Grains - Buckwheat

👋🏼 Welcome the super grain BUCKWHEAT.

🌱 First and foremost, buckwheat is actually a fruit seed and a cousin of the rhubarb plant! It’s better known as a pseudocereal as it is considered a grain and most often used as one.

🌾 However, it’s not in the wheat family, contrary to wheat being in its name. As a result, it makes an excellent wheat substitute for those looking to step outside the wheat world and diversify the grains, or pseudograins, consumed.

💥 Buckwheat is considered a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids! Boom…plant power yet again!

✨ Buckwheat is a good source of many nutrients all working to together to keep the body in good health. It is a complex carbohydrate high in fiber and resistant starch. Both are key to improving gut health. Gut bacteria ferment resistant starch/fibers to produce short chain fatty acid, such as butyrate. These short chain fatty acids aid in decreasing inflammation and improve the cells lining of the gut.

🩸 It is also high in manganese and magnesium like other super grains previously noted in addition to copper, which aids in red blood cell and collagen formation, in addition to keeping the nerve and immune system healthy.

🍽 Buckwheat has a nutty, earthy, and comforting flavor. It comes in a variety of forms, making it a highly versatile option. Dry buckwheat groats (hulled seeds of the buckwheat plant) offer crunch and chew to whatever dish it is added to. Toast some groats and swap out the croutons next time you want to add some crunch and nutrient power to a salad.

🍜 🥞 Buckwheat noodles (hello Soba) are amazing with stir-fry’s and buckwheat flour makes a hearty, dense, super powered (gluten free) option for pancakes, breads, muffins, & cookies. Blueberry buckwheat pancakes anyone!?

🔎 Always read the ingredient list to ensure buckwheat is not combined with added ingredients. Some brands of Soba noodles will blend with wheat flour, thus not making it a gluten free product for those who need to be mindful of such.