice or as pizza crust. 

Before gluten-free foods became readily available, I used to use a lot of paleo and IBS/FODMAP diet recipes because I couldn't find alternatives in stores. But gluten-free itself isn't going to be a healthier choice, unless there is a health issue that is solved by going gluten-free.

Edited to add: If you get into using quinoa or millet, rinsing them makes a big difference. Otherwise sometimes they can have a slightly bitter taste. Some people go as far as sprouting their grains, but I've never gone that far.


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## dixiedragon (Jun 20, 2017)

I make this for my dad, he's diabetic:


Low Carb Cheesy Bean Bread
1 15 oz. can canelli beans or other white bean (drained & rinsed) 
4 oz cheese (I particularly like Cabot Extra Sharp)
4 large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. melted butter (best) or oil (not as good)
.5 to 1 tsp seasoned salt
Optional - herbs, jalapeños


Preheat oven to 350. 

Prepare an 8x8-baking pan by spraying it with Pam. 

Puree all ingredients EXCEPT baking powder in a food processor. Add baking powder and give 1 or 2 blasts. Pour into baking pan. 

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

This is really good. It's a bit fragile so maybe not for sandwich bread, but it is excellent with a bowl of soup or chili.

Also, this is a chocolate cake made from black beans.
http://healthyindulgences.net/2009/05/healthy-chocolate-cake-with-a-secret/

The frosting recipe is GROSS but the cake is really good. My little brother, who gags at most of my low-carb efforts, actually really liked this. If you are not diabetic I would replace the sugar substitutes with actual sugar.


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## dixiedragon (Jun 20, 2017)

If you are looking for a less carb-based diet, Paleo and also Low Carb recipe sites and books are good. Not diabetic - somebody gave my dad a diabetic cookbook and once of the recipes was for a maraschino cherry cake. They'd replaced 1/4 of the white flour with whole wheat flour, and they were using Splenda instead of sugar.

Also, almost every meal in the book had pasta, potatoes or rice.

One idea from the low carb folks I use a lot for special occasion brunch - Eggs Benedict on a fried green tomato instead of an English muffin. SO GOOD.


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## BrewerGeorge (Jun 20, 2017)

@OP
The best carbs are those with a low glycemic index (GI) and low glycemic load (GL).  GL is how many carbs are ultimately available in a food and is pretty much set by the food itself.  GI is how quickly those carbs can be absorbed and preparation can make BIG differences in the GI of the same food.  Something like broccoli, cabbage, or green beans have low GI because they come with lots of fibrous cellulose to slow digestion and low GL because they don't have a lot of bulk carbs in the first place.  Going up the line, turnips and parsnips, even sweet potatoes, are usually better at GI than something like white potato even if the GL is similar.

But you asked about grains, not vegetables.  Unfortunately there's not a lot of good news here.  _Any_ grain is going to have a high GL by definition and most common methods of processing and preparation lead to high GI.  So much so that eating a slice of grocery store white bread is basically functionally equivalent to eating a tablespoon of sugar.  That leaves us with choosing processing and prep methods that provide the lowest GI for those moderate amounts of carbs that we DO decide to eat.  Grains with more fiber and with so-called resistant starches are the way to go.  Parboiled rice, for example has *half* the GI of regular long-grain and more vitamins to boot.  More fiber is better than less fiber in general, and whole grains are far superior to white flours.  Similarly, higher protein grains are better.

The more exotic grains are usually better, but that's really only because their processing tends to be less sophisticated because they're not so pervasive in our culture.  If we made Twinkies from quinoa, it would likely be processed within an inch of its life just like wheat is.  I will say, though, that spelt, emmer, and einkorn are pretty much just wheat.  They're ancient varieties of wheat, but still just wheat.  So process is the important point, and white spelt flour isn't going to be much different from AP flour.


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## toxikon (Jun 20, 2017)

I've been following a low-carb diet for several years, I really like it. I find that I can be a bit of a carb-addict when giving myself free reign, so I do my best to limit and find alternatives.

I do a lot of cooking with almond flour. The super fine blanched stuff is great for baking - I buy it on Amazon. I make almond flour burger buns, waffles, pancakes, pie crusts, pizza crusts, etc.


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## BrewerGeorge (Jun 20, 2017)

toxikon said:


> ...
> 
> I do a lot of cooking with almond flour. The super fine blanched stuff is great for baking - I buy it on Amazon. I make almond flour burger buns, waffles, pancakes, pie crusts, pizza crusts, etc.



Coconut flour, too!


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## toxikon (Jun 20, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> Coconut flour, too!



Yes, that stuff is great too and smells so nice. It's so amazingly absorbent though, you really don't need much! I usually add a tablespoon or two into my almond flour recipes.


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## Soapmaker145 (Jun 21, 2017)

Since you aren't cutting out gluten, try my recipe for whole grain bread first.  I'm giving you ~25% substitutions and you can up it to ~50% of the total flour.  If you need to get rid of the gluten, we can revisit.  Most people with gluten "problems" actually have problems with fructose absorption. Fructose and intestinal bacteria make for a nasty mix.  Wheat flour is a major source of poly-fructans in the diet and eliminating it helps a lot as long as other sources of fructose are also restricted.  People with celiac disease have specific mutations in their DNA that make them very sick if they eat any wheat.  It is a serious disease as opposed to the nuisance that fructose malabsorption is.

The most important thing is to figure out the right mix of soluble and insoluble fiber that is right for you.  The soluble fiber feeds the bacteria in the GI track and the bacteria feed us.  A general rule is fast metabolizers need more soluble fiber which slows things down and slow metabolizers need more insoluble fiber to speed things up.  It takes some trial and error to figure out the right combination and there is no way around it.

The recipe for the bread is in the next post. I eat my favorite whole grain mix every day for breakfast which is always 2 boiled eggs and a bowl of oatmeal/flaxseed mix.  I use a quarter cup of thick rolled oats/museli mix from Bob's red Mill with 3 heaping teaspoons of ground flaxseed, about 10 walnut halves broken into pieces, and a few dried berries.  Sometimes, I add some flaked coconut.  I cover it with boiled water and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.  It is my favorite thing to eat.  You can get all the ingredients gluten free.


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## Soapmaker145 (Jun 21, 2017)

To make the multigrain bread, I substitute 25% to 50% of the flour with other grains or bran.  I’ve substituted up to 100% of the flour but I prefer 50%.   You can substitute 1 cup of flour with ¾ cup of any other flour and ¼ cup gluten.  I have used oat, rye, spelt, kamut, rice, potato….  I didn’t like the taste of sorghum.  The spelt and kamut are wheat.  They have a different gluten which is more extensible.  Mixing some spelt or kamut with regular flour makes for lighter breads particularly when using a lot of bran.   It’s a 1 to 1 substitution.

I use a high gluten bread flour that is untreated.  It bakes into a honey color on its own.  When I add a lot of extras to the dough, I blend in some Italian 00 flour to help carry the load.  Alternatively, I use a food processer to make the extra stuff smaller so it is easier for the gluten to lift it.  I keep various bran types, ground flaxseed and wheat germ in the refrigerator, tightly sealed in a French canning jar. 

Here is the simplest mix.  It makes a whole grain bread that doesn’t look much different than what we can buy.
-Mix 1/2 cup of Bob’s Red Mill 10 or 7 grain Hot Cereal, ¼ cup wheat or corn bran, ¼ cup oat Bran, ½ cup of ground flaxseed.  Add boiling water and stir.  Top with about ½ inch of boiling water and let the mix absorb the water as it cools.  It can be prepared a day ahead and left in the refrigerator O/N.  You can substitute the hot cereal with bran.

-If you want to make a starter, mix 1 cup of flour with enough water to make a very wet dough and add 1/8th to ¼ of a tsp of yeast.  I use SAF yeast that I keep in the freezer.  1lb lasts me > 2 years.  Let the dough rise and feed it more flour 1 to 3 times as time permits.  I start it the night before if I don’t already have a culture growing.   

- To make the dough, mix the cooled bran/cereal with 1 cup buttermilk, ¼ cup olive or wheat germ oil, the starter and ½ tsp more yeast.   If no starter, add 2 cups of flour and 1½ tsp yeast.  Mix well with a spoon and add ¼ cup gluten and mix again.  Optional: Add 2 Tbs wheat germ and ½ cup of whole flaxseeds that were soaked in water for at least 1 hour.  Let the dough sit for about ½ hour to an hour.  The dough should be fairly wet.  Add more buttermilk if needed.

-Add ½ cup raw sunflower seeds, and ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds.  Knead the dough adding more flour as needed until elastic.  I use my stand mixer.  I add flour slowly until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but still sticks to the bottom.   This will be a wetter, stickier dough because of the fiber content. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and rub the surface with a little olive oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cotton towel.  You can let it rise at room temperature but if you have time, stick it in the refrigerator and let it rise slowly overnight. You’ll get better flavor and better nutrition if you give the yeast time to break down the carbs.

-To shape the bread, split the dough into two. Punch it down pressing gently but don’t knead it. Flatten into a rectangle and roll from the narrow side like a wrap. Pinch the seam to seal it and tuck the ends in and pinch them tight. You can put it in a bread baking pan or leave it on parchment paper to rise free form. If the dough was in the refrigerator, take it out about one hour before shaping. 

-Preheat the oven to 450oF.  Slash the top of the dough across the width in 3 to 4 places about 1/3rd of an inch deep.   Wet your hands and put a thin layer of water over the surface of the dough.  You can also brush it with water, half&half or an egg wash but I just use wet hands to cover it.

-Bake for 15 min at 450oF and then lower the heat to 350.  Continue baking until the temperature inside the bread reaches 200oF (about 15 to 20 minutes more).  I use a thermometer and punch a hole in the bread to get the reading. 

-There is no salt in this bread.  Yeast doesn’t like salt.  The only white powder I add is a pinch of vitamin C when I remember.  It protects the dough during kneading.  

To add more protein and fiber: 
-substitute 1 cup of flour with an equal mix of soy and corn flour, or 1 cup cooked quinoa or millet, or 1 cup of garbanzo flour/potato flour or mashed potatoes, ½ cup of sesame seeds (only use the hulled ones).  You can also add pureed lentils or dal.  Adding some bean to grain improves the amino acid profile, so does a long fermentation in the refrigerator.  Use soy and corn together  to make a complete protein.  Always wash quinoa well before cooking because it has a soapy substance on the surface that needs to be removed.  I usually soak it and millet for few hours in water before rinsing and cooking.  You can also add cooked whole berries (wheat, Rye....)
-I substitute 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of corn resistant starch which is the easiest way to add soluble fiber.  This is not corn starch.  It comes from a variety of corn that was hybridized specifically to make the starch hard to digest by humans but perfect for the bugs in the GI track.  This is the substitution I always make for our diabetic friends.  
-I add 2 Tbs of ground psyllium fiber when I have about 50% other flours to help support the structure of the dough.  Adding too much psyllium turns the dough into glue.
-I like it toasted smeared with a bean dip or hummus.

It takes less hands-on time to make it than it took me to write it.  I put a lot of details just in case you don't make bread on a regular basis.


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## BattleGnome (Jun 22, 2017)

That recipe looks amazing. I do have some bread making experience, but it has been a while since I attempted anything.

Thank you for the information on the fiber differences. Every search term I can think of to research gluten leads me to why celiacs is bad and how gluten causes negative reactions. Most food documentaries I've seen that even mention gluten only talk about it in connection with celiacs. The fructose/fiber connections seem like much more informative directions to look in. 

@Dixiedragon, I made a bean cake at work yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised. Even without basic baking ingredients (like vanilla, coco powder, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter....) it turned out great. I hope my clients enjoyed it as much as I did. I work overnights and everyone eats after I leave.


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## WeaversPort (Jun 22, 2017)

BattleGnome said:


> Thank you for the information on the fiber differences. Every search term I can think of to research gluten leads me to why celiacs is bad and how gluten causes negative reactions. Most food documentaries I've seen that even mention gluten only talk about it in connection with celiacs. The fructose/fiber connections seem like much more informative directions to look in.



Gluten itself isn't bad. Gluten is merely a protein that is present in wheat, rye, barley, malt, and spelt. It's what gives dough the nice, stretchy and elastic texture and it's what makes it possible to have delicious, flaky pastries. The problem with Celiacs, is that we don't have the digestive enzyme to break the protein down. Our immune system then has a response that ultimately ends up destroying our stomachs. 

But for all the press it has gotten, gluten is not a problem for the average person. Just as lactose or casin isn't a problem for the average person. You can eat very nutritious food with barley, wheat and rye - but like @BrewerGeorge says, it all depends on how you use it and how processed it is. Most people would have a step up by eliminating anything with high fructose corn syrup instead of gluten. 

For nutrition, picking whole and minimally processed foods,  low sugar items, healthy fats, variety of vegetables, portion control, regular exercise, things like that will take you a long way. If you're looking for a place to start, something like the Mediterranean Diet*, while choosing foods with high fiber and a low glycemic index  will take you a long way 

* The one criticism I have of the Mediterranean Diet is that some places recommend low fat/skim milk. They've found that whole milk might have more fat, but lower fat milks tend to have more sugar.. Diabetics I know have found whole milk a better option if you are looking for low glycemic/low carb options.


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## dixiedragon (Jun 22, 2017)

BattleGnome said:


> That recipe looks amazing. I do have some bread making experience, but it has been a while since I attempted anything.
> 
> Thank you for the information on the fiber differences. Every search term I can think of to research gluten leads me to why celiacs is bad and how gluten causes negative reactions. Most food documentaries I've seen that even mention gluten only talk about it in connection with celiacs. The fructose/fiber connections seem like much more informative directions to look in.
> 
> @Dixiedragon, I made a bean cake at work yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised. Even without basic baking ingredients (like vanilla, coco powder, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter....) it turned out great. I hope my clients enjoyed it as much as I did. I work overnights and everyone eats after I leave.


 
I was very pleasantly surprised at how good the bean cake was. The texture is very slightly different than a regular flour cake - a bit coarser. But honestly I think most people would eat it and not really notice.

The sugar alcohols are the downside of that recipe. If you aren't used to eating them (anything ending with tol, like eritytol), they taste great. MUCH better than Splenda, etc. But you can't process them (hence the calorie free) but your gut bacteria can. So they hit your colon and intestines and WHEEEEE!!! Serious diarrhea. Which is why I recommend regular sugar if you aren't used to eating sugar alcohols.

I like to spruce mine up with some instant coffee and some high-quality cinnamon. Also, use a high quality cocoa powder.

For frosting, I take a block of cream cheese (full fat), beat it in the mixer and add cocoa powder and sugar until it tastes good.


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## BrewerGeorge (Jun 22, 2017)

WeaversPort said:


> ...
> 
> * The one criticism I have of the Mediterranean Diet is that some places recommend low fat/skim milk. They've found that whole milk might have more fat, but lower fat milks tend to have more sugar.. Diabetics I know have found whole milk a better option if you are looking for low glycemic/low carb options.


I agree that full fat milk is better, and I've read a population study recently that found people who drink whole live longer than people who drink low fat milk - although I can't find it right now.  Those types of broad studies aren't as definitive as the focused ones, of course, but they still help inform the conclusion that whole milk is not the poison they told us it was.

I should say, though, that whole milk doesn't really have more sugar.  It's just that the added fat slows the absorption of the sugar.


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## WeaversPort (Jun 22, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> I agree that full fat milk is better, and I've read a population study recently that found people who drink whole live longer than people who drink low fat milk - although I can't find it right now.  Those types of broad studies aren't as definitive as the focused ones, of course, but they still help inform the conclusion that whole milk is not the poison they told us it was.
> 
> I should say, though, that whole milk doesn't really have more sugar.  It's just that the added fat slows the absorption of the sugar.



Oh that's good to know! For some reason I had gotten it in my mind that they'd been adding something to skim milk to make it palatable. My housemate had gotten on some no sugar kick and had been talking about low fat milk having more sugars or carbs or something. 

Of course some of my Crossfit friends are adding coconut oil to their coffee, so who knows what the fitness world is going to come up with   

(I'm going to assume you mean whole milk doesn't have less sugar.)


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## BrewerGeorge (Jun 22, 2017)

WeaversPort said:


> Oh that's good to know! For some reason I had gotten it in my mind that they'd been adding something to skim milk to make it palatable. My housemate had gotten on some no sugar kick and had been talking about low fat milk having more sugars or carbs or something.
> 
> Of course some of my Crossfit friends are adding coconut oil to their coffee, so who knows what the fitness world is going to come up with
> 
> *(I'm going to assume you mean whole milk doesn't have less sugar.*)



Yep, that's what I meant. :mrgreen:

All milk (other than lactose free) pretty much has 12g of sugar per cup.  Sometimes skim milk will have milk solids added back so it's not bluish and translucent, but they don't change the nutrition significantly.

I will sometimes put fractionated MCT oil in my coffee, along with butter, but never whole coconut.


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