3 min read

Good Gut Buckwheat Bread

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is often confused for a wheat when it is in fact not related to wheat at all! Buckwheat has been consumed and produced for more than 8,000 years now and it is commonly found in Eastern European dishes. Buckwheat is packed with nutritional value and it is considered a superfood that contains rich amounts of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates along with various vitamins and nutrients.

Buckwheat is a great source of vitamin K, magnesium, several B vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. Buckwheat also contains good amounts of magnesium which can improve gut health. Magnesium is important for digestion as it helps out in several enzymatic processes related to digestion: a deficiency in magnesium can actually result in digestive problems!

Buckwheat is a #goodgut food and may aid in improving digestion because of the amount of fiber it contains. Fiber helps the body digest because it aids in moving food through the digestive tract efficiently while supporting the intestines as food travels through it. Half a cup of buckwheat contains 4.5 grams of fiber making it an excellent food choice for improving gut health and digestion. Another benefit to buckwheat is that it is gluten free which makes it a good alternative choice for people with diabetes. Adding buckwheat to a daily diet is a good choice because of the many health benefits it may provide.

Ways to eat it:

Buckwheat can be eaten raw or cooked in a similar way to rice. Buckwheat can also be grounded into flour and turned into things like noodles and pancakes.

Recipe: Buckwheat Bread

Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings):

2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked for at least 2 hours
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup water
2 Tbsp golden flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
3 medjool dates, pitted
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 320°F.
Add the buckwheat groats to a small pot, cover with water and heat on low for 20 minutes.
Whisk the chia seeds and water together in a bowl and let them sit for 20 minutes until it forms a pudding-like consistency.
Drain the buckwheat groats once cooked.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend until the mix is uniform.
Line a medium-sized bread loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray the bottom of the pan with a light layer of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Pour the batter into the bread pan.
Optional: Spray a very light layer of oil on top of the batter to help with crisping.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes on the top rack, until the bread is nicely browned and firm.
Take your bread out of the oven once it’s done and remove it from the pan.
Let the bread cool (preferably on a wire rack) for about 20 minutes.
Slice with a bread knife and serve warm.

If you’d like to make multiple loaves at the same time, you can freeze extra loaves then thaw and toast when you’re ready to eat. Leftovers can be re-toasted & enjoyed!