A healthy lifestyle is becoming increasingly attractive to a wide segment of the population. It is inseparable from such a concept as proper nutrition, an integral component of which is cereals, including buckwheat.
It contains many different useful substances, but it has been proven that when cooked they are mostly destroyed and have no value for the body.
To get the maximum benefit, nutritionists advise not to boil, but to steam the buckwheat before eating, thereby leaving all the vitamins and microelements intact.
Boiled or steamed: which is better?
Doctors and nutritionists have long come to the conclusion that heat treatment of foods has a destructive effect on all the beneficial substances they contain. Buckwheat is no exception.
When cooked, the amount of plant fiber in grains is reduced almost threefold, and vitamins remain in minimal quantities. While steamed cereal contains them in full.
It is estimated that fiber in raw cereal is about 11 g per 100 g of kernels. When cooking porridge, the indicators drop to 4 g per 100 g. Thus, in order to replenish the body’s daily need for fiber (20-30 g), you need to eat 200-300 g of steamed cereal, while boiled cereal will need almost 3 times more - 600-900 g, which is unacceptable for those who eat buckwheat for weight loss. In addition, the increased calorie content does not allow us to consider such a dish as a dietary one.
Steamed buckwheat has a low glycemic index; after eating it, you retain a feeling of fullness for a long time, which makes it possible to use it for losing excess weight.
How to conduct it correctly
Rapid weight loss on buckwheat is not a myth. But in order to achieve a positive result, you need to know the rules for carrying out a fasting day. Fewer deviations from nutritionist recommendations will ultimately amazingly transform your appearance and improve your intestinal function.
- For a fasting day, both the traditional brown variety of buckwheat is suitable (moreover, you need to choose a grain that is lighter in color - it has been fried less, which means it retains more useful substances in the composition), and green - it has even more benefits, but it has a specific taste , which may not appeal to everyone.
- The most suitable way to prepare the main dish for a fasting day is steaming. Boiled buckwheat is also useful, and a fasting day is also practiced on it, but the effectiveness is much lower.
- During a fasting day, buckwheat can be supplemented with other products, although their variability is limited by nutritionists to dairy products, apples and vegetables.
- Before you start a fasting day, you need to prepare your body - reduce the consumption of junk food (fried, fatty, smoked, sweet, baked goods) for a couple of days and gradually reduce the amount of food consumed (subject to large portions).
- Throughout the fasting day you need to drink clean water without gas. Its total volume should be at least 1.5 liters.
- The last meal is no later than 19 pm.
- Compliance with a fasting day also implies the absence of contraindications when consuming buckwheat. You should definitely familiarize yourself with them before starting the diet.
- Buckwheat fasting day is one of the few varieties acceptable during pregnancy, but in this case there are a number of features that must be taken into account.
How to cook buckwheat?
- The evening before the fasting day, buckwheat must be soaked in hot water.
- It should be covered loosely and left overnight.
- It is prohibited to salt, sweeten or add other foods (nuts, dried fruits, fresh fruits, vegetables and spices) to buckwheat.
- In the morning, the resulting porridge can already be consumed.
Cooking instructions on video
How much cereal do you need?
For the whole day you will need 250 grams of buckwheat or 1 glass. This amount requires 2 glasses of water. Steamed buckwheat should be divided into 5 equal portions, which will need to be consumed throughout the fasting day, taking equal breaks between them.
Composition and calorie content
It is not for nothing that buckwheat is considered the queen among all other cereals. It has a rich vitamin and mineral composition. It widely contains group B, C, vitamin PP, iodine, plant proteins, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, choline, folic acid, rutin, minerals - magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, iron, silicon, manganese, potassium, copper, calcium.
This cereal contains a lot of plant fiber, which is vital for normal digestion, and therefore the full functioning of the whole body.
The protein content in 100 g of cereal is 12.6 g, fat – 3.3 g, carbohydrates – 62.1 g.
It has a low calorie content - buckwheat without cooking contains about 100 kcal per 100 g of product. However, after heat treatment, the number of calories triples - up to 300 kcal per 100 g of finished dish.
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 amounts to 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, you need to pay attention to the following characteristics and features :
- Cereal grain integrity. Grinding grain entails the loss of substances valuable to the human body.
- 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.
- Minimum amount of unrefined, spoiled grains, foreign impurities.
- Transparent polyethylene packaging, which allows you to visually inspect the cereal for the presence of foreign inclusions, prevents the product from becoming damp.
- No foreign odors, mold or mustiness.
Buckwheat of proper quality is a rich source of energy and substances valuable for 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 the 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.
Useful and harmful properties
Like any product, buckwheat has both positive and negative properties.
Health Benefits
Steamed buckwheat has the following beneficial qualities for the body:
- helps replenish the deficiency of vitamins, macro- and microelements;
- due to its high fiber content, it helps improve digestion and eliminate constipation;
- has the ability to absorb and remove toxins and waste from the body;
- with regular use, it improves blood composition;
- has a beneficial effect on metabolism, speeds up metabolism;
- promotes the removal of harmful cholesterol from the body;
- normalizes blood sugar levels;
- has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system;
- helps prevent and fight atherosclerosis, hypertension, rheumatism, stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis;
- strengthens the walls of blood vessels, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the liver, kidneys and pancreas;
- strengthens the nervous system, improves sleep, eliminates insomnia;
- due to the low glycemic index, it is indicated for nutrition of patients with diabetes;
- promotes weight loss.
Harm to health
Undercooked buckwheat can bring not only benefits, but also cause harm in some cases.
First of all, it can cause indigestion, which will lead to bloating, diarrhea or, conversely, constipation.
This cereal should not be consumed if you have some diseases, as it can worsen the condition.
Long-term consumption of buckwheat alone can lead to decreased muscle tone, weakness, dizziness, and digestive problems.
Buckwheat steamed with boiling water - three best and healthy recipes
For the night
The easiest and most accessible way for everyone is to pour the cereal in the evening. You don’t even need boiling water for this, just simple boiled water, the main thing is that it is clean. This will make the porridge even more healthy, but the core will still be quite elastic and crumbly. Proportions 1:2. You wash a glass of buckwheat, fill it with two glasses of water, close it, and leave it until the morning. But you can use boiling water, then the porridge will be very close to what is obtained during cooking.
At night with kefir
Instead of water, you can use another product that is always included in the diet of those who want to lose excess weight. Take 1% kefir if you are losing weight and regular kefir if not. The kernel should still be clean, after which you combine the components in a 1/1 ratio. In the morning, the porridge is ready to eat. You can add berries or dried fruits here. Kefir is also added to porridge, which has been steamed with water in the evening, as was said in the first version.
Everyone probably knows about the benefits of buckwheat from early childhood. And parents are undoubtedly right in proving to their children the enormous value of this cereal.
Buckwheat is rich in microelements
, such as calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, cobalt, nickel, zinc.
Not every grain plant can boast such a huge variety of minerals! But that is not all. Let's not forget about vitamins
: buckwheat contains almost all B vitamins, which are responsible for the growth and proper development of the body, vitamin E, which preserves beauty and youth, PP is a healing vitamin responsible for almost all processes in the body.
Compared to other cereals, buckwheat has the least amount of carbohydrates, which is something that people who are overweight should definitely take note of.
Buckwheat contains large quantities of dietary fiber and fiber, helping not only to normalize the functioning of the digestive system, but also as a preventative against intestinal obstruction. Moreover, buckwheat contains the amino acid tryptophan, which is involved in the construction of new cells and prevents cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.
In addition to all of the above valuable properties of buckwheat, there is one more thing that is most important for the vast majority of people - taste. Buckwheat is a very aromatic and tasty porridge.
Do you know the best way to prepare buckwheat porridge so that it retains maximum of its benefits? I'll tell you how to do it. But first answer me one question.
What color is buckwheat?
Brown? Yes, we are used to seeing only this color. After all, most stores only sell brown, pre-fried buckwheat. And some of us additionally heat it in a frying pan at home. Therefore, few people know that buckwheat is actually a delicate beige color with a slight light green tint.
This fresh, unroasted buckwheat is usually called green buckwheat.
. Unlike fried, calcined buckwheat, it is more valuable in all respects. You know that at high temperatures many vitamins are destroyed. That is why buckwheat soaked overnight is healthier than boiled porridge, and green buckwheat is a real treasure chest.
To cook green buckwheat, you don't need a saucepan. A wide bowl will be enough. After all, we are not going to cook anything. We will... germinate it.
You need to start preparing the healthiest buckwheat “porridge” in advance. In the afternoon or evening, we sort through, wash the live buckwheat and pour it into a wide bowl. Fill with cold water and leave for several hours (3-4) to swell. After this time or before going to bed, drain the water from the bowl and thoroughly rinse the cereal several times under running water. It is convenient to do this by pouring the buckwheat into a mesh colander. We pour the washed “porridge” back into a wide bowl or plate, cover the top with a lid and calmly go to rest: by the morning the buckwheat will cook itself and you will see tender white sprouts. All we have to do is thoroughly rinse the sprouted grains under running water once again - and you’re ready to eat!
If you are still a beginner raw foodist or just want to improve your health without completely switching to live food, you can season the sprouts with soy sauce, sprinkle with herbs, and add sour cream. But believe me, they are very tasty on their own. Their taste differs from traditional buckwheat porridge cooked in a saucepan, but is by no means inferior in comparison.
Give it a try. It is delicious. And you can be sure of the benefits of sprouted grain.
So, now you know that the healthiest way to prepare buckwheat porridge is to sprout green buckwheat.
PS And if you want to become a real hero or Amazon, take on board another useful recipe - Bogatyr rye porridge.
Rules of use
Experts believe that in order to get the maximum benefit from steamed buckwheat, you need to eat it 2-3 times a week. It is advisable not to add salt or add sugar, so as not to increase calorie content. But if such a dish turns out to be too bland, you can add spices in small quantities.
It is advisable, along with buckwheat prepared in this way, to eat more vegetables, herbs, and unsweetened fruits. Take 300-500 g of cereal and up to 1 kg of fresh fruits and vegetables per day.
It is preferable to eat a portion of steamed buckwheat for breakfast, since after such a meal you feel full for a long time, which helps reduce your daily calorie intake and avoid snacking too much. However, if desired, you can consume steamed porridge at any time and several times a day.
Some nutritionists believe that buckwheat prepared in this way is best consumed in 6 meals. When steaming, it is enough to take a handful of cereal that fits in the palm of your hand. Eating such portions allows you to reduce stomach volume and reduce excess weight.
How to eat buckwheat correctly
It doesn’t matter whether you follow a buckwheat diet or just give yourself a fasting day - it is advisable to follow these basic rules.
- It is necessary to adhere to fractional meals. There should be 5-6 meals a day, small portions. In this way you will speed up metabolic processes, which will lead to weight loss.
- You should prepare the porridge in exactly the same quantity as you will eat in one day. The next day you should prepare a fresh portion, especially if you are steaming cereal.
- In addition to buckwheat, you can eat fruits, vegetables, and herbs. But include in your diet those that are low in starch.
- If you play sports, then reduce the intensity during the diet. Walking, exercise, cycling are suitable.
- Don't forget about your drinking regime. You should drink at least two liters of water per day, not counting other drinks. It is best to drink the first glass of water on an empty stomach to speed up metabolic processes.
- You can visit the bathhouse a couple of times a week. At high temperatures, the pores will expand, and toxins and waste will leave the body faster.
- But you should not take laxatives. All toxins should be released naturally; there is no need to try to speed up the process.
- You should avoid starchy foods, sweets, fast food and other junk foods.
You can also pour kefir over already steamed buckwheat.
How to steam correctly?
You can prepare healthy dishes from this cereal using different recipes. The main rule is that before steaming buckwheat, it must be thoroughly washed in several waters, and, if necessary, sorted out of small debris. The cereal must be clean. It is not recommended to fry it.
Water should only be boiled; raw hot tap water should not be used.
For the night
It is best to prepare a delicious healthy breakfast from the core, which will charge you with energy and relieve hunger for a long time.
To do this in the evening, before going to bed, you need to rinse 1 glass of cereal and pour 2 glasses of boiling water into it in an enamel container. Cover with a lid, wrap warmly and leave in a warm place until the morning. By this time, the buckwheat will swell and become airy, almost indistinguishable from the boiled product. You can lightly salt it or add a little sugar and eat it on an empty stomach.
Instead of boiling water, it is allowed to use hot or even cool boiled water, but in this case, the grains after infusion will be more dense and elastic.
At night with kefir
You can increase the benefits and improve the taste of cereals if you soak them not in water, but in fermented milk products, for example, kefir. This healthy dish will improve digestion and saturate the body with vitamins.
For those who want to lose excess weight, it is advisable to take kefir with low fat content; for everyone else, this factor does not play a big role. The main thing is that the fermented milk product is fresh. It is allowed to stand at room temperature and washed buckwheat is poured in in a 1:1 ratio.
After a few hours, the finished dish can be eaten. The duration of infusion is determined experimentally - it depends on the quality of the products, environmental conditions, and a person’s taste preferences.
You can add fruits or boiled dried fruits, berries, or vegetables and herbs to your porridge.
Kefir can also be added to ready-made buckwheat, steamed in water. However, such a dish will be higher in calories.
In a thermos
It is convenient to steam the cereal in a thermos - this way you can get a fluffy, crumbly porridge, in addition, the cooking time is reduced to 3-4 hours. You can take the finished dish with you to work or on a trip - in a closed container it keeps the temperature for a long time.
Pour buckwheat into a thermos up to half the flask, pour boiling water up to the neck and close tightly. To avoid problems with removing the finished product, it is better to use a container with a wide neck. In addition, instead of whole grains - kernels - you can use buckwheat.
Liquid buckwheat porridge on water
In some cases, people prefer to eat not crumbly porridge for breakfast, but a more liquid version, such as porridge-smear.
To prepare such a dish, you need to take more liquid so that the cereal cannot absorb all the moisture. Therefore, the grains need to be poured with boiling water in a ratio of 1:4, then after a few hours you can get a liquid dish. If you use kefir, you need to take 2 times more of it than cereal.
Why steam buckwheat overnight?
If you want to get the maximum benefit from eating buckwheat , saturate your 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, since 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 cereal , but it is significantly superior in useful 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.
Contraindications for use
Despite the fact that buckwheat without cooking is beneficial for the human body, in some cases its consumption should be reduced to a minimum.
First of all, this applies to people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the acute stage. A large volume of raw product can cause digestive upset and lead to dyspeptic symptoms.
This cereal has the ability to lower blood pressure, so people with hypotension should eat it with caution.
It is also better for persons with reduced blood clotting to limit the consumption of this porridge.
It is not recommended to include thermally unprocessed buckwheat in the diet of pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Therefore, before you start eating steamed cereal, it is better to consult a doctor or a nutrition specialist.
Types of diet
The mono-diet with buckwheat is divided into the following types:
- medicinal and for weight loss;
- strict and lightweight;
- unloading - three-, seven-, fourteen-day.
Since it is permissible to consume other foods on a light diet, it can be combined with:
- vegetables, cheese, fruits;
- dried fruits;
- kefir;
- avocado.
The listed products cannot be combined at the same time, but only in the variations described above.
Buckwheat diet for 3 days
An ideal choice for those who want to lose no more than two to three kilograms in a short time. This diet can be used as a “test” to see how your body reacts to this diet. It is best to sit on buckwheat and water for three days. You can eat cereal without any restrictions. You need to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day. When it is difficult to withstand such restrictions, you should drink low-fat kefir.
Weekly menu
Buckwheat diet for 7 days for weight loss
The longer option is more difficult than the three-day one. It is recommended to adhere to a strict (classical) regimen only when you need to lose more than 3-4 kilograms. Otherwise, you can choose an option where other products are allowed.
A seven-day strict diet involves eating only buckwheat and clean water. If it’s really difficult, you can drink a little low-fat kefir. Buckwheat can be eaten in unlimited quantities. The recommended number of meals is six.
You can follow a light buckwheat diet according to the following scheme:
From the first to the fourth day:
- for breakfast they eat 50 grams of buckwheat and a glass of kefir;
- for an afternoon snack, drink a glass of kefir;
- for lunch they eat 50 grams of cereal and 100 grams of yogurt;
- dinner repeats breakfast.
On the fifth and sixth days:
- have breakfast with 50 grams of buckwheat and drink a cup of green tea;
- have a snack with 100 grams of yogurt;
- have lunch with 90 grams of buckwheat and a glass of kefir;
- have dinner with 50 grams of buckwheat and a glass of kefir.
Seventh day:
A liter of kefir and 200 grams of buckwheat are divided into several doses. If you are overcome by a strong feeling of hunger, you can snack on an apple or drink a cup of green tea.
Two week diet
It is considered the most effective for weight loss. To lose as much weight as possible, follow the following diet:
- For the first breakfast, serve 50 grams of cereal and a glass of low-fat kefir;
- For second breakfast, drink a glass of low-fat kefir;
- For lunch, drink green sweet tea and eat 100 grams of buckwheat;
- Snack on an apple;
- Dinner duplicates breakfast.
You can include fruits, vegetables, dried fruits and other permitted products in the menu. When eating extra food, you should remember that this reduces the weight loss effect. The main thing is not to consume more than 950 kilocalories.
Buckwheat diet. Daily menu for a buckwheat diet
Therapeutic version of the buckwheat diet
Used to strengthen the body. The diet is similar to that for following a diet that helps you lose weight.
The differences are in the following points:
- cottage cheese is added to breakfast;
- salad with meat is served for lunch;
- The portions are made voluminous, but the number of meals is reduced to three.
An approximate diet could be like this:
- for breakfast, mix 120 g of cottage cheese with 90 grams of buckwheat;
- dine with 90 grams of buckwheat, vegetable salad, 100 grams of boiled veal;
- For dinner, drink a glass of kefir and eat 90 grams of cereal.
You are allowed to snack on natural yogurt or an apple.
Fasting diet
Cleanses the body. A number of nutritionists recommend first unloading, and only then going on a more stringent version of the diet. Unlike the three-day option, the fasting period is much shorter, but it helps to find out whether there are any problems with the gastrointestinal tract that are contraindications to a buckwheat diet.
The cleansing buckwheat diet menu involves preparing porridge according to one of the two methods described above. The amount of cereal consumed is about 250 grams, which is divided into four to five meals. You need to drink a liter of low-fat kefir per day.
Buckwheat and kefir diet
It is practically no different from other varieties. It is also designed for weight loss. Along with buckwheat porridge, which is prepared per day from 200-250 grams of cereal, they also drink kefir. It is recommended to drink between one and one and a half liters. The main thing is to determine the norm for food intake, and then adhere to the established framework for the next one or two weeks. You can only drink water, but eating other foods is not recommended.
With dried fruits
It involves consuming not only buckwheat porridge cooked in water, but also dried fruits - prunes or dried apricots. Adhering to such a diet is recommended for those who cannot live without sweets. Add two to three chopped fruits to each serving of porridge. Dried fruits are washed well before use. You can snack on kefir, but you cannot drink more than a liter per day, or yogurt, the amount of which should not exceed 100 grams.
Reviews
Anastasia, 38 years old, Vladivostok: “When diabetes was diagnosed, I had to dramatically change my diet. Many dishes have become unavailable, including the favorite buckwheat with stew. But the doctor advised not to cook, but to steam the cereal in boiling water, and boil the meat separately. When I tried it for the first time, I didn’t like the taste, but it outweighed the need to eat right. It was possible to reduce the sugar level almost to normal, in addition, several extra kilograms disappeared unnoticed.”
Maria, 53 years old, Krasnodar: “I am overweight, I tried a dozen diets, nothing helped, because I fainted from hunger. But a friend who managed to lose several kilograms shared her secret - eating steamed buckwheat. At first the taste seemed bland, but after such a breakfast you can not feel hungry for several hours, as was the case with other diets. I ate it every day, and as a result, I lost 7 kg in 2 weeks.”