Is Tapioca Gluten Free?

Tapioca is a gluten free starch, generally used as a thickener in recipes, created from the root of the cassava plant. The two common forms for tapioca to be used are round, chewy pearls and a starch powder.

Nutritional Facts Tapioca consists mainly of carbohydrates. Tapioca does not contain significant amounts of protein, saturated fat, or sodium. It also does not contain essential vitamins or dietary minerals. Each cup of tapioca contains only 105 calories.

Benefits of Tapioca

Iron allows the body to produce blood cells, make proteins, and carry oxygen through the blood to different parts of the body. A single cup serving of tapioca contains 2.4 milligrams of iron, which is 13.4 percent of the daily value of an individual 50 or under.

Low Sodium Tapioca is naturally very low in sodium, each cup contains only two milligrams. The upper limit for adults’ sodium intake is 2,300 milligrams daily. However, considering that tapioca is usually used as only one ingredient in a larger dish, the other ingredients will have an affect on whether or not the entire dish can be considered low sodium.