Superfood powders are one of my favourite recipe additions – but do you know just how good they are for you? As well as share with you my favourite new smoothie recipe, I take a little look at baobab and its superfood status…
I’ve always found it a little tricky to get my head around superfood powders – exotic names and flavours are the first mystery, and then their health benefits the second! However, I have been a fan of baobab for quite some time, and along with its citrus scent is a wonderful boost of vitamins and minerals that I really enjoy in a morning smoothie (smoothies are my go-to breakfast, don’t you know!)
There’s actually a clue in taste of baobab as to its health benefits; the citrus notes relate to the high vitamin C content. In fact, one dessert spoonful (around 5g) provides 375% of your vitamin C needs for the day, along with a good amount of potassium, calcium, and iron. This makes for a good combination, as iron and vitamin C work together for effective absorption in the body, in the same way that vitamin D and calcium pair up too.
In case you’re wondering where baobab gets its super powers from, it’s perhaps reflected in the tree it comes from – they’re tall, strong plants that grow for years in Africa, flowering with large, heavy white flowers that develop into the nutritious fruit. And the mystery behind baobab isn’t uncommon – it’s only really been available in Europe since 2008!
Coming up to Christmas, it’s also good to recognise baobab’s humble beginnings – as one of the great tree fruit from Africa, you can support the growth of such nutritious food for its local people by Growing Hope with TreeAid.
In the meantime, enjoy this recipe – I’ve been using Minvita’s baobab powder* recently, and it’s great to have a large amount stocked away for whenever I fancy it. For a smoothie bowl, you’ll need a frozen chopped banana. If you’d like a straight smoothie, go for fresh!
Blueberry & Baobab Smoothie Bowl
Serves 1
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 spoonful Minvita baobab powder*
1 tbsp almond butter
250ml plant-based milk
- Pop the banana in your blender, along with the blueberries, baobab powder, almond butter, and plant-based milk – I usually use soy, but almond is richer
- Blend for a minute or two – I find if you leave the frozen banana to sit for a few minutes before blending, it’ll be a lot easier
- Pour into a bowl or glass, top with almonds, and enjoy!
