There are several ways you can add Moringa to your diet:
- Cook the leaves, pods, seeds and flowers
- Use Moringa Leaf Powder or Moringa Tea
- Buy supplements – Moringa Extract or Capsules
- Moringa Oil
All parts of Moringa Tree can be eaten – leaves, pods, seeds and flowers. Below I will explore the ways and give some recipes
Moringa Fresh Leaves
There are a thousand and one ways to eat Moringa. You eat Moringa leaves, as you eat any other vegetables:
- In salads
- Steamed or cooked same way as you cook spinach and collard greens
- Added to rice or pasta or stews or any other dish
- Bake in goodies
- Add to smoothies, shakes and baby milk
Attention: Excess heat destroys some of the vitamins, and all the enzymes of Moringa leaves or powder. Never cook the fresh Moringa leaves or powder for too long. To keep the nutrition, add Moringa leaves or the powder right near the end of cooking time for all dishes.
Moringa Pods
Moringa pods are quite nutritious.The pods are best for eating when they are young and tender. When they are too old, they become woody and fibrous. A good test is to bend the pod – if it snaps and breaks in half, it is good to eat. If it does not break, it is likely too old. Moringa Pods can be cooked and eaten in any way that one might use or eat green beans or asparagus:
- Boiled
- Steamed
- Fried
Moringa Seeds
Moringa seeds can be eaten when they are very young. You use them as you would green peas, although you want to “go easy” when eating them, as the seeds have a remarkable ability to clean water – and likewise, a remarkable ability to clean toxins from your bloodstream. Too many at a time can be unpleasant, as the results are – a lot of waste being cleaned out fairly rapidly – and they may upset your stomach. You can “pop” the seeds like popcorn, with oil or butter, and salt, and eat them that way – but – a few at a time! Your system needs to get used to ANY new food that is introduced to it, and Moringa is one very powerful plant.
Moringa Flowers
Caution: Moringa flowers can act as an abortifacient so do not use in pregnancy.
The flower buds and blossoms should be cooked before consuming. They can be:
- made into a tea
- fried by themselves or battered and fried
- the flowers can be used as a natural pesticide, as insects and other pests are repelled by the flower essence.
Moringa powder
The taste of the powder is strong, so the amount that is palatable may depend upon the strength of the flavor of the dish. Moringa powder can be:
- added to soups and stews
- added to salad dressings
- added to smoothies, shakes and milks
- can be used as a tea
Moringa Supplements
Supplements are to be used as per the recommendations on the bottle
Moringa oil
Moringa oil is a great alternative in recipes that needs a nutty flavor. It is also a healthier choice to put in stir fry dishes and marinades. You can also use it as dressing for salads and vegetables. However, even if Moringa oil can be used as cooking oil, it is not recommended for daily use because of the high demand and low production.
How much Moringa leaves should you use, eat?
100 grams of fresh Moringa leaves will provide with:
- twice as much nutritive material as 100 grams of most other vegetables
- as much protein as an egg;
- as much calcium as a big glass of milk;
- as much iron as a 200 grams beef steak
- as much vitamin A as a carrot
- as much vitamin C as an orange
- One half cup cooked Moringa leaves will meet your day’s need for Vitamins A and C
When to eat, use Moringa?
There is no specified recommendations on when to eat Moringa, same like there are no recommendations on when to eat an apple. The same goes for Moringa. In many pages there is information, recommendations treating moringa as if it is some sort of medicine… It’s not! Moringa is not a medicine, Its food. You can eat, use it with empty or full stomach. Before, during or after meals.
Here are some more tips and Moringa Recipes
Source: http://miracletrees.org/