Baobab Facts, How to Use it & Healthy Pesto Recipe!

More and more are people buying so called ‘super-fruit’ powders and as such I’ve received quite a few questions about how to use them! I’ve also been asked if these powders really are ‘super’, which is what inspired this blog post :).  So I really do hope that you find it useful!

 

I’ve already written a whole blog post on superfoods and their alternatives, and although you don’t NEED them to be ‘healthy’ they can be a good way of adding essential nutrients to your diet, as well as flavour, in a relatively low calorie way.

 

If you would like me to do more blog posts and videos on specific ‘superfoods’ then do let me know, but for now “Baobab” is first up and in this blog post (& video!) you’ll find out everything that you need to know; from what it is, to how to use it and there’s even a delicious pesto recipe that you can make too! Do let me know if you try it :).

 

 

• WHAT IS BAOBAB POWDER

Baobab is known as being a ‘Superfruit Powder’, which basically means that it’s a 100% natural and nutrient dense wholefood packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The powder its self is formed naturally inside the hard-shelled fruit of the African Baobab tree and it tastes quite sweet and citrusy, meaning that you can add it to both sweet and savoury dishes.

This tub of Baobab powder below is from a brand called Minvita and you get it online from health food shops including Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Amazon. I actually spoke to the guys at Minvita and they told me that the baobab powder is actually their most popular product which is what inspired this blog post and video!

 

 

• BAOBAB FACTS

To give you a bit more information about this “super fruit powder”, per 5g teaspoon contains just 12 calories and it’s actually 46% fibre meaning that it’s great for people who want to get their digestive system moving or want to improve their heart health.

And from a vitamin and mineral point of view baobab really is nutritious as weight for weight baobab contains:

5 times more vitamin C than an orange
7 times more potassium than a banana
2 times the amount of calcium found in milk
+ magnesium, iron & the B vitamins! 

 

 

• HOW TO USE BAOBAB

Baobab powder is really versatile as you can add it to porridge after cooking, to plain yoghurt for a sweeter taste or to smoothies; I personally love a banana and berry smoothie blended with milk and baobab powder (I use frozen berries)!

And if you’ve got a more savoury tooth then baobab powder goes really well in a tomato based or lemon sauce, which brings me on to a recipe that I am really am so excited to share with you..

 

 

• BAOBAB PESTO RECIPE

The recipe below is for Baobab Pesto and you can use it as a dip or as a salad dressing (as pictured above – add a little water to thin it out before drizzling!) or in a stir fry and I personally love it with courgette spaghetti (as pictured above – you simply add the pesto to spiralized courgette)!

To make this delicious healthy pesto all you need to do is add the following ingredients to a food processor and blend before adding some freshly ground salt and pepper to taste!

80g pine nuts

1 tablespoon baobab powder

large handful fresh basil

 juice from 1 lemon

5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

This pesto honestly tastes amazing and it’s vegan too which means that hopefully most of you reading can give it a go – and if you do then don’t forget to send me a picture and tag me on social media, just search for @nicsnutrition!

 

 

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed this blog post video and do let me know if you want any more information about other superfood powders!

 

 

*This video was filmed in collaboration with Minvita. This blog post contains affiliate links. All opinions and words are my own and are 100% honest. Please read my disclaimer page for more information.