Did you know that people who regularly eat buckwheat have lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugars? Plus, they’re loaded with a variety of phytochemicals—and they’re a rich source of protein, fiber, B vitamins, niacin, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.
Buckwheat is not wheat; nor is it a cereal. . .so if you or your children have gluten allergies, try some of it!
My kids loved oat bars when they lived at home, so today, I experimented with adding buckwheat—and they turned out great! [Taste tested: on a scale of 1-10, my husband rates them a 10; he says they are excellent!]
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly oil a 9”x 9” pan
Blend in high-speed blender until smooth and creamy:
3 ripe bananas (or 4-5 apples, quartered)
8 ounces pitted dates or prunes
3 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a large mixing bowl, toss together:
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups cooked and cooled buckwheat groats
1 cup chopped walnuts or raw sunflower kernels
1 cup raisins, dried cherries, or cocoa nibs
With clean hands, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the fruit paste. Mix together until all of the dry ingredients are thoroughly saturated.
Press into the lightly oiled pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool, cut, and store bars in airtight container.
These are perfect for kids’ breakfasts or after school sports!
Tip: I “collect” overripe bananas and apples with bruises. I cut the bad spots off, cut them into quarters, and store them in a gallon size Ziploc bag in the freezer. Whenever I’m ready to make a fruit paste, I take an amount out of the bag and toss it into my Vitamix. Sometimes, I even blend the fruit first before storing in the freezer.
Emily Boller, artist, mother, and author of Starved to Obesity, lost 100 pounds more than fifteen years ago by eating an abundance of high-nutrient, plant-rich food. Today, she’s certified in whole plant food nutrition from the Nutritarian Education Institute. She’s on a mission to combine practical, no-nonsense and cost-effective tips—with easy to understand science—in order to help anyone escape the addictive grip of the Standard American Diet. And now, she’s on a mission to bring awareness to the suffocating and potentially deadly trap of eating disorders as well.