What are the benefits of steamed buckwheat and how to prepare and use it correctly

Stores sell buckwheat in brown, cream and green colors. Green cereals, unlike other types, are the most useful because they do not undergo heat treatment. Why do manufacturers steam buckwheat? Steamed or fried cereals become aromatic and firm. It can be stored for a long time. But at the same time, steaming the core makes the product less healthy.

What is steamed or steamed buckwheat?

Steamed buckwheat is a buckwheat kernel processed by thermal steaming under pressure. The cereal becomes cream or brown in color. You can distinguish unsteamed cereal by color - it green.

For consumption, it is soaked, germinated and steamed - these cooking methods with minimal heat treatment allow you to preserve its beneficial substances.

Steamed buckwheat - This is porridge prepared without cooking. It tastes no different from boiled one, but it retains more vitamins and microelements. The steaming method saves time. If you pour boiling water or kefir over the cereal overnight, in the morning you will get a ready-made and healthy breakfast.

How is it different from boiled, which is healthier?

Are there any differences between steamed buckwheat and cooked it in the usual way? The less buckwheat is cooked, the better. It retains the maximum amount of useful substances.

Yadritsa Buckwheat is rich in vitamins, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, trace elements, acids and amino acids.During cooking, some of them will collapse. Steaming buckwheat reduces the calorie content of the dish, which is especially important for effective weight loss.

Composition and properties

It’s not for nothing that buckwheat is considered a unique crop: it contains a lot of substances important for the body. Buckwheat contains many vitamins such as: B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, H, E, PP.

Among the trace elements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, iodine, tin, nickel, cobalt. Buckwheat is also high in easily digestible protein and fiber.

Benefits and harms

Buckwheat porridge is called the “queen of cereals” for its beneficial properties. Steamed buckwheat is also useful for the following reasons:

• due to the high content of folic acid, buckwheat increases the body's resistance to various infections;
• the high potassium content makes buckwheat especially useful for edema of various origins;
• buckwheat strengthens blood vessels, improves blood circulation, helps cleanse the body of toxins and stimulates digestion;
• the product is useful for heavy physical and mental stress;
• it is worth including it in the diet of children, as the product contains a large amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements;
• cleanses the body and leads to weight loss.

Can buckwheat be harmful? Oddly enough, maybe. High protein content is not always good, since many proteins are potential allergens. And although an allergy to buckwheat is rare, it is worth remembering the possibility of an unwanted reaction.

It is especially important to limit the consumption of cereals made from crushed buckwheat. Such cereals contain little coarse dietary fiber, and their increased consumption leads to a deterioration in the functioning of the digestive tract.

Even in small quantities, buckwheat can become dangerous if stored in poor conditions - for example, in an open container next to household chemicals and other toxic substances.

Calorie content and BZHU

Cereals contain up to 15% protein and almost 60% healthy “slow” carbohydrates. The energy value is 334 kcal per 100 g of product. About the same number of calories are contained in a boiled egg.

100 g of cereal contains:

• more than 13 g of protein;
• about 3 g fat;
• 62.5 g carbohydrates.

Calorie content steamed buckwheat – 100–110 kcal per 100 g.

Difference with boiled cereals – more than 200 kcal.

If brew cereal with kefir, this will saturate the dish with milk protein and probiotics, and the calorie content will increase to a maximum of 150 kcal.

How to properly cook steamed buckwheat

There are several ways to prepare steamed buckwheat. For steaming, you can use green buckwheat and brown (fried) cereals. Steamed cereal overnight is a product with maximum beneficial properties and vitamins.

Attention! After a day, the product will be unfit for consumption, so brew as much as you can eat in a day.

Boiling water overnight

Before processing, buckwheat is sorted out if necessary and always washed in a colander. The cereal is steamed in a container with a lid. A glass of cereal is poured with two glasses of boiling water. After 8–10 hours, the healthy porridge will be ready.

Kefir

Rinse the cereal, pour it into a glass and pour kefir over it. By morning, the kernel will swell and become ready for use. It is recommended to eat this dish in the morning before breakfast, about half an hour before it.

The proportions of kernels and kefir are 1:1, it is better to use 1% kefir.

In a thermos

One of the most convenient methods of steaming is using a thermos.Cooking time will take less time, only 3-4 hours. The washed kernel is poured into a thermos and poured boiling water over it. At the same time, in a thermos the dish will have a comfortable temperature for eating for a long time.

How to use it correctly

Buckwheat porridge can be eaten as an independent dish or used as a side dish. It is suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Experts recommend various types of diets based on this cereal.

Application for weight loss

The buckwheat diet is considered one of the most effective: on average, you lose a kilogram per day on it, that is, it is predicted that you can lose about 7 kg in a week’s course.

The main diet on the buckwheat diet is buckwheat, but not cooked as usual, but steamed with boiling water at the rate of 1 glass of dry cereal to 2-3 glasses of water. Choosing the amount of water allows you to vary the consistency: the less boiling water, the more granular the product will be; accordingly, if the cereal is steamed with a large amount of water, the buckwheat will be soft and spreadable.

It is better to eat buckwheat in small portions six times a day. The last dose of the product should be 4-6 hours before bedtime.

Attention! Despite the guaranteed effect of a buckwheat diet, many doctors consider it unbalanced and does not meet the daily need for nutrients.

The buckwheat diet is a mono-diet, but some indulgences are allowed. So, you can drink 1% kefir (up to 1 liter per day). Green tea and mineral water are allowed. Taking a multivitamin is highly recommended. On the eve of serious stress on the brain (exams, reporting periods, etc.), you can also eat a spoonful of honey. It is better to dilute it in a glass of warm water.

Important! From the buckwheat diet It is important to go out gradually, without pouncing on food immediately after completing the course. Day by day, you need to gradually expand your diet to include fruits, vegetables, fish, and chicken.

Who is contraindicated for

If you have an individual intolerance to buckwheat, you may experience malaise and poor health. In case of exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to exclude this porridge from the diet.

It has no other contraindications for use. On the contrary, due to the high content of plant fibers, buckwheat improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and due to the folic acid, calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium it contains, it normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Among the myths is the fact that this cereal is contraindicated for diabetics. In a diabetic’s diet, this is one of the basic products, because buckwheat contains large quantities of amino acids and plant fibers, which slow down the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines - blood sugar increases slowly and smoothly after eating buckwheat.

It is worth limiting or completely eliminating buckwheat from the diet for hypotensive patients, since the magnesium contained in this product relaxes the walls of blood vessels, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure.

Advantages and disadvantages

This cereal has virtually no contraindications if consumed in moderation. Its advantages are obvious:

• easy cooking method;
• availability;
• contains B vitamins, iron (prevention of anemia, stimulation of hematopoietic function), calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc (good for bones, skin, hair, muscles);
• calorie content depending on the cooking method from 100 to 110 kcal;
• contains few carbohydrates and a lot of protein, which helps keep you feeling full for a long time;
• improves metabolism, so following it deals a double blow to excess weight.

If you don’t go on a mono-diet, that is, eat only buckwheat, then this cereal has no disadvantages. However, moderation and proper preparation are important in everything. If the cereal is poorly steamed, it will also be poorly digested, which will primarily affect people with stomach and intestinal diseases.

Conclusion

Steamed buckwheat is a healthy and tasty food product. It is recommended for use by people of all age categories. It has a balanced composition and high nutritional value. The energy value of the product is determined by the content of slow (complex) carbohydrates and easily digestible proteins. It is prepared in several ways: poured with boiling water, kefir or steamed in a thermos.

You should be wary of a mono-diet based on buckwheat. Carefully read the contraindications and rules for such diets or consult a doctor if you have chronic diseases.