Carbs for Breakfast!? Yes Please!!
Jun 21, 2024
The Guten-free Grain-like Option
On the lookout for quick, tasty foods that provide sustained energy and a nutrional bang to your day? Adding buckwheat to your nutritional repertoire will do just that! It is high in protein, vitamins B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic acid), and trace minerals including copper, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus (just to name a few).
Despite the name, buckwheat is neither a grain nor a wheat, but a seed. Buckwheat is especially versatile - it can be cooked whole, hulled and spouted, milled into flour, toasted (kasha) or made into a beverage. To greatly increase the nutrient content try spouting the seeds. Sprouting any grain or seed cranks up the nutrional value.
Buckwheat Bowls
To create a quick and easy base for a breakfast bowl or a dinner bowl simply add a cup or two of hulled buckwheat to a quart jar, soak for 20-30 minutes, then drain. Twist on a sprouting lid, or a ring with some fine cheesecloth if you don't have a sprouting lid. Tip the jar upside down at an angle to allow for drainage and leave in this position overnight (up to 12 hours).
Along with releasing increased nutrition, the sprouting process also releases a mucilaginous substance that is slimy to the touch (and a bit off-putting). For the most palatable experience this substance needs to be removed. In the morning, dump your spouted buckwheat into a colander and rinse. Then rinse some more. Rinse until the buckwheat is no longer "slick." This could take a few minutes. What remains is a highly nutritious, slightly crunchy, grain-like seed that is perfect either as a topper or main dish show-stopper.
Spouted buckwheat does not need to be cooked to eat. For a quick and super healthy breakfast simply add your favorite mix-ins to your sprouted buckwheat to make a breakfast bowl: fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, flax, etc. You can even hide some powdered herbs in there (another nutrient boost)!
Carbohydrates: To Be or Not to Be
Don't let the anti-carbohydrate craze scare you away from buckwheat. Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients your body needs (protein, fat, and carbohydrates). Complex carbohydrate foods are not in the same class as refined simple carbohydrates, though they are often inappropriately lumped together. Carbohydrates are the energy our bodies run on. The body needs lots of carbohydrates to function properly. Complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables digest slowly, gradually releasing glucose into the bloodstream, which is exactly what the body needs.
Simple carbohydrates in whole foods are also good for the body because they come wrapped with other beneficial compounds like fiber and water. Simple carbohydrates contained in highly processed sugar and flour products (cakes, cookies, breads, candy, etc.) are not good for the body. They release glucose too quickly into the bloodstream causing blood sugar to spike. So, before you get on the anti-carbohydrate craze, remember, all carbohydrates are not created equally. Nature does it right!
