Although buckwheat is often included in the whole-grain group, the World's Healthiest Foods website explains that it is not actually a grain. Buckwheat is the seed of a fruit in the rhubarb family. Since it is not a grain, you can eat buckwheat if you are on wheat-free or gluten-free diets, says World's Healthiest Foods.
Benefits
Buckwheat is a very nutritious food. It contains flavonoids that help fight diseases, and magnesium, which improves your cardiovascular health. Buckwheat has been found to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol and may help regulate blood sugar. Buckwheat is also a strong source of fiber, which regulates your digestive system.
Breakfast
MayoClinic.com offers a recipe for "Buckwheat Pancakes" using buckwheat flour. To make this hearty breakfast, mix 1/2 cup fat-free milk, 2 egg whites and 1 tbsp. canola oil. Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, 1 tbsp. each of sugar and baking powder, and 1/2 cup water and mix it all together. Pour batter into a pan on medium heat and cook until pancakes are bubbling, then flip and cook the other side. MayoClinic.com suggests eating these pancakes with fruit instead of syrup.
Lunch
Make a sandwich with bread using the Harvard School of Public Health's recipe for "Hearty Whole Grain Bread." Dissolve 3 packets of dry active yeast in 4 cups of warm water. Gradually add 6 to 7 cups total of a combination of buckwheat, barley, rye and wheat flours, mixing 4 g salt with the last cup. Knead the dough, let it rise and bake it for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 300 degrees F. You can also add nuts, seeds and oats to the bread mixture for extra nutrition.
Dinner
Epicurious offers a dinner menu using buckwheat spaghetti in its recipe, "Buckwheat Pasta Primavera." Epicurious says you can find buckwheat pasta in Asian supermarkets or the Asian section of general supermarkets. It might be under the name "fancy soba." To make this version of pasta primavera, cook mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots and sugar snap peas in 2.5 cups chicken broth or water until they are slightly tender. Take them out and reduce the broth or water until 1/4 cup is left. In a separate pan on medium heat, sauté onion, garlic and bell peppers in 1/4 stick butter. Add the vegetables that were cooked in the broth, the broth, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup cream to the pan and bring to a boil. While making this sauce, boil the buckwheat pasta and toss it with this sauce when it is done.
Snack
For a healthy buckwheat snack, put your favorite topping on the Epicurious website's "Buckwheat Pepper Crisps." To make this recipe, combine 1/4 cup buckwheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. each of baking powder, salt and black pepper. Combine this mixture with 1 cup milk, 1 egg and 1/2 stick unsalted butter, all at room temperature. Oil a baking sheet and drop spoonfuls of this batter onto the sheet. Cook the crisps in a 350-degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
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