Moringa powder is quickly gaining popularity as a nutritious superfood powder. But many keto dieters wonder, is moringa powder keto-friendly?
The short answer is yes. Moringa powder can fit well into a ketogenic lifestyle thanks to its low amount of net carbs and high nutrient profile.
What is Moringa Powder?
Moringa powder is made from the dried, ground leaves of the moringa oleifera tree. Commonly referred to as the “miracle tree”, the moringa tree is native to India but grows in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide today.
Nearly every part of the moringa tree is edible and nutritious. But the leaves are where most of the dietary benefits lie. The leaves are harvested, dried, and then ground into a fine green powder to make moringa powder supplements.
Moringa leaf powder has an earthy, green flavor similar to matcha or wheatgrass. It can be mixed into smoothies, added to baked goods, blended into dips, or simply stirred into water or tea.
Why is Moringa Powder Low Carb?
One of the main reasons moringa powder works well for keto diets is its low net carb content. But what exactly contributes to its carb count?
Here’s a breakdown of the carb composition in moringa powder according to the USDA:
- Total carbohydrates: 8 grams per 100 gram serving
- Dietary fiber: 2 grams per 100 gram serving
- Sugars: 2 grams per 100 gram serving
To calculate net carbs, we take the total carbs and subtract fiber. So a 100 gram serving (about 1 cup) of moringa powder contains around 6 grams of net carbs.
For comparison, 100 grams of kale contains around 7 grams of net carbs. So moringa powder has a lower carb load than popular leafy greens like kale.
Given the standard keto carb limit of 20-50 grams per day, moringa powder can easily fit into your daily macros. Just be mindful of portion sizes, which we’ll explore next.
Key Takeaway: Moringa powder is low in net carbs at 6g per 100g serving, allowing it to fit into a keto diet. It contains less carbs than leafy greens like kale.
What is the Standard Serving Size of Moringa Powder?
When incorporating moringa powder into your keto diet, it’s important to pay attention to serving sizes to keep net carbs in check.
The standard serving size of moringa powder is 1 tablespoon, which weighs about 7 grams.
Here is the full nutrition information for a 7 gram (1 tablespoon) serving of moringa powder:
- Net Carbs: 1 gram
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 2 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Vitamin A: 19% DV
- Vitamin C: 16% DV
- Calcium: 6% DV
- Iron: 11% DV
As you can see, thanks to the small serving size, a single tablespoon of moringa powder adds just 1 gram of net carbs to your daily tally.
This addition of net carbs allows you to easily mix moringa powder into keto smoothies, shakes, yogurt bowls, oatmeal, and more without worrying about it kicking you out of ketosis.
Just be mindful of portion control. Stick within a daily serving size limit of 1-3 tablespoons spread throughout your meals. This keeps net carbs at just 1-3 grams from moringa powder itself.
Key Takeaway: The standard serving of moringa powder is 1 tablespoon (7 grams). This small serving size only provides 1g of net carbs, allowing easy incorporation into keto diet.
Health Benefits of Adding Moringa Powder to Keto Diets
Beyond its macros, moringa powder also delivers ample health perks. These wellness boosts can serve to enhance the already impressive benefits of the ketogenic diet.
Here are some top ways moringa powder can complement a keto lifestyle:
1. Boosts antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralize free radicals to prevent cell damage and lower disease risk.
Moringa leaves are absolutely loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients. Research shows moringa powder contains higher antioxidant activity than matcha green tea!
By mixing moringa powder into your keto smoothies, shakes, and meals, you can flood your body with extra free radical-fighting antioxidants. This added protection supports the immune system, heart health, brain function and more on top of keto’s own benefits.
2. Anti-inflammatory effects
Inflammation is the root cause of most chronic diseases. The ketogenic diet itself is inherently anti-inflammatory, thanks to the removal of pro-inflammatory foods like sugar and refined carbs.
Moringa powder doubles down on this anti-inflammatory effect. The leaves contain a variety of anti-inflammatory plant compounds like isothiocyanates and polyphenols.
The combined anti-inflammatory power of keto + moringa powder can relieve joint pain, improve skin issues like acne and eczema flareups, and enhance digestive health.
3. Supports heart health
Following a well-formulated keto diet has been shown in studies to improve numerous markers of heart health like blood lipids, blood pressure and arterial health.
Adding moringa powder into your keto plan takes these heart-helping benefits even further.
Moringa helps lower LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride fats while boosting HDL “good” cholesterol, enhancing keto’s already cardio-protective effects. Its anti-inflammatory abilities also keep arteries flexible and resilient.
Together, keto and moringa make a powerful combination for supporting overall cardiovascular wellness. Just what the doctor ordered!
Key Takeaway: Moringa powder enhances keto benefits with extra antioxidants to fight inflammation plus plant compounds that improve cholesterol levels and heart health.
| Nutrient | Per 1 Tablespoon (7g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 19% | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 16% | 16% |
| Calcium | 6% | 6% |
| Iron | 11% | 11% |
| Potassium | 6% | 6% |
| Protein | 2g | |
| Fiber | 1g | |
| Net Carbs | 1g |
Tips For Adding Moringa Powder Into Keto Diets
Thanks to its versatility, incorporating moringa powder into keto diets is delightfully simple. Here are some easy ways to start enjoying its benefits:
Stir into hot beverages
One of the quickest ways to add moringa is to simply stir some into your morning coffee, tea, bone broth, or other warm beverage.
The earthy moringa flavor complements the richness of coffee, tea, and broth beautifully. It mixes instantly without clumping. Simply add 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid.
Sipping moringa-spiked drinks is an effortless method to increase daily nutrient intake within your keto plan.
Blend into smoothies
Cool keto smoothies and shakes are another fast and tasty way to get your moringa fix. The green moringa powder blends seamlessly into thicker blended drinks.
Some delicious keto smoothie recipes to mix with moringa powder include:
- Chocolate smoothie - cocoa powder, avocado, almond milk, stevia
- Vanilla smoothie - almond milk, vanilla protein powder, avocado, cinnamon
- Green smoothie - spinach, avocado, coconut milk, lime
Add 1-2 teaspoons of moringa powder per smoothie to boost nutrition without adding carbs.
Make moringa green “nice cream”
For a refreshing, sweet keto treat, whip up some homemade moringa green “nice cream.” This 4-ingredient healthy ice cream is super easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen banana, chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk (canned, full-fat)
- 1-2 Tbsp moringa powder
- Stevia or monk fruit to taste (optional)
Directions:
- In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed.
- Enjoy immediately or freeze 30-60 minutes for firmer texture.
The bit of natural sweetness from the banana pairs deliciously with the earthy moringa. It makes a macros-friendly alternative to sugary ice cream!
Sprinkle on meals
You need high-fat meals to stay satisfied on keto. Sprinkling some moringa powder onto your breakfast, lunch, or dinner dishes adds extra nutrition without upsetting macros.
Some tasty keto meals to finish with moringa powder:
- Fried or scrambled eggs
- Avocado toast
- Casseroles like zoodles or cauliflower rice
- Roasted veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts or asparagus
- Salads featuring dark leafy greens
Simply add 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon of the green superfood powder onto each plate of food at serving time. Shake on like you would parsley flakes or spices.
Key Takeaway: Easy ways to enjoy moringa powder on keto include: blending into smoothies and shakes, making green “nice cream”, stirring into warm beverages, and sprinkling onto egg dishes, veggie sides, salads and more.
Potential Alternatives to Moringa Powder for Keto
While moringa offers immense nutrition, it admittedly has a strong earthy, herbaceous flavor that not everyone enjoys. Thankfully, plenty of alternatives exist.
Here are some other low-carb green superfood powders to consider:
Matcha Green Tea Powder
Like moringa powder, matcha hails from finely grinding whole tea leaves into a fine powder. It delivers caffeine, antioxidants like EGCG, and amino acids like L-theanine. Matcha contains about 5g net carbs per serving, same as moringa.
Spirulina Powder
Spirulina is a type of freshwater blue-green algae praised for its high amounts of protein, iron, and antioxidants like phycocyanin and carotenoids. It has an intense flavor but mixes well into smoothies. Each tablespoon of spirulina powder provides around 0.5g net carbs.
Wheatgrass Powder
Nutrient-dense wheatgrass powder is made from juicing and drying young wheatgrass plants. It exhibits a grassy, earthy taste similar to moringa powder but greener in color. Wheatgrass powder averages under 1g of net carbs per serving.
Chlorella Powder
Like spirulina, chlorella is a nutritious strain of algae that is dried and pulverized into powder form. Rich in B12, iron, and zinc, it boasts a unique nutty flavor. Each 7g serving of chlorella powder contains about 2g of digestible carbs.
FAQs
Is all moringa powder keto-friendly?
When searching for keto-friendly moringa powder, be sure to vet the product’s full ingredients list. Some products add unnecessary fillers, sweeteners or “natural flavors” that may contain hidden carbs or less healthful compounds.
Seek out 100% pure moringa leaf powder for the cleanest, macro-friendly option. Avoid added sugars, corn or wheat fillers, and other unnecessary additives. Going with an organic variety is wise too.
How should you store moringa powder?
Like most superfood powders, moringa powder is best kept in an airtight container away from heat, light, and moisture to preserve maximum freshness and prevent oxidation. Stored properly in a cool dark place, it will keep for 3-6 months.
Can you bake or cook with moringa powder?
Thanks to its high smoke point and low net carbs, moringa powder adapts well to baking, cooking, and other forms of heat preparation. You can add it to bread doughs, mix into veggie-based fritters or latkes, or even use it a nutrient-dense batter coating for fried foods.
Just avoid extremely high heats like grilling, broiling or sautéing the powder directly in oil as this can degrade nutrients. Light cooking or baking is fine though. Sprinkle it onto finished dishes if high heat is involved.
Conclusion
Moringa oleifera powder shines in well-formulated keto and low-carb diets. Thanks to its low net carb load paired with an extensive nutritional profile, moringa powder satisfies macros while serving up ample vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
By stirring moringa powder into your morning coffee, blending it into smoothies, or sprinkling it onto veggies and salads, you can easily enhance your daily intake of inflammation-fighting nutrients. This helps take the impressive benefits of keto to the next level.