Hola todos and welcome to another nutrition-focused blog post. Today I will share my new go-to recipe for delicious buckwheat oatmeal as well as how to get the most nutrients out of this humble seed.

I’ve been a big fan of oatmeal since I was little (it’s a household staple in the U.S.) and have recently been experimenting with flavor combos to create the tastiest and nutrient-dense porridge. While most oatmeal recipes call for traditional rolled oats, I find that they don’t entirely agree with my tummy and often leave me feeling bloated and sluggish. Thus, not wanting to give up my daily porridge, I experimented with oat substitutes such as quinoa flakes, cauliflower rice and ultimately landed on buckwheat kernels. Though the name suggests otherwise, buckwheat is not a grain but actually a seed. It has an incredibly rich nutrient profile with 23g of protein per cup and 10g of fiber per 100g. If you’re looking for a healthy substitute to bread or rice at dinner buckwheat is a great option. 

Now, cooking time is relatively quick as long as you pre-soak the groats (buckwheat cornels). It’s important to pre-soak a few foods, mostly grains and beans (e.g. black beans, bulgur, farro, spelt, kidney beans, etc.) as they “contain phytic acids that can affect the absorption of some nutrients” (e.g. iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium). “Soaking breaks down phytic acid, making the grain more digestible” [1]. If you forget to soak the grains beforehand, just make sure to rinse thoroughly a few times in the sink before preparing. This will also help to break down some of the acids and aid in digestion. 

There are many recipes that make use of this ancient grain that are really quite tasty and I would be happy to include more here on the blog if that’s something you all would like to see. As I write this, I am currently prepping a Moroccan spiced chicken dish that I plan to layer over cooked buckwheat so I’ll keep you all posted on how it turns out :)

However, I promised an easy buckwheat oatmeal recipe so that’s what I’ll give you all today. If you like this one and make it yourself please tag me on Instagram/ Facebook because I’d love to see what creative toppings you all use.

Delicious and nutritious buckwheat oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (66g) buckwheat grains, soaked for 2 hours

• 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded *optional*

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk of choice OR boiling water

• 1 cup (100g) frozen berries

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toppings (these are my favorites but feel free to use whatever you have on hand/ crave that day!) 

• 2 T chia seeds

• 1 T peanut butter

• Raisins

• Pumpkin seeds

• Hemp seeds

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. 

3. Add on your favorite toppings and enjoy immediately.

So what do you all think about buckwheat? Is it something you’ve tried before? Would you all be interested in seeing more posts like this about making food more bio-available (easier for our bodies to digest and absorb the nutrients) along with a recipe? If so, just let me know down below or shoot me a message on instagram  because I would be happy to oblige :)

See you all here next week!

xoxo,

Alexandra 

Sources:

1. Ceres Organics. “All about Buckwheat, plus Buckwheat Recipes! - Ceres - Organic Food Distributors - Ceres Organics.” Ceres Organics, 21 July 2016, ceres.co.nz/blog/the-non-wheat-wheat-buckwheat/.