I discovered this lovely addition while on my intense food sensitivity plan. Being gluten, egg, and dairy free really narrows down the breakfast options, leaving you wondering if there’s still any good food left in the world to eat!

Never fear, buckwheat is here.

Contrary to its name, it actually contains no wheat and therefore no gluten! It also is technically a seed, not a grain, related more to the rhubarb family. It wasn’t until I started eating it that I discovered how nutritious buckwheat actually is. Here are just a few of its known benefits:

• lowers cholesterol
• reduces and stabilizes blood sugar level
• decreases blood pressure
• good source of magnesium, zinc, and copper
• aids in digestion, cleans and strengthens the intestines
• high amount of protein
• one of the highest amino acid scores in plant sources

Buckwheat may be eaten hot or cold. For breakfast, I enjoy it on the colder side as a porridge. And I was pleasantly surprised by how fun and easy this is to make! You can top it with a variety of nuts, seeds, and fruit – whatever you have on hand at the moment.

A couple notes on this recipe: I’ve tried it with a variety of milks and add-ins. Almond milk adds a nuttier flavor but all of them work quite nicely. I found pomegranate seeds and walnuts to be my favorite combination but berries taste just as great. For the soaking, I have soaked it for as little as 1 hour as well as overnight. The porridge seems to be more flavorful if soaked for a couple hours in the evening and blended before bed, leaving it in the refrigerator overnight. This makes for an easy grab-and-go item in the morning!

For a thicker porridge, use 1 Tbsp of chia seeds and less milk. For a thinner porridge, use more milk. You can find cheap chia seeds at Aldis (go figure)! If following a FODMAP diet, use less than 1/4 c of buckwheat and 1/2 c water.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c whole grain buckwheat (I like Bob’s Red Mill brand)
• 1 c filtered water
• 1/2 c milk – just under (almond, coconut, soy, or dairy)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla
• 1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• handful of nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
• handful of fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate, bananas, raisins, etc.)

Directions

Add 1/2 cup buckwheat and 1 cup water to a jar. Cover and place in refrigerator to soak for at least 1-4 hours.

After soaking, drain in a colander. Buckwheat kernels will feel slimy, which is normal, so give them a good rinse with cold water.

Place rinsed buckwheat in a blender along with chia seeds, vanilla, maple syrup, and milk. Use a little under 1/2 a cup of milk if you don’t want it too thin or runny. Blend until smooth and pour contents back into your rinsed jar. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Porridge will thicken as it sits.

In the morning, add desired fruit and nuts to porridge and enjoy! The colder, the better!