why you need to eat more buckwheat + buckwheat berry superfoods porridge

buckwheat-berry-superfoods-porridge-vegan-bring-joy

Buckwheat is my fave new grain.

It’s not actually a grain. Like quinoa, it’s a seed, but it acts like a grain & is gluten-free. Purr-fect for us folks who have sensitive tummies & avoid gluten.

I recently bought a bunch in bulk from azure standard–50 pounds of the hulled groats, and 20 pounds of the grits. That should keep us set for awhile.

buckwheat-groats-and-grits

The grits cook faster and have a consistency similar to, well, traditional (corn) grits.

Buckwheat is such a fantastic “grain”–I wonder why it took me so long to latch on to it’s goodness.

5-reasons-to-eat-more-buckwheat-bring-joy

5 reasons to eat more buckwheat: 

1) It’s not a grain, it’s a seed. And it’s uber packed with nutrients. One cup cooked, delivers approximately 6 grams of fiber, 7 grams protein, as well as a good does of magnesium, vitamin b-6, & iron, among other important nutrients.

2) It’s gluten-free! Celiacs & gluten-eaters rejoice.

3) Low calorie-density. When cooked, it has a low calorie density (meaning provides lots of bulk/weight for few calories), which is great for weight loss.

4) Myriad of health benefits. Two include, it has been shown to lower blood glucose levels & provides prebiotic-like benefits (helps generate good gut bacteria).

5) It’s versatile. You can use it as hot cooked cereal for breakfast, or as a rice replacement in lunch/dinner dishes. It also can be ground into flour & used in pancakes, cookies, cakes, & muffins. It has a light, nutty, versatile flavor. Buckwheat flour is especially good in pancakes and muffin recipes. Replace 1/3 of wheat flour with buckwheat flour in gluten-based pancakes & muffin recipes, or for use up to a 1/3 in a gluten-free flour mix.

Buckwheat is just one among several super seeds that we all should eat more of.

They include: raw or sprouted pumpkin seeds (I can’t get enough of these guys!), chia seeds, & quinoa.

four-super-seeds-to-eat-more-of---bring-joy

I store my seeds in one gallon glass jars, & any leftover in the an extra storage freezer.

You don’t want to freeze chia seeds (the high oil content makes these a bad candidate for freezing), but extra buckwheat & pumpkin seeds, like brown rice, can be stored in the freezer to prevent rancidity.

buckwheat-storage-jars

You know I’m in the process of losing my baby weight, & I’m also exclusively nursing, so I’m looking to pack the most amount of nutrients in the least amount of calories.

(All the details on how I’ve already lost 22 pounds, in my Fit, Strong, Lean: The Diet ebook, which you can buy at my shop.)

So, I decided to create a bowl of goodness that would pack all of these super seeds into one dish.

buckwheat berry superfoods porridge

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4-5 cups

Serving Size: about 1 cup, or 1/4 of recipe yield

Calories per serving: 259

Fat grams per serving: 10 g

buckwheat berry superfoods porridge

a filling, protein-rich, superfoods porridge, grain-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. hulled buckwheat groats
  • 1/3 c. quinoa | red or regular
  • 1/3 c. chia seeds
  • 1/3 c. pumpkin seeds, chopped coarsely
  • 1 TBS. organic coconut oil
  • 3 c. water
  • 2 c. almond milk
  • 1 TBS. agave | or pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp. maca powder (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large cast iron skillet on medium heat, melt coconut oil.
  2. Rinse quinoa in sieve.
  3. Toast quinoa & buckwheat on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, making sure to stir so that all seeds are coated with coconut oil. A nutty aroma should emerge.
  4. Add water. Turn heat up to high, bring to a boil, cover and turn down to medium/low.
  5. Cook covered, at a low simmer, for 20 minutes.
  6. Whisk maca powder & agave into milk.
  7. Remove lid from skillet. Stir in milk & add chia seeds. Add an additional cup of milk, if thinner consistency is desired. Note that the chia seeds will absorb a lot of the excess liquid and the porridge will become become thicker after sitting for 10-15 minutes.
  8. Top with coarsely chopped pumpkins. Serve with fresh or frozen mixed berries & additional plant milk.
  9. Leftovers keep in fridge for 2-3 days for freshest taste.

Additional nutrition info: 37 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 8 g protein, 5 g sugar; 7 WWP points

Recipe submitted as part of Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend–check it out for lots of healthy recipes & ideas!

&, here are a few buckwheat recipes to try out: 

chunky chocolate buckwheat granola

vanilla buckwheat granola

sprouted buckwheat & coconut yogurt bowl 

whole grain hummus pizza

buckwheat coconut balls

buckwheat & quinoa pancakes

Ever try buckwheat? Whole, or as a flour, or both?