Raw cereal question re buckwheat substitute ...

[Diana Cda]

I've been making a fanstastic cereal for every day that has helped round out my day.

It takes soaked buckwheat, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and then anything else that catches my fancy -- shredded coconut, goji berries, raisins, salba (chia seed??) etc., etc. I make a wonderful almond or other nut or seed milk (about 1 C soaked nuts drained, blended with 3 C water, approx. 1 t cacao nibs and 1 small piece of vanilla bean [this last previously soaked at same time, though in separate container, to the soaked nuts]).

So the only thing is this, I can't figure out what to substitute the staple buckwheat for. It seems to be the backbone to this. I can change everything else but not that, it seems. Does anyone know what might work, though?

[Crisyn]

What about quinoa?

[faith4u]

Why don't you want to use buckwheat?

[Diana Cda]

Why don't you want to use buckwheat?Because I'll get to the point I don't want to eat it since it's the main ingredient! <lol>

I'm finding that I can change everything else in the recipe but it definitely seems to have to have buckwheat. I know that I'm going to get sick and tired of it and pretty quickly which is why I'm hunting for other grains/seeds that will help give me variety.

Once I get some sprouting oats and can make my own oat flakes, I know that these will make a great substitute. I may also do alright with flakes made from other grains. Money's very tight so will just have to take this one step at a time but really need to find something that will help in the meanwhile.

Anyway, this cereal seems to nearly fill the gap. I still feel I'm missing something in my diet and I don't know what yet (though suspect and hope that just eating more greens and sprouts will do the trick) but since I've been eating this cereal, I've been able to give up the daily chocolate bar(s)!!!! I'm so close in my complete raw food journey now.

So, as can be imagined, I absolutely don't want to get sick of the taste of the buckwheat <g>.

Thanks. Will give the quinoa a try. I might even have some on hand. :)

[michigan roman]

raw organic hullless oat groats = delicious ! :)

[michigan roman]

also soak hard wheat berries for 24 hours for another great grain food . though im eating this as a rice subsitute with vegetable type things as opposed to the oats with cereal type things .

[fuzzywater]

What about quinoa?

I was just thinking this! I just sprouted some, dehydrated it and ground it up in my coffee grinder... threw a couple spoonfuls together with some coconut oil, maple syrup/agave, vanilla paste and water... I was trying to make something cookie-ish, but it wasn't firm enough, so I just ate it with a spoon - and it was YUMMY! Then I started thinking, "this would make a really nice porridge type dish in the morning..."

So I guess I second the quinoa idea. :rolleyes:

[faith4u]

Now I understand where you are coming from.

I, too, was a big buckwheat fan in the beginning. I was so used to eating heavy grain based breakfasts like cooked millet or quinoa.

So when I first went raw I ate a lot of buckwheat. Now I don't eat any. It doesn't sit well with me anymore it is just too hard on my stomach.

BUT it really helped me transition to raw foods by giving me that heavier feeling.

I would think that oats would be your next best bet.

[Morn]

I second the oat groats! Love them to make raw grawnola!

[Diana Cda]

I've tried the suggestions and they're working well. Also alternating between goji berries and raisins and some days putting in shredded coconut and sometimes not makes a difference. Today I didn't blend up the cacao nibs but left them whole. They'd soaked overnight so were soft. I think I'd like to add double the amount next time or about 2 T full.

What I've come to realize is that I feel the "base" of this "oatmeal"-style breakfast needs to be grain-based or something like it, rather than a nut or seed. So although buckwheat isn't a grain, if memory serves, it feels like it. I've not had luck in the past with wheat. I'm not too keen on it in sprout form. But perhaps a very small amount might work. Quinoa and amaranth seem fine. Buckwheat is still my choice and I like the flavour better, but it's important to keep cycling the ingredients, I feel.

What has surprised me is how well the sunflower seed milk holds up to the job. I have never liked it in the past and have always preferred almond milk but almonds are too expensive. And I'm talking about regular almonds not even organic ones! But the sunflower seeds I get are organic.

I'm currently making the sunseed milk using a soaked small piece of vanilla bean and adding agave nectar to sweeten.

Cheers.

[Diana Cda]

I just wanted to update this thread. I bought a Soyquick soy milk maker a few months ago and use it every 2nd day to make milk! It's one of my staple raw food preparation machines now. The mylk is out of this world and so very easy to make.

I soaked buckwheat and flax seeds and raisins together and then dehydrated that. I put almond mylk and date paste to sweeten and it's an excellent granola-like cereal.

When I have some time, to avoid a sweetener completely, I'll cut up dates very finely and add that to the soak mixture then will dehydrate the entire mix. The idea is to put the cereal and mylk in a jar and that's it. :)