Like nearly everyone, I try to eat as healthy as possible. But for someone who also writes about culinary travel and dining, the two are nearly always mutually exclusive. That’s especially the case when I travel. There’s barely a moment when I’m not indulging in some kind of sumptuous or hearty meal or dish on the road. That’s why I’m grateful for my Peloton bike and treadmill, as well as an opportunity there is to be active on a trip.
So, when I come home, I truly try to keep to nutritious meals and foods. I could do much better with fruits and vegetables and not have as many alcoholic beverages. But I do well with low-fat, low-gluten and higher protein options. Cooking, as I talked about last week, helps to control the amount of less desirable ingredients I would like to have but will be an unwelcome result on the scale and around my mid-section.
When I was asked to review some products from a Puerto Rico-based woman-owned food company, Amasar, I jumped at the chance. Not only did I want to try something healthy that could become part of my daily nutrition, I could also try foods with an ingredient I am not familiar with – breadfruit.
What’s unique about breadfruit?
Given that more people want to have healthier diets, something they will often do is choose less fat, sugar, red meat and gluten products. The last option seems to be the most popular, but even gluten-free products often are highly caloric and cut out necessary protein and fiber. Amasar founder Marisol Villalobos stated, "Breadfruit is naturally gluten-free and rich in complex carbohydrates as fibers, providing long-lasting energy...It’s high in dietary fiber, which supports digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels."
In Puerto Rico, breadfruit is prevalent tropical produce that imparts high nutrition, subtle sweetness and a smooth texture. With the increasing popularity of gluten-free foods, breadfruit has become a natural source of development. "Breadfruit is deeply rooted in Caribbean life and in Puerto Rico," said Ms. Villalobos. "We genuinely love eating it, and for us it was a joyful culinary re-discovery of the benefits of this cherished seasonal food...While common locally, it has historically stayed regional—one of the reasons we felt compelled to bring it to a wider audience. We literally realized it was a "low hanging breadfruit"!
The breadfruit pairs well holiday-centric flavors like cinnamon, citrus, vanilla and brown sugar. But it can also serve as a great substitute for baked goods any time of the year. So, I appreciated that they sent me some products to try - protein pancake mix, breadfruit pancake and waffle mix and breadfruit flour. We sampled just the breadfruit mix, since we wanted to try that one right away.
How did they taste?
RAS, JRS and I tried the breadfruit mix by making waffles. Truthfully, they didn’t taste significantly different from waffles with any other mix like Krusteaz or Bisquik. But RAS and I did notice they were quite dry in texture. I’m not sure if making them with moisture-laden ingredients or having fruit like berries or bananas would have made difference, but that’s what I would do next time.
JRS said that the scent was initially odd, “like sour fruit.” I honestly don’t know if breadfruit imparts that aroma. But she said that she would probably have pancakes or waffles with this mix again, because she is trying to make more gluten-free choices. We all agreed that this was positive about Amasar’s breadfruit mix – just having something that’s inherently healthier made us feel good and more willing to experiment with these mixes.
