How to Incorporate Buckwheat Into a Diet

Buckwheat can be a delicious and nutritious addition to your healthy diet. Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. It is not a cereal grain, so it's a great substitute for grains for people who have a sensitivity to wheat or other grains that contain glutens. Buckwheat is good for your cardiovascular system and can even lower blood sugar, lowering the risk of Diabetes! Here are some great ways that you can enjoy buckwheat.

Things You'll Need

• buckwheat

Instructions

How to Incorporate Buckwheat Into a Diet

1. The simplest way to enjoy buckwheat is to eat the grains whole. To begin, rinse the buckwheat under running water to remove dirt and debris. Next, use one part buckwheat to two parts boiling broth or water. Once the water or broth has come to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Now you can enjoy your buckwheat as a grain substitute with a piece of meat or with a vegetable dish.

2. Another great way to get buckwheat into your diet is to try buckwheat soba noodles. These are a common ingredient in many Japanese and Korean dishes. Just look for buckwheat noodles at your local supermarket. They are usually available at ethnic markets and healthy supermarkets such as Whole Foods Market or Trader Joes. Just add the noodles to boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes, as you would any other noodles. Enjoy them with teriyaki chiken or some korean beef.

3. Buckwheat pancakes are a favorite dish in Russia, France, and several other countries. They are easy to make and delicious. The recipe is as follows: Whisk 1 large egg,1 1/4 cup buttermilk and 3 tbsp melted butter until blended. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/3 cup buckwheat flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. Add the flour mix to the egg mix. Then, just pour a portion on a greased skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side. Just like regular pancakes but healthier!

4. Add cooked buckwheat to soups or stews as a substitute for other grains. Not only will your soup have a hardier texture and delicious flavor, but it will be much healthier. For example, consider making a chicken noodle soup with cooked buckwheat instead of noodles. Another option is to simply substitute buckwheat noodles for egg noodles.

5. Substitute buckwheat flour in any of your baking recipes! Try combining buckwheat flour with whole wheat flour in your recipes to bake healthier breads, muffins, and cakes. Buckwheat muffins are delicious. If you're not a baker, you can purchase buckwheat baked goods at your healthy supermarket.

Tips & Warnings

• Just as the widely used ACE inhibitor hypertension drugs, buckwheat proteins lower angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE),lowering high blood pressure.

• Compared with other grains, buckwheat is higher in minerals, especially zinc, copper, and manganese.