Buckwheat: Calories, Nutrition & Healthier Swaps

Despite the name, buckwheat isn't wheat — it's a gluten-free seed cooked like a grain. It brings magnesium and more protein than white rice, with a nutty, earthy taste.

Buckwheat nutrition facts per 100 g and per serving

Values per 100 g as eaten, averaged from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) and rounded — a specific brand or recipe will differ a little.

Buckwheat: nutrition highlights

It has 5.4 g of fiber per serving — roughly 22% of the 25 g a day most adults fall short of. There's almost no sugar: the carbohydrate is mostly starch.

On the open Nutri-Score algorithm, buckwheat gets an A: one of the better picks in its category. The score weighs calories, sugar, saturated fat and salt against protein, fiber and the share of fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts.

What to watch

• It's low in fiber, so add vegetables, greens or beans to the plate.

How much movement is one serving?

One serving (plate, 200 g) is 220 kcal — roughly 72 min of easy walking or 28 min of cycling for a 70 kg (154 lb) person. In the diary, minutes are worked out for your weight and the activities you actually do.

Healthier swaps for Buckwheat

Swaps are picked the same way the app does it: from the same kind of food, with a serving matched to the same calories (±25%), and only when the swap is clearly better — not “salad instead of pizza”.

• Lentils — 190 g, 220 kcal: +9.6 g fibre, +8.7 g protein.
• Kidney Beans — 180 g, 216 kcal: −0.6 g salt, +6.1 g fibre.
• White beans, boiled — 160 g, 216 kcal: −0.6 g salt, +4.7 g fibre.
• Red lentils, boiled — 190 g, 224 kcal: +4.1 g fibre, +8.7 g protein.