Updated on April 9th, 2023
Oftentimes than not, bread crumbs have been reduced to being an afterthought or something to do with leftover and unwanted bread. But really, they are not. Bread crumbs are as legitimate as your favorite kitchen recipe.
Breadcrumbs are derived from grinding toasted or leftover bread to form a crumbled mass (but remember, bread crumbs are more than just crumbled bread). This is one of the popular ingredients while making a dish that requires frying of any kind. Bread crumbs are always made when the bread is not fresh, as it’s mostly soft when it’s fresh.
Commercial breadcrumbs may be made of wheat flour, yeast, oil, and salt, and, depending on its use, breadcrumbs may be seasoned or unseasoned. bread crumbs are rich in healthy calories, carbohydrates, protein, sodium, potassium, calcium; and have low fat, sugar, and fiber. There are three main types of bread crumbs: panko breadcrumbs, plain bread crumbs, and Italian bread crumbs. The major difference being texture and crumb size.
Breadcrumbs Nutrition Facts
Breadcrumbs Recipes
Bread crumbs have various uses and this utilization depends on the type and form of bread crumbs. Bread crumbs can be used as a coating for fried and baked foods, or as a binder in meatball, meatloaf, and vegetable burgers. Panko breadcrumbs can also be used to form a crispy topping on casseroles, salads, and pasta. In soups, bread crumbs are used to control the moisture by absorbing the extra liquid and adding a bit of texture in the process.
Below is a list of recipes to make with bread crumbs:
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Shrimp Carbonara
- Sweet Potato Fritters
- Mozzarella Sticks
- Fried Corn Patties
- Smoked Mozzarella Cheese
- Spicy Chicken Parm
- Garlic Flavored Bread Crumbs Spaghetti
- Pork Milanese with Gribiche
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Bread Crumbs Fried Fish
Ketogenic Diet
Ketogenic (often called keto for short) is a term for a low-carb diet (like the Atkins diet). The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread.
The Keto diet works by forcing your body to run out of fuel (blood sugar produced by carbs) and eventually produce energy by breaking down protein and fat. This process is called ketosis. People use a ketogenic diet most often to lose weight, but it can help manage certain medical conditions, like epilepsy, too. It also may help people with heart disease, certain brain diseases, cancer, acne attacks, diabetes, and even polycystic ovary syndrome.
Keto Substitute for Breadcrumbs
The flakes of bread crumbs like panko don’t only give a satisfactory crunchy chew, it also gives an appetizing ecstasy to any dish. However, breadcrumbs are essentially bread and high in carbs. This is not keto-friendly. Below are a few substitutes for bread crumbs that are keto-friendly.
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour resembles breadcrumbs in texture and feel. And most importantly, they are low carbs and can be used for breading purposes as well. In addition, this flour is high in fiber, healthy fats, and protein, plus it has a low glycemic index.
Coconut flour also helps with energy thanks to its abundance of healthy fats. It also helps maintain cardiovascular health, healthy cholesterol levels, and aids in digestive health. This substitute works best to replace plain breadcrumbs, but it may leave a coconut note in your meal.
Pork Rinds
Pork rinds are fried pig skin. The frying process is what gives the pork rinds their puffy shape. Pork rinds are great in place of breadcrumbs. For the best texture, do not grind them up in a food processor, place them in a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin to keep the larger pieces.
When it comes to nutritional value, pork rinds are ideal for a low-carb or keto diet. One ounce of pork rinds contains 152 total calories including 9 grams of fat, 17 grams of protein, and zero grams of carbs. Pork rinds will successfully replace panko bread crumbs. Use the same amount.
Almond Meal
Almond meal (also called almond flour) is made from ground almonds. This means that you’re not only getting a great low-carb ingredient, but you’re getting all the health benefits from almonds as well. Some of these benefits include being gluten-free, rich in fiber, and an abundant source of different vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, iron, riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
You can also season your almond meal breadcrumbs to fit any meal you want. They can be sweetened with cinnamon and a keto sugar substitute, or they can go savoury with something like Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.
Golden Flaxseed
Flaxseeds are incredibly nutritious and include many health benefits, thanks to their high omega 3 fatty acid and fibre content. It is a good substitute for bread crumbs because of its rich nutty texture. For best substitution, coat your chicken with butter or egg wash, then flaxseed.
Flaxseeds have also been shown to help give you healthy-looking skin and hair, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, balance hormones, support digestive health, and aid in weight loss. Make sure you use flaxseed meal instead of whole flaxseeds when using it as a coating for food, especially when frying. This is because the flour is more likely to stick to your foods than the whole seeds.
Sesame Seeds
Just like flaxseeds, sesame seeds have a lot of health benefits due to their fibre and omega 3 fatty acid profile, but they tend to be larger than other seeds and this makes them somewhat hard to use as a coating for food.
For this reason, you’ll want to use sesame seed flour because it’s finely ground and will stick to your food better. You can often find sesame seed flour as part of a low-carb flour blend. Try coating your meats and vegetables in butter or ghee and then coating them with sesame seeds
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you lose belly fat on keto?
Yes, definitely. A ketogenic diet can help you lose belly fat, which is closely linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and reduced life expectancy.
Can you eat too much cheese on keto?
This is not advisable. While dairy foods can make an excellent low carb, high-fat option, they can also be a little sneaky. Especially if you’re trying to lose weight on the Keto Diet, you still have to be mindful of your calorie intake, and it is really easy to overconsume calories in high-fat dairy products.
How come meatballs fall apart?
Usually, when meatballs fall apart, it’s the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. So, if your meatballs fall apart, it is probably because of an inadequate binder.
Conclusion
These bread crumbs substitute is the best there are for people on the Keto diet. Enjoy your crunchy meals without guilt, happy cooking!
