You don’t have to travel to the desert to experience the benefits of the cactus, a plant that goes much deeper than a perfect backdrop for Instagram selfies. Food companies in the United States are bringing this surprising superfood – which is also good for the environment because it’s drought-resistant and requires so little water to grow – into practical healthy snacks and drinks. While it may be new to many Americans, the humble cactus’s uses in cooking go back many centuries.

“Nopales have been a staple food in Mexico since the Aztecs, and you can find them in every market, in grocery stores, and even in backyards,” said Regina Trillo, a Chicago-based attorney who became a snack entrepreneur in Mexico City. “Mexicans eat them grilled, in tacos, salads, soups, pickles, as desserts and as juices.” She adds that nopales – the common word for prickly pear paddles – are also widely used in Mexican beauty products and for medicinal purposes.

Health Benefits of Cactus Fruit and Cactus Juice

While it looks like a plant you’d want to stay away from (all those sharp spikes aren’t exactly inviting), cacti have myriad health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and powerful antioxidants.

“Cactus is high in antioxidants like vitamin C, which helps protect against inflammation and free radical damage and keep the immune system working properly,” says Maggie Michalczyk, RD.

A cup raw cactus contains about 14 calories, 1 gram of protein and 2 grams of gut-friendly fiber. The edible parts of the plant are leaves, flowers, stems, and fruits. In Mexico it is often cooked whole, grilled and stuffed into delicious dishes like tlacoyos.

How to eat cactus fruits

When it comes to eating cactus in its full form, many restaurants – especially in the American Southwest – serve cactus in a variety of flavors. For example in Tucson, Arizona, Zio Peppe offers the Prickly Pickle Pizza with Nopales and Cholla Buds (flowers from the Cholla cactus that taste like asparagus) while Charro Vida has a cactus bowl (referred to as “sonorous superfood”) with red chilli sauce, hemp seeds and spicy pepitas.

Unfortunately, unless you live near a desert, it can be difficult to find raw cactus to prepare at home. When Trillo, who now lives in Chicago, first spotted nopales in an American grocery store, she was excited but disappointed that they were still covered in spikes. “I realized that people wouldn’t buy intimidating looking vegetables if they didn’t know how to clean or cook them,” she explains.

That inspired her to turn one of her home favorites into a nutritious snack. A few years ago she baked her first cactus snacks that made up Nemi Cactus sticks. These nutrient-rich, gluten-free vegan snacks are made from dehydrated and powdered nopales paddles, plus amaranth seeds and spices.

Because nemi contains whole nopales (which by themselves taste similar to a green bean or asparagus), they’re packed with all of the gut-friendly fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants found in raw cactus. One serving of the snack (approx. 30 pieces) contains 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.

“Nemi [cactus sticks] are a staple in my pantry, “says Mariana Dineen, RD, a Chicago-based nutritionist. She adds that she loves this desert plant because it’s so rich in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols, which give this popular staple of Mexican cuisine anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and blood sugar stabilizing properties.

Other brands use cacti in unique ways. Tia Lupita, founded by Mexican-born Hector Saldivar, was one of the first American brands to introduce cactus as a functional ingredient in tortillas and tortilla chips. the Tortillas (which are a green hue) are fantastic substitutes for your regular flour or corn tortillas in dishes like tacos and enchiladas. “There are 50 million Hispanics in the US who are familiar with Nopal because it was part of the culture they came from,” says Saldivar. “We love to share our food and culture … and US consumer tastes continue to evolve as globally inspired foods grow.” [in popularity]. ”

Health Benefits of Cactus Water

Another company called Pricklee, founded by five pharmacists, produces cactus water that contains half as much sugar as coconut water. and Caliwater– Co-founded by actress Vanessa Hudgens – is another brand of antioxidant cactus water that contains 200 grams of nopal extract per can. While you are missing out on the fiber benefit of cactus when you drink cactus water, drinking it still gives you some antioxidant properties, as well as minerals like magnesium and potassium, says Michalczyk.

As with so many other superfoods, eating cactus in its whole form, like grilled or added to a cactus salad, gives you the most benefits, says Dineen. “B.But if you’re not ready to venture into these lesser-known foods, including these snacks in your diet is a good place to start, ”she adds. “Drinking cactus water can also help you stay hydrated as it is tastier than regular water. Research has also indicated that its anti-inflammatory properties may help prevent hangover symptoms. Keep some cactus water nearby while you sip those summer margins, ”suggests Dineen.

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