As many people are now aware of and practicing healthy living, there is always a search for substitutes for sugar. Among all of the candidates, monk fruit extract is perhaps worth the most consideration. This is a natural sweetener that has the right blend of sweet taste and nutritional value and is ideal for those individuals who want to take low amounts of sugar. It’s extraordinary no matter how you use it – in coffee/tea or even blended with smoothies; monk fruit extract is quite magical. In this article, we will also learn how monk fruit extract can sweeten your favorite beverages, the health benefits of this fruit, and why researchers are calling it the newest and perhaps the best sweetener.
What is Monk Fruit Extract?
Luo han guo, or monk fruit, is a small green melon that grows in the Guangxi region of southern China. They use the fruit in traditional Chinese medicine, but in recent years, the fruit is quite famous for its extreme sweetness. This sweetness is provided naturally by-products that go by the name mogrosides. These mogrosides are taken from the fruit to form the monk fruit powder, which is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar but comprises a calorie content of zero calories.
How to Use Monk Fruit Extract in Coffee
To most people, coffee forms an integral part of their daily regime. Nevertheless, when sugar or flavored syrups are put into the cup, what many consider a healthy drink becomes a calorie Bomber. You also get an opportunity to sweeten your coffee with monk fruit extract, which doesn’t contain sugar or calories. Here’s how to use it.
- First, prepare your coffee in the regular fashion that you would normally do so.
- Mix it in a small quantity of monk fruit extract. The problem is it’s much sweeter than regular sugar, so you don’t need much to sweeten your food.
- Stir well and taste. If you find them less sweet, you can add more extract to suit your taste.
- Don’t worry about the sugar! Sit back, relax, and enjoy your sweetened coffee.
It also dissolves well in hot drinks; therefore, it is ideal to add it to your coffee drinks. Some ideas include using it in iced coffee by adding the extract to coffee that is warm and counting on the heat to melt the extract.
Sweetening Your Tea with Monk Fruit Extract
Monk fruit sweetener also has benefits for true tea lovers. Whichever type of tea you like to drink, green tea to black tea, or a blend of various herbal teas, monk fruit extract will sweeten it to the best of your ability without a change in the taste of the tea.
- You should steep your tea normally, whether as hot tea or cold tea.
- Add 3-5 drops of monk fruit extract in order to sweeten the solution.
- Stir the mixture and taste it to make sure it is spiced to your taste.
- When it comes to tea, sweeteners, and additives, Monk fruit complements all types of teas while not masking their natural flavors.
For those who love taking sweetened iced tea, monk fruit extract is a perfect substitute for sugar. It dissolves smoothly in hot and cold infusions, making it ideal for all your drinking needs.
Adding Monk Fruit Extract to Smoothies
Smoothies are another great way to include monk fruit extract on a daily basis. Some of the popular sweeteners include fruits and honey. However, monk fruit extract has been proven to be a more efficient low-calorie sweetener, adding value to the smoothie.
- Assemble your smoothie blend, which may be a combination of fruits, vegetables, or protein shakes, depending on your needs.
- Add the monk fruit extract for sweetness, but it should be in small amounts as the product contains zero calories. Don’t forget that it is thousands of times sweeter than sugar, so it should be used in relatively small quantities.
- Blend everything.
- Sip your smoothie, and should your brew still be too sweet, add more monk fruit extract.
One such supplement that boasts this advantage is a monk fruit extract, which is especially helpful in addition to smoothies as it sharpens the natural sweetness of fruits like berries, bananas, and mango, among others while neutralizing the slightly bitter taste of Spinach, kale among others.
The Best Monk Fruit Extract for Drinks
It is essential, therefore, to understand that not all monk fruit extracts are the same. However, when choosing a monk fruit extract, make sure that the extract does not contain any added ingredients such as dextrose or erythritol. While it is expected that many products include monk fruit blended with other sweetening agents, a pure extract is going to allow you to reap all of the positive effects of the fruit without any addition of undesired chemicals.
- It is advised to use pure monk fruit extract to get the best results from the chosen product.
- Concentrated liquid extract is the best since it mixes well in the drinks.
- Monk fruit sweeteners should be used without other sweeteners, as well as other additional ingredients and preservatives.
Monk Fruit Extract vs. Other Sweeteners
Most people are interested in knowing how this monk fruit extract stands on the shelves with other sweeteners such as stevia, honey, or other commercial sweeteners. While each has its pros and cons, monk fruit extract stands out for several reasons:
- Stevia: Stevia is another natural sweetener, but it has a slightly bitter aftertaste, which impacts its palatability. In the meantime, monk fruit extract has a very high sweetness intensity but a very clean taste.
- Honey: What is more, honey, though it is one of the natural sweeteners, is still rich in calories that can stir up blood sugar. This is where monk fruit extract comes in as it provides a similar taste intensity of sweetness but no calories or sugar associated with it.
- Artificial Sweeteners: It is, however, essential to know that monk fruit sweeteners are entirely natural and free from chemicals that are found in other artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose.
Tips for Using Monk Fruit Extract
To get the most out of monk fruit extract, follow these simple tips:
- Start small: Monk fruit is much sweeter than sugar; use a little and taste as you proceed to ensure you get the right blend.
- Mix well: When using it in coffee, tea, or any smoothie, make sure that the extract is mixed well so as to throughoutly disperse the mixture.
- Experiment: Since monk fruit is a natural sweetener, it can be added to many beverages and even incorporated into baked foods. Despite this, do not be worried about messing with it in other recipes in order to discover your ideal dish.
The Bottom Line
Monk fruit extract is one of the best sugar substitutes that allow you to consume your favorite foods and beverages with low carbohydrate content and no adverse side effects of sugar addiction. Regardless of whether you are adding some flavor to coffee or tea or blending a new health drink, monk fruit extract provides an interesting low-calorie option that is all-natural. The following are the beneficial qualities of monk fruit extract for health-conscious individuals: monk fruit extract has zero effects on blood sugar, shoots free radicals, and also serves as an antioxidant.
Monk fruit extract will allow you to enjoy your favorite drinks without any fear for your waistline. Perhaps it should be attempted now and see how a difference can be made.
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