Five Health Benefits of Gluten Free Soba Noodles
Authentic soba noodles are made from 100 per cent buckwheat, which is not related to the wheat family; instead, it is part of the rhubarb and sorrel family. This ancient grain has many health benefits and here we take a look at five of them.
One of the main benefits of using 100 per cent soba (buckwheat) noodles is that they are gluten free. If you have been advised to avoid gluten for your health, you can still enjoy making tasty noodle dishes simply by replacing your regular noodles with a gluten free soba noodle pack. Make sure that the soba noodles you buy are authentic and don’t contain added wheat in the ingredients, as some cheaper brands include wheat flour to make the noodles easier to produce and cook.
Buckwheat is also rich in minerals, such as magnesium, zinc and copper. These minerals help to support our immune system, our energy levels and provide antioxidant protection. Studies have indicated that buckwheat may also have prebiotic benefits, which will help to support our internal flora by nourishing the healthy bacteria in our digestive tract.
A bowl of stir-fried vegetables and noodles is a convenient meal that we can quickly put together at short notice. However, the high levels of refined carbohydrates in regular noodles can lead to a spike in your blood sugar level. If you replace these high carbohydrate wheat-based noodles with a gluten free soba noodle meal, you can slow down the rate at which the carbohydrates are digested. Soba noodles do contain carbohydrates; however, as soba noodles are made from 100 per cent buckwheat, they are high in fibre and protein, which have been shown to slow down the rate at which carbohydrate is absorbed.
Nutritional studies have shown that buckwheat has similar cholesterol-lowering properties to oats. If you need to watch your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol level, for example, you can have a daily bowl of oatmeal and can vary your other meals just by adding gluten free soba noodles to your shopping list.
If you are following a gluten free diet and you want to continue to enjoy tasty noodle dishes, why not give soba noodles a try? Along with being gluten free, you will find they have so many other benefits for you and your family’s health.
1. Tasty gluten free soba noodle dishes
One of the main benefits of using 100 per cent soba (buckwheat) noodles is that they are gluten free. If you have been advised to avoid gluten for your health, you can still enjoy making tasty noodle dishes simply by replacing your regular noodles with a gluten free soba noodle pack. Make sure that the soba noodles you buy are authentic and don’t contain added wheat in the ingredients, as some cheaper brands include wheat flour to make the noodles easier to produce and cook.
2. High in protein
As soba noodles are made from buckwheat, they are a great addition to any meal. Buckwheat is higher in protein than wheat; what’s more, using these noodles will give your protein intake a healthy boost, as two ounces of soba noodles will give you over eight grams of protein. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, soba noodles will be a tasty way to include more protein in your diet; alternatively, if you are neither vegetarian nor vegan and just enjoy eating noodles, why not try soba noodles to boost your daily protein intake? You can then consider lowering other forms of animal protein, such as chicken, beef or fish.3. Rich in minerals
Buckwheat is also rich in minerals, such as magnesium, zinc and copper. These minerals help to support our immune system, our energy levels and provide antioxidant protection. Studies have indicated that buckwheat may also have prebiotic benefits, which will help to support our internal flora by nourishing the healthy bacteria in our digestive tract.
4. Better for your blood sugar level
A bowl of stir-fried vegetables and noodles is a convenient meal that we can quickly put together at short notice. However, the high levels of refined carbohydrates in regular noodles can lead to a spike in your blood sugar level. If you replace these high carbohydrate wheat-based noodles with a gluten free soba noodle meal, you can slow down the rate at which the carbohydrates are digested. Soba noodles do contain carbohydrates; however, as soba noodles are made from 100 per cent buckwheat, they are high in fibre and protein, which have been shown to slow down the rate at which carbohydrate is absorbed.
5. Heart benefits
Nutritional studies have shown that buckwheat has similar cholesterol-lowering properties to oats. If you need to watch your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol level, for example, you can have a daily bowl of oatmeal and can vary your other meals just by adding gluten free soba noodles to your shopping list.
If you are following a gluten free diet and you want to continue to enjoy tasty noodle dishes, why not give soba noodles a try? Along with being gluten free, you will find they have so many other benefits for you and your family’s health.