Mesquite: Incredible Flavor, Incredible Nutrition

Success with raw foods and superfoods depends greatly on finding foods that you like and will eat often. It is our habits that create our level of health, so what good is a food if you rarely eat it? That is why one of our passions here at Sunfood is introducing new flavors and textures. One of the secrets to superior health is finding a wide variety of beneficial foods that you will enjoy eating frequently. Soon you’ll have a whole list of favorite superfoods that give you a stockpile of healthy eating habits.

One of our favorite food discoveries was Mesquite Meal. Most people have only experienced mesquite as a mere flavoring on chips, but that is no way to get the benefits of this incredible food. We doubt that much, if any, of mesquite’s nutrients survive the potato chip flavoring process, and that is assuming that real mesquite is used at all.

What is Mesquite?

Mesquite is a leguminous tree that makes its home in some of the driest climates on Earth. Mesquite meal is made by grinding up the seed pods into a fine powder. We are always interested in foods used by indigenous cultures and mesquite doesn’t disappoint. All over the Americas, from Chile to California, mesquite has been used by Indian populations for centuries as a reliable source of food in the harshest of climates. Many desert dwelling animals also utilize the nutrition in mesquite such as squirrels, birds and even coyotes. In fact, mesquite makes up about 75% of a coyote’s diet in the summer months.

Benefits of Mesquite

Mesquite boasts an impressive protein content and a solid variety of minerals, being especially high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur. Mesquite’s combination of calcium and magnesium makes it a great food for bone health. But native populations did not just use mesquite as a food. This sacred tree’s pods were also used medicinally, a practice supported by mesquite’s ability to enhance the immune system.

The Sunfood Difference

Our certified organic, raw mesquite meal is dried at low temperatures and gently ground into a fine powder. Most mesquite powders on the market are quite coarse and grainy and taste slightly toasted.

How to use Mesquite

Mesquite’s unique flavor lends itself deliciously to a variety of savory or sweet dishes. It’s taste has been described as rich, nutty, and molasses-like with a hint of caramel. Try adding a spoonful to smoothies, use to flavor a salad dressing, or use to thicken and enhance soups and sauces.