2015 was the year of Kale, and now it seems that there’s a new superfood making its way into our morning smoothies. Moringa is a tree native to India and the Himalayas but is now cultivated in South America and Africa and has been an important food source for centuries. Known as the ‘mother’s best friend’ and the ‘never die tree’, moringa is a big deal. The so-called superfood is so versatile that the entire plant can be used, from the pods to the seeds and can be eaten fresh, cooked or dried.
Moringa contains over ninety nutrients including calcium, Vitamin C and Vitamin A and one hundred grams of dried moringa leaves contains nine times the protein of yogurt, ten times the Vitamin A of carrots and seventeen times the calcium of milk! Moringa has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol by blocking its absorption and researchers have found that mothers of premature babies increase their volume of breast milk after ingesting moringa capsules. Not only that, a study has found that on top of being potent in antioxidants the leaf and bark of the moringa plant has properties that could be beneficial when developing new cancer drugs. Drought resistant, water purifying and fast growing, moringa is also being used by humanitarian organisations to first alleviate, and then combat world hunger.
You can buy moringa as a powder or as a dietary supplement here in the UK, and we are wonderful enough to provide you with a delicious smoothie recipe that contains moringa powder so you can kick off the new trend.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen Strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen Red Raspberries
- 1/4 cup frozen Blueberries
- 1/2 chilled Peeled Orange
- 1 cup chilled Coconut Water
- 2 cups frozen Fresh Spinach Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Moringa Powder
- 4 cubes of Ice
