Is Buckwheat Paleo?
Used in pancakes, muffins, and the Japanese soba noodles, buckwheat is a staple ingredient for many gluten-free households around to world. However, just because something is free of gluten, doesn’t mean its Paleo. Let’s investigate: is buckwheat Paleo?
What is Buckwheat?
Despite the name, buckwheat is not actually related to wheat. It is not in the grass family, but is actually related to rhubarb. The seeds are triangular, and were first cultivated in Southeast Asia, possibly as far back as 6000 BC. The production of a small white flower makes buckwheat a common filler plant for gardens, and gives it the ability to make a dark-colored honey. The buckwheat seed, which is commonly ground into flour, is high in starch, and also has a high concentration of all essential amino acids.
You will commonly see buckwheat as ground flour, prepared into soba noodles, or as groats, which can be cooked like oatmeal. It is also gluten-free and is often used much like barley in gluten-free beer. Buckwheat is technically an achene, much like the sunflower seed, but it is classified as a grain.
Is Buckwheat Paleo?
No, buckwheat is not Paleo. Grains are not considered Paleo primarily because of the presence of phytates and saponins, and many seeds, including buckwheat and quinoa fall into this category. Buckwheat is generally considered a “mild cheat” by many Paleo and Primal eaters, so if you’ve got a hankering for pasta, it’s definitely better than your traditional white or wheat flour options. Otherwise, use alternative flours, like tapioca, almond, coconut, or ground plantains to make baked goods and pancakes, and check out grain-free Asian noodles like sweet potato vermicelli and tapioca noodles to make soba.
Related Articles:
- Why No Grains & Legumes (paleoplan.com)
- Paleo Pasta (paleocupboard.com)
- 4 Grain-Free Noodles (thenourishinggourmet.com)
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Buckwheat is not a grain it’s a seed. You should have done proper research not some Wikipedia or what other bloggers say. I don’t know where you go this information but it is incorrect.
Buckwheat is actually a plant, a flower with grain like seeds. It is NOT a grain but mistaken and also cultivated as one.
From this article:
“Buckwheat is technically an achene, much like the sunflower seed, but it is classified as a grain.”
Then you state:
“No, buckwheat is not Paleo. Grains are not considered Paleo…”
So which is it? If Buckwheat is technically an achene, then why automatically discount it as “not Paleo”?
Please explain.
Hi Vast Majority – That’s a great question! Sorry for leaving the post a little too vague here. Buckwheat is technically an achene, but here’s the funny thing about the grain classification – it is technically just the members of the grass family that are grown for their edible seeds, including things like corn, barley, wheat, rice, and sorghum. Just because something is a seed, doesn’t mean it is or isn’t a grain. However, some seeds cultivated for their edible seeds are not in the grass family, which are often called “pseudograins” (or pseudocereal) in the Paleo world. They aren’t quite as bad on your digestive tract since they’re free of gluten (think buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa), but they are high in starch and carbs, can still cause blood sugar spikes (depending on your metabolism), and are not as nutrient dense as the main Paleo foods (meat, vegetables, nuts/fruits). Since the Paleo diet seeks to optimize nutrition, buckwheat and these other “pseudograins” come with more carbs than they’re usually worth in nutritional value. (Plus, man is it hard to find buckwheat noodles that haven’t been blended with wheat!) If you’re looking for a “sometimes” cheat or grain alternative, then “pseudograins” are your best bet, but they should not be part of a strict Paleo lifestyle. (Try this: consume strict Paleo for 30 days, then eat a meal with buckwheat everyday for 1 week and see how your body reacts.)
I really hope this helps! If you don’t see the exact answer you’re looking for in another post, don’t hesitate to ask! You can also normally click on the “related articles,” as we often simply give a “yes/no” to the food and refrain from too much explanation since many others have already provided detailed information!
OH and to pull another great explanation from Mark Sisson at Mark’s Daily Apple:
Historically speaking, buckwheat certainly isn’t paleo. You can put lipstick on a pseudocereal, but it’s still a high-carb, high-glycemic-loading grain wannabe. It also requires significant amounts of processing (grinding, roasting, rinsing, sprouting) to become edible to humans, and the earliest known domesticated cultivation of buckwheat was in Southeast Asia, probably around 6000 BC, well after the advent of agriculture. A wild form obviously existed before, but – as with grains and legumes – not in large enough quantities for it to become a regular food source for early man.
Thanks my body doesn’t react to it does this mean I can include it as part of a main staple following paleo….. Or was I better off with the oats I’d have once in a while
Can you please speak more to the fact that buckwheat has substantially more fiber than other carb sources, and how this actually effects the glycemic load, among other things. Otherwise we are simply placing it in a carb category without really looking at the real intricacy of nutrition. If you have not done research beyond the definition of “buckwheat”, it would be worthwhile to note that.
I’m not Paleo but I am gluten free and I make lots of gluten free breads. This weekend I made a gluten free version of Soda Bread using only Buckwheat flour. I’ve eaten a few slices of it and it’s quite tasty once you get used to the strong flavor but more importantly, my blood sugar seemed stabilized by it. I felt great after my breakfast of 2 slices of this bread w/some butter. Now, tapioca starch which is more acceptable in the Paleo community causes my blood sugar to surge unbelievably. And my gluten eating friend experienced the same thing. We made a Brazilian bread w/100% Tapioca starch and after eating that, both us felt strange, light headed and awful. It seemed to cause a sugar rush that was more profound than table sugar or wheat (per my friend) The Paleo diet, to me, just does not seem super scientific. Just blindly adopting a caveman’s diet (in our mind’s eye as we don’t really know with certainty) without a lot of scientific rigor to it just isn’t compelling to me at all. I do, however, think wheat is the culprit of a lot of the health issues of the world today. I found Wheat Belly to be a good book, though I disagreed with some of what the author said.
Lola71 – Thanks so much for such a thought-out response! We love hearing varying experiences and opinions on different diets. I believe that some things work great for some, while not-so-great for others, and it is important to practice moderation, vary your diet, and reduce your intake of starchy refined carbohydrates, more than to adhere to any specific set of rules. I’m glad that Buckwheat flour works well for you!
I have celiac and have followed a paleo / gaps diet for the last few years. I can tolerate split lentils and buckwheat. I know it’s not paleo but I sometimes add in a food here and there. I recently made some kasha in home made gelatin / bone broth and have not felt I’ll affects from it; vs. Quinoa which make me feel terrible. I still can’t touch dairy. So somehow my body sees buckwheat as a different food group. Am I doing damage and fooling myself??
There are a number of studies that have shown Buckwheat to have a low GI and actually be very good at lowering glucose in diabetics. I think the jury is still out on this one.