In my opinion, when it comes to porridge nothing can ever beat oats - the taste and texture are second to none and they're extremely cheap and readily available. Unfortunately, not everyone can tolerate oats due to having an allergy or intolerance to gluten. Oats themselves do not contain gluten but are usually packaged in the same environment as gluten-containing products, which is a problem for people who are extremely sensitive to it. They also contain a protein called avenin which is similar to gluten; research has shown that a lot of people with coeliac disease can actually consume avenin (and therefore oats) with little or no problem but there are some people who do have difficulties with it. Luckily for them there are still lots of ways to enjoy porridge, including using buckwheat, quinoa and rice flakes. The first alternative I tried was buckwheat flake porridge but oddly enough, although I adore all other buckwheat products (groats, flour, noodles, crispbreads etc.), I just couldn't get used to the taste of the flakes on their own. However, once I threw some banana into the mix my opinion of them soared and now they're one of my favourite gluten-free breakfast options.
Ingredients
Serves 1
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flakes (or 1/4 cup buckwheat flakes and 1/4 cup oats if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 cup water (or another 1/2 cup milk)
- 1 ripe banana (optional but recommended)
Method
Put the buckwheat flakes and liquid (and optional oats) into a small saucepan, turn the heat up to the highest setting and bring the liquid to a boil. Once it's boiling reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened up a bit.
Cut the banana in half and mash one half into a pulp. Add this into the porridge and let it cook for another three or four minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's at your desired consistency. When it's ready pour it into a bowl, add your toppings (the other half of the banana is always good) and enjoy!
Just out of curiousuty, but how can they contain that much protein? The ones I can find are 7.0 g per 100g and oats are 14 g per 100g... Doesn't make sense??? :O
ReplyThat's odd! The buckwheat flakes I use contain 15g of protein per 100g and the gluten-free oats I use have 7g - I've just checked two other brands of oats that I occasionally use and one contains 10g of protein per 100g and the other has 14g so I'm not sure what's going on there, haha! I guess it all depends on the brands you use :) xxx
Hi Meghan! Does buckwheat taste any different to oats? I'm holding back trying it but getting a bit bored of oats and need to mix up my breakfast! Thanks :) x
ReplyHey lovely! It does taste quite different, yeah - buckwheat flakes have got a much stronger flavour than oats and I find them a bit overwhelming on their own but I know some people really like them :) xxx