Cooking cereals easily and simply without cooking: how to steam buckwheat overnight and how it is useful

Buckwheat contains complex carbohydrates, which provide long-term saturation in one small portion. It also contains B vitamins, nicotinic acid, amino acids, and is rich in iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese, calcium and other elements. However, the beneficial properties and nutritional value of cereals depend on the method of cooking.

To preserve the greatest amount of valuable elements, nutritionists recommend not boiling buckwheat, but steaming it overnight.

Why steam buckwheat overnight?

If you want to get the maximum benefit from eating buckwheat, saturate the body with vitamins, micro- and macroelements, it is preferable to steam the cereal. The fact is that during the cooking process, some of the components are destroyed under the influence of high temperatures, no less washed out with water, and when steaming they are all preserved.

Advantages and disadvantages of this cooking method

Steaming is a simple and quick way to prepare buckwheat porridge, which does not require culinary skills. Cereals prepared in this way are in no way inferior in taste to boiled ones, but they bring more benefits to the body. In addition, it saves time, since you can prepare it in the morning in the evening.

The only significant drawback is that The cereal must be prepared in advance, as it takes time for the grains to swell.

Better or worse than boiled

In terms of taste, steamed buckwheat porridge is not inferior to boiled cereals, but significantly exceeds for beneficial and dietary properties. In addition, buckwheat soaked in water overnight is extremely useful both in the regular diet and as the main component of the buckwheat diet.

Composition of steamed buckwheat

Buckwheat contains more than 50 valuable substances. The most useful for humans are given in the table.

The nutritional value

In addition to vitamins and minerals, 100 g of the edible part contains: dietary fiber (2.7 g), water (74.9 g), ash (1.4 g), starch and dextrins (13.3 g), saturated fatty acids (0.7 g).

During cooking, the calorie content of buckwheat is reduced by a third and is 101 kcal. 100 g contains 3 g of proteins, 3.4 g of fat, 14.66 g of carbohydrates. The nutritional value increases if you add oil, fat, high-calorie spices to the porridge, and infuse kefir.

Benefit

The medicinal, taste and dietary properties of buckwheat directly depend on the quality of the product used.

When choosing cereals need to pay attention for the following characteristics and features:

1. Cereal grain integrity. Grinding grain entails the loss of substances valuable to the human body.
2. The grains are light brown or green.The darker the color of the cereal, the more deeply it was subjected to heat treatment, which indicates a decrease in the content of useful compounds in it.
3. Minimum amount of unrefined, spoiled grains, foreign impurities.
4. Transparent polyethylene packaging, which allows you to visually inspect the cereal for the presence of foreign inclusions, prevents the product from becoming damp.
5. No foreign odors, mold or mustiness.

Buckwheat of proper quality is a rich source of energy and substances valuable to the body. It should be constantly present in the diet of people with hypertension, heart problems, and high blood cholesterol. Buckwheat can minimize the risk of exacerbation of these diseases and possible complications due to its pronounced diuretic effect.

Steamed buckwheat has a beneficial effect on nervous system, helps cope with depression and apathy, relieves insomnia, improves memory and attentiveness, and creates the proper conditions for the normal functioning of the brain.

Buckwheat without cooking is a good preventive measure atherosclerosis, ischemia, myocardial infarction, stroke and other diseases of the cardiovascular system. It increases the strength and elasticity of small capillaries and vascular walls, promotes the production of red blood cells, participates in blood circulation, and helps cope with signs of anemia.

Buckwheat cereal can provide the body with almost all amino acids, B vitamins, and minerals. The grains are saturated with flavonoids, which have a pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, have a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland, and reduce the risk of cancer by 20%.

Including buckwheat in the diet has a beneficial effect on the condition of the mucous membranes and skin, promotes correct visual perception, protection against genitourinary infections, flu and colds.

Buckwheat can fully provide the body with iron. Deficiency of this microelement can cause increased fatigue, atrophic gastritis, anemia, muscle weakness and a number of painful conditions, dry skin, and decreased immune system protection.

In addition to the health benefits, steamed buckwheat is very effective for losing weight. Buckwheat saturates quickly and for a long time, while it is low in calories and contains virtually no fat. But it acts as a source of complex carbohydrates, which fill the human body with energy for a long time, and is able to fully replace animal protein.

For reference. Fasting days on buckwheat help to return to normal after periods of overeating or control weight.

Steamed buckwheat is valued for its presence of plant fiber. Its functions in relation to the digestive system and the body as a whole are varied:

• enhances intestinal motility;
• regulates cholesterol levels;
• removes excess sugar from the body;
• normalizes metabolism;
• improves digestion;
• helps cope with constipation;
• cleanses the intestines and liver of waste, toxins, and other harmful substances;
• increases endurance and performance;
• stimulates motor activity;
• Provides a feeling of fullness for a long time, which is why there is no need for additional snacks.

How to steam buckwheat overnight

Buckwheat should be of high quality, preferably kernels, not chaff, which has undergone minimal processing, for example, grinding and roasting. Boiled or distilled water is usually used for steaming.. To make the dish more nutritious, you can pour kefir over the grains overnight.

By water

Before preparing the porridge, it is necessary to sort out the buckwheat, clean it of foreign impurities and rinse well until the water runs clear.

Recipe:

1. Place the cereal in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Pour boiling water over buckwheat in a ratio of 1:2 (two glasses of water for one glass of cereal). The volume of boiling water can be changed depending on the required consistency (a grainier porridge is obtained by adding less water).
3. Close the pan tightly with a lid and wrap it in a warm towel. Leave it overnight.

Buckwheat porridge can be prepared in a similar way using purified water at room temperature. However, such buckwheat will differ from that steamed with boiling water, since the grains will be harder.

Kefir

In combination with kefir, buckwheat cleanses the intestines well from accumulated toxins and waste, ensuring their rapid removal to the outside. Kefir also has a beneficial effect on the body, improves the composition of microflora, and normalizes stool. Kefir can be replaced with matsoni, yogurt, and kumiss.

How to infuse buckwheat with kefir:

1. Pour the pre-sorted and washed cereal into a container and pour low-fat kefir in equal proportions.
2. Leave overnight for swelling. In the morning, the cereal will be soft and suitable for eating.

In a thermos

The fastest way to prepare buckwheat - in a thermos. In this case, you can reduce the steaming time to 4-6 hours. In addition, the thermos retains heat well, so the porridge remains hot for some time. The recipe is also simple: pour a glass of sorted and clean cereal into a thermos and pour two glasses of boiling water.

Rules of use

Ready-made steamed buckwheat should be divided into small portions and consumed throughout the day. When preparing any dish from buckwheat, try to make it less caloric. At any stage of steaming, it is not recommended to add sugar, spices, salt, or butter. To diversify the diet, buckwheat is supplemented with fresh vegetables, herbs, fish, and lean meat.

Advice. If you don’t like bland porridge, you can use natural soy sauce, yogurt, or olive oil as a dressing.

Nutritionists recommended to use buckwheat porridge with a normal diet, 2-3 times a week, 200-300 g of cooked cereal. Frequently eating large amounts of buckwheat can cause nausea, general malaise, dizziness, headache, lead to constipation.

Use for weight loss

Due to the wide popularity of buckwheat among those losing weight, it was created many diets based on it. Based on preferences and the desired result, everyone will be able to choose the best option for themselves both in terms of diet and duration of the diet.

Varieties:

1. Strict buckwheat diet. The menu is monotonous and is based on the consumption of steamed buckwheat in unlimited quantities until completely sated. Between meals, you should drink clean water 30 minutes before or after meals. The diet lasts 3-5 days.A longer period can be harmful to health and slow down metabolism, so the diet needs to be expanded, mainly through vegetables and fruits. On average, with strict adherence to such a diet, you can get rid of 1.5-3 kg.
2. Lax buckwheat diet. The menu is more varied, it can be supplemented with fresh vegetables, fruits (except for grapes and bananas), herbs and berries. In limited quantities (up to 200 g per day), you can eat lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fermented milk and low-calorie dairy products. During the day you need to drink a lot of water and unsweetened green tea. The average weight loss is 5-8 kg in 14 days.
3. Kefir-buckwheat diet. The daily menu consists of 500 g of steamed buckwheat, divided into 5-6 servings, and 1 liter of low-fat kefir. Kefir can be poured over cereal overnight or consumed as a stand-alone drink. You can lose 3-4 kg in a week.

Harm and contraindications

Despite all the beneficial properties of steamed buckwheat for the body, before eating it, you need to pay attention to the presence of contraindications, which include:

• allergy to the product;
• diseases of the digestive system of an erosive-ulcerative nature in the acute stage;
• liver and kidney failure;
• hypotension;
• diabetes mellitus type 2 and 3;
• severe urolithiasis.

A diet based on steamed buckwheat is not suitable for children, adolescents, elderly people, during pregnancy and lactation.

Conclusion

Buckwheat is a storehouse of vitamins, micro- and macronutrients, amino acids, flavonoids, which have a positive effect on overall well-being, health, and help prevent the occurrence of many diseases.But this is justified only if the grain is properly cooked.

If you want to satisfy the feeling of hunger without harming your figure and at the same time saturate the body with the substances necessary to support vital processes, it is better to steam buckwheat rather than boil it.