STARCHES, WHAT ABOUT THEM?!?

Starches represent the most important source of carbohydrates for our metabolism; they are a precious source of energy for us.

Technically starches are long complex chains of monosaccharide that are the smallest molecule of the carbohydrates.

Starches can be found in all the cereals, some tubers like potatoes and manioc, and also in pulses.

When used in cooking, they tend to absorb the water and they can increase their size up to 20-30 times their volume.

If they are heated up, they become jelly and act as thickening agents.

They are important allies if we want to make a smooth, velvety sauce or a cream for example.

When we are on gluten free diet, starches can help us replacing gluten in many recipes.

In mass market most of the starches available come from rice, corn, tapioca, wheat and potatoes.

In Italy producers of wheat starches are making one which is gluten free and it is widely used in many mix for bread and pizza today.

The main difference between a starch and a flour is that starches are poor of proteins.

That means that their glycemic index is slightly higher that regular flours.

To compensate the lack of protein, it is important to eat starches with some beans or lentils for example.

However we don’t need to get “scared” of their higher glycemic index.

Starches are a “complex” chain of monosaccharide that tend to be absorbed slowly by our body. Sugar for example is composed by only two monosaccharide, therefore when we eat it, it is very easily absorbed by our body and makes the glycemic index skyrocket for good.

No need to be “scared” of starches. We eat them everyday already.

At Baci di Dama our philosophy and our only advice is to vary what we eat as much as we can, eat a good bite at a time, and never forget to add a pinch of creativity and fun to our meals.

Photo credit: http://www.tuscany-diet.net/carboidrati/classificazione-funzioni/