Light bites: Strange Fruit

No not me, don’t be rude. This is Baobab Fruit Powder form Minvita and was one of the culinary offerings to arrive on my desk in December. Billed as the superfood of 2013 I was intrigued, especially as the claims made for it are pretty impressive. Supporting the immune system and a healthy digestion, whilst also maintaining strong bones, a healthy heart and lowering cholesterol; the remedial properties of the Baobab fruit are the stuff of African legend – well, it has to be tried!

This superfruit from the African Baobab tree contains six times more vitamin C than oranges, twice as many antioxidants than gojiberries, six times more potassium than bananas and more iron than spinach and red meat, no mean feat for a sprinkling of fruit powder! It is pale in colour and can be easily added to any meal to boost its nutritional profile, maximising the pick-me-up potential of anything from a mid-day snack, to home baking. It can also be added to smoothies, yoghurts and cereals, or stirred into a glass of juice or water. Better still, why not add it to the mix when you are making cakes, flapjacks or bread! And now for the science…

Baobab Key Facts
1 Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of Baobab is 250 per gram compared with blueberries at just 46 per gram
2 There is 300mg of vitamin C in Baobab per 100g whilst an orange contains 50mg approx
3 Cow’s milk provides 120mg of calcium per 100g compared to 350mg in Baobab
4 There is around 422mg of potassium in one medium banana and a whopping 2500mg in Baobab per 100g
5 Baobab is packed with fibre containing 60g of soluble and insoluble fibre per 100g
6 100g of lean red meat contains 1.8mg of iron which is less than that found in Baobab
But does it count as one of my five a day?
Available from Holland & Barrett and via www.minvita.co.uk