Grape Seed Flour Sounds totally wacky, but companies are now starting to make flour from grape seeds and skins, which are by-products of the winemaking process. Not only do these flours lend a subtly fruity and sophisticated flavor to cookies, pastas, and breads when used in combination with traditional or gluten-free flours, but they also deliver a nice dose of antioxidants. And preliminary animal studies actually suggest these flours are effective at lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and controlling weight.Price: $6.50 at shop.wholevine.com MORE: Coffee, Almond, Quinoa, Rice: Which Gluten-Free Flour Should You Buy? Tiger Nut Flour Media Platforms Design Team Tiger what flour? If you haven’t heard of tiger nuts, they’re lightly sweet, slightly chewy tubers with a mild nutty, earthy, vanilla flavor. They look like shriveled chickpeas, and the flour is simply the pulverized version. The real perk here is that it’s super high in resistant starch, which has been getting a lot of buzz for its weight loss benefits. Resistant starch passes through the stomach and small intestine without being digested, and may even help you lose weight by reducing blood sugar spikes and keeping you fuller longer than other foods with the same number of calories. Use it to boost the health cred of smoothies, baked goods like pancakes, and even pizza dough.Price: $14 at organicgemini.com MORE: 5 Easy Ways to Cook with Banana Peels Banana Flour Here’s one that surprised even us. Banana flour, made from pulverized green bananas, has a sort of sour, chocolaty taste. It boasts potassium, and like tiger nut flour, packs a hefty dose of resistant starch, which offers bulk without calories. It also benefits your gut by acting as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract. It’s not the greatest in pizza dough or any baked goods that are supposed to have a super delicate crumb, but it does work well in cookies, muffins, and quickbreads—especially (surprise surprise) banana bread.Price: $9.99 at bananaflour.com
