Abstract: Particulate cellulosic material such as microcrystalline cellulose, .alpha.-cellulose, and/or cellulose acylated with C.sub.2 to C.sub.24 aliphatic acids to a degree of substitution of about 0.05 or less, and mixtures thereof, are physically coated with an edible hydrophobic polymer to provide low calorie flour/starch replacements for edible compositions. Typical coating polymers include cellulose esters of one or more C.sub.2 to C.sub.24 aliphatic acids; cellulose ethers such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, natural waxes such as carnauba wax, candelilla wax, rice bran wax, bees wax, and mixtures of these; petroleum waxes such as polyethylene and paraffin waxes; proteins, preferably hydrophobic, such as zein, glutenin and the like, and mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments, the low calorie flour replacements are made in a hot melt process with intense mixing in the absence of emulsifiers and gums.