Eating whole grain is definitely what’s best to achieve that #GoodGut status! While whole wheat, corn, oats, & quinoa are common go-tos, there is a whole world of incredible whole grains and pseudograins out there to be tried and incorporated. One of our all-time favorite gluten-free options for those with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, leaky gut, or multiple food sensitivities is buckwheat.
Buckwheat is a traditional food commonly used throughout the world and mainly harvested in the northern hemisphere, especially in Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Central and Eastern Europe. It has similar characteristics (chemical and usage) to cereal grains, and is classified as a cereal or pseudo grain. There are several varieties of buckwheat species for human consumption; two species are cultivated: common buckwheat and Tartary buckwheat.
Compared to other cereals, proteins of buckwheat are more bioavailable and absorbable because of their high lysine content. In fact, buckwheat comes in with the highest amino acid score of protein in plant foods. It also contains a higher amount of dietary fiber, as compared with other common grains such as rice and wheat. Nutritionally speaking, buckwheat contains 12 g of protein, 7.4 g of Fat, 72.9 g of carbohydrate, and 17.8 g of dietary fiber per 100 grams of the grain.
Buckwheat is also commonly listed as anti-inflammatory due to its rich content of various antioxidant plant compounds. These have been linked to a reduction of cholesterol, inhibition of tumors, and regulation of hypertension, as well as control of carcinogenesis aka tumor development. In fact, buckwheat provides more antioxidants than many other cereal grains, such as barley, oats, wheat, and rye.
Tartary buckwheat also has a low glycemic index. Additionally, it contains D-chiro-inositol, which is a molecule present in the regulation of blood sugar and hormone balance in our bodies, this compound is known to have anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory effects, and has been linked to improvements in polycystic ovarian syndrome, a condition that can lead to infertility.
Since buckwheat is gluten-free, it can play an important role in the diet of those suffering from celiac disease and/or non celiac gluten sensitivity. It is also a great source of protein for those on vegetarian or vegan diets since they contain essential amino acids. Cooking buckwheat groats increases resistant starch. The process of fermentation of resistant starch is part of our dietary fiber, and it acts as a prebiotic compound, which feeds healthy gut microbes.
We love including buckwheat in our rotation in recipes including: Buckwheat groats for breakfast, Buckwheat porridge, Buckwheat bread, and Buckwheat pancakes or waffles. We wanted to get creative and add it to another household favorite- gluten free vegan #GoodGut buckwheat bagels.
Gluten Free #GoodGut Buckwheat Bagels
Makes 10 small bagels
Ingredients:
1.25 cups organic oat flour or 1.5 cups organic oats to grind into flour
14 oz unsweetened dairy free plant based yogurt
1 Tbsp Baking powder
½ tsp Himalayan salt or Iodized salt (optional)
2 Tbsp melted dairy free butter (optional)
Optional dry bagel toppings to bake on top:
Everything but the bagel seasoning
Poppy seeds
Sesame seeds
Dried herbs (chives, rosemary, etc)
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds
Optional bagel toppings to enjoy on prepared bagels:
Sauerkraut
Sprouts
Avocado
Nut or seed butter
Thin layer of miso paste
Kelp flakes or other microalgae
Furikake seasoning
Dairy free cream cheese
Seasonal fruit
Tempeh bacon
Plant scramble
Cooking Utensils/ Gadgets Needed:
Oven or air fryer
Medium mixing bowl or food processor (processor is optional, but recommended choice)
Mixing spoon
Wooden or silicone spatula
Tablespoon measure
½ teaspoon measure
Wire rack
Baking sheet (if using oven)
Parchment paper
Directions (see direction photos below):
Preheat oven or air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
If needed, blend rolled or steel cut oats to make a fine oat flour
In a food processor or medium mixing bowl, sift Big Bold Health Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Flour with Oat Flour, Baking Powder, and salt until uniform
Add dairy free yogurt
Mix thoroughly until dough consistency is reached
Remove your dough ball from your bowl or food processor and place onto parchment paper
To make each bagel, separate the dough into 8-10 equal parts. We used a pizza slicer to do this.
Roll each dough section into a straight line then form into your bagel ring shape
Optional to brush the top of the bagels with dairy free butter and sprinkle dry toppings of choice
Place bagels on parchment paper lined baking sheet or directly on air fryer grate
Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Bake in your air fryer for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Once golden brown, remove from heat and allow to cool on a wire rack to avoid having them turn soggy
Once cool, enjoy with bagel fillings of choice!
Want to try this incredible flour out yourself? Use Code MarriedToHealth10 to save 10% on your purchase from Big Bold HealthTM.
References:
Ikeda, K. (2002). Buckwheat composition, chemistry, and processing. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 395–434.doi:10.1016/s1043-4526(02)44008-9
Zduńczyk Z, Flis M, Zieliński H, Wróblewska M, Antoszkiewicz Z, Juśkiewicz J. In vitro antioxidant activities of barley, husked oat, naked oat, triticale, and buckwheat wastes and their influence on the growth and biomarkers of antioxidant status in rats. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Jun 14;54(12):4168-75. doi: 10.1021/jf060224m. PMID: 16756343.
Sytar, O., Brestic, M., Zivcak, M., & Tran, L. S. (2016). The Contribution of Buckwheat Genetic Resources to Health and Dietary Diversity. Current genomics, 17(3), 193–206. https://doi.org/10.2174/1389202917666160202215425
Luthar, Z., Golob, A., Germ, M., Vombergar, B., & Kreft, I. (2021). Tartary Buckwheat in Human Nutrition. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(4), 700. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040700
Huda, M. N., Lu, S., Jahan, T., Ding, M., Jha, R., Zhang, K., Zhang, W., Georgiev, M. I., Park, S. U., & Zhou, M. (2021). Treasure from garden: Bioactive compounds of buckwheat. Food chemistry, 335, 127653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127653