Often grouped with grains, buckwheat is an herb that can be cooked and used like rice or ground into flour. With a nutty flavor and chewy texture, cooked buckwheat groats provide numerous nutrients. Have cooked buckwheat for breakfast in lieu of oatmeal, or use it as a side dish with stews.
Calories and Macronutrients
In 1 cup of cooked buckwheat, or about 6 oz., you get 155 calories. It provides just 1 g of fat, none of which is the unhealthy saturated or trans-fat varieties. Buckwheat offers 33 g of carbohydrates, with 5 g of fiber and 2 g of sugar. You need between 25 and 30 g of fiber daily at a minimum to keep digestion running smoothly and to help keep cholesterol levels in check. The sugar in buckwheat is natural, not added. Buckwheat also provides you with 6 g of protein per cup.
Vitamins
Per cup, cooked buckwheat offers between 6 and 9 percent of the daily value for niacin, vitamin B-6, folate and pantothenic acid, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. These B vitamins are intrinsic to energy metabolism and red blood cell formation. Cooked buckwheat is also a minor source of vitamin K.
Minerals
Cooked buckwheat contains 1.3 mg of iron per cooked cup, or 7 percent of your needs based on a 2,000-calorie diet. It also offers 118 mg of phosphorus, about 21 percent of the daily value. With 148 mg of potassium, buckwheat is mid-range potassium food. Buckwheat also offers small amounts of the trace minerals zinc, copper and manganese.
Considerations
Despite its name, buckwheat is free of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. If you have celiac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by consuming gluten, buckwheat groats make a healthy alternative to pearled barley, farina and faro. Buckwheat is usually found in health food stores and some major supermarket chains.
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