Thickening Agents

Note: See the end of this document for tips on thickening or adding body to your saucy dishes or gravy!

There is also information for servings of broccoli, kale, onions and salmon, to illustrate the difference in carbohydrate levels for varying foods.

The information here is not 100% accurate due to differences in serving sizes provided by the various sources. For example, one source lists 1 cup as 100 grams, while another lists one cup at 128 grams. But it is close enough to give the general idea of carbohydrate levels in these foods for our purposes.

The serving sizes listed below are for 1 cup and 1 tablespoon. Certainly, we wouldn't use one cup for a serving of thickener, but when you compare a cup of onions to a cup of arrowroot powder, the differences in carbohydrate levels are strikingly apparent!

Note: All measurements are for 1 cup, which equals 16 tablespoons.

Agar Powder

Source: www.nowfoods.com
Calories: not given
Total carbs: 96g per cup divided by 16 = 6g carbs per tablespoon.
Agar agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed.

Arrowroot Powder

Source: www.nutritiondata.com
Calories: 457 ÷ 16 = 28.5 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 113g ÷ 16 = 7g carbs per tablespoon

Source: www.nowfoods.com
Calories: 480 ÷ 16 = 30 per tablespoon
Total carbs: 112g ÷ 16 = 7g carbs per tablespoon

Arrowroot Powder is derived from the starch of the Maranta arundinacea plant, a tropical perennial native to Central American and the West Indies.

Buckwheat Flour, whole groats

Source: www.nutritiondata.com
Calories: 402 ÷ 16 = 25 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 85g ÷ 16 = 5.3g carbs tablespoon
The buckwheat groats for making this product would most likely not have been soaked prior to processing, which would mean it would prevent mineral absorption in your body due to the phytates in the groats not having been de-activated through the soaking process.

Cornstarch

Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories: 488 ÷ 16 = 30.5 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 117g ÷ 16 = 7.3g carbs per tablespoon
Cornstarch is made from the extracted starch of corn, most of which is genetically modified unless it's certified organic. The corn for making this product would most likely not have been soaked prior to processing, which would mean it would prevent mineral absorption in your body due to the phytates in the grains not having been de-activated through the soaking process.

Guar Gum

Source: www.nowfoods.com
Calories: 480 ÷ 16 = 30 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 96g ÷ 16 = 6g carbs per tablespoon
Guar Gum is not recommended for anyone's consumption! Please see Footnote #1 at the end of this document for very important information regarding the processing and end-products of substances like this.

Rice Flour from brown rice

Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories: 574 ÷ 16 = 36 calories per tablespoon
Total Carbs: 121g ÷ 16 = 7.5g carbs tablespoon
Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories: 578 ÷ 16 = 36 calories per tablespoon
Total Carbs: 127g ÷ 16 = 7.9g carbs per tablespoon
Source nowfoods.com
Calories: 480 ÷ 16 = 30 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 108g ÷ 16 = 6.75g carbs per tablespoon
The rice for making this product would most likely not have been soaked prior to processing, which would mean it would prevent mineral absorption in your body due to the phytates in the grains not having been de-activated through the soaking process.

Tapioca Flour

Source: www.nowfoods.com
Calories: 480 ÷ 16 = 30 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 112g ÷ 16 = 7g carbs per tablespoon
Source: www.purcellmountainfarms.com
Calories: 310 ÷ 16 = 19 calories per tablespoon
Total Carbs: 99g ÷ 16 = 6g carbs per tablespoon
Tapioca flour is made from the extracted starch of the Cassava root.
* Note that this listing is 100 grams for a cup vs. 128 grams per cup listed by other sources

Xanthan Gum

Source: www.nowfoods.com
Calories: 480 ÷ 16 = 30 calories per tablespoon
Total Carbs 124.8g ÷ 16 = 6.75g carbs per tablespoon
Xanthan Gum is not recommended for anyone’s consumption! Please see Footnote #1 at the end of this document for very important information regarding the processing and end-products of substances like this.

Broccoli Florettes, Raw

Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories: 20 ÷ 16 = 1.25 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 4g ÷ 16 = 0.25 g carbs per tablespoon

Kale – boiled, drained

Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories: 36 ÷ 16 = .2.25 calories per tablespoon
Total carbs: 7g ÷ 16 = 0.4 g carbs per tablespoon

Onions, cooked, boiled, drained

Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories 92 ÷ 16 = 5.75 calories per tablespoon
Total Carbs 21g ÷ 16 = 1.3g carbs per tablespoon

Pink Salmon, canned, drained, with bones

Source: nutritiondata.com
Calories: 304 ÷ 16 = 19 calories per tablespoon
Total Carbs: 0 ÷ 16 = 0 carbs per tablespoon

Footnote #1 Guar Gum

The FDA recalled Cal-Ban 3000, a heavily advertised diet pill containing guar gum (a vegetable gum that swells when it absorbs moisture, providing a feeling of fullness, according to advertising claims) after receiving a number of consumer complaints of adverse reactions. In a number of cases, the tablet caused gastric or esophageal obstruction, and one person died as a result of complications following surgery to remove the mass of gum blocking his throat."

Health Risks of Stomach fillers - The FDA states that some bulking agents, e.g. guar gum, used in dietary supplements to swell the stomach and increase "fullness", can be harmful. In certain cases they can cause obstructions in the intestines, stomach, or esophagus. The FDA has taken legal action against several promoters of diet supplements containing guar gum.

Anthranoid-containing plants (including senna [Cassia senna] and cascara [Rhamnus purshiana]) and soluble fibres (including guar gum and psyllium) can decrease the absorption of drugs.

Suz's Note: If guar gum can cause blockage of drug absorption, it would make sense that it could also prevent nutrient absorption.

Footnote #2 Xanthan Gum

Xanthan Gum is a common thickener, the fermentation product of the bacterium Xanthomonas Campestris. X. Campestris can be grown in various media, including bulk corn sugars. Some brands of Xanthan gum claim to be corn-free; I don't know what growth medium they use. Because Xanthan gum is very cheap, its applications are still growing. You'll often find it in salad dressings, mayonnaise, and fast-food "milk shakes". I've also seen it in cream cheese and I'm told it's in Egg Beaters egg substitute. Source

Xanthan gum is a long chain polysacharide composed of the sugars glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid. The backbone is similar to cellulose, with added sidechains of trisacharides (three sugars in a chain).

A polysacharide is a chain of sugars. Some familiar polysacharides are starch and cellulose. It is a slimy gel produced by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, which causes black rot on cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli. The slime protects the bacterium from attach by viruses, and prevents it from drying out.

Xanthan gum is used as a thickener in sauces, as an agent in ice cream that prevents ice crystals from forming, and as a fat substitute that adds the "mouth feel" of fat without the calories. It is used in canned pet food to add "cling".

In pastry fillings, it prevents "weeping" (syneresis) of the water in the filling, protecting the crispness of the crust. It has a very high viscosity (thickness) even when very little is used.

When mixed with guar gum or locust bean gum, the viscosity is more than when either one is used alone, so less of each can be used.

The backbone of Xanthan gum is similar to cellulose, but the trisacharide side chains of mannose and glucuronic acid make the molecule rigid, and allow it to form a right-handed helix. These features make it interact with itself and with other long chain molecules to form thick mixtures and gels in water. Source

Suz's Notes - And if that's not enough to make you think twice about those "gummy" thickeners - let's remember that Xanthan gum is often derived from corn, which is a grain. Aside from the fact that it may be genetically modified, the corn for making this product would most likely not have been soaked prior to processing, which would mean it would prevent mineral absorption in your body due to the phytates in the grains not having been de-activated through the soaking process.

Suz's Tips on How to Thicken & Add body to Soups, Stew, Sauces & Gravy

Stew

1. When the meat is tender in a stew, drain the remaining liquid to a separate saucepan, simmer until reduced, add back to the stew. Remember that salty flavor will intensify as you reduce the liquid.
2. Cook extra vegetables into the recipe, when everything is tender, remove some of the cooked veggies to a blender, puree and return to the pot. Simmer a few more minutes to let flavors and textures combine.

Gravy for Roasted Meats, Chicken, Turkey

Add any combination of onions, celery, garlic, turnips, fennel bulb, etc., and water to the roasting pan, when the meat is done, you’ll have tender vegetables which can be pureed along with roasting juices for a gravy-style sauce. You can simmer the puree for a few minutes if it's too watery, to reduce the liquid level.

Stirfries

Make a pan of sauted onion, onion & celery, onion & ginger, add a little water, simmer until very soft, puree and add to the stirfry when you season it.

Tomato Sauces

Allow a little extra cooking time and simmer the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens.

Chilies, Curries, etc.

Allow extra cooking time to simmer the pot, uncovered, until the liquid reduces.