No, not macaw. Maca.

April 18, 2016 1:57 PM

How does one use maca powder?

I bought some because I read that it had some notable health benefits. It was only after buying it that I thought to Google "how to use maca powder", because I thought it would be self-evident. It's not, and the Google results aren't helping me much either. Any advice on how to use it from seasoned maca users? Thanks!

posted by Enchanting Grasshopper to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Best answer: It's not a good idea to heat it up, so I usually throw 1/2 - 1 tsp into a smoothie, juice, or into raw 'power balls' with date syrup and cacao rolled in coconut flakes. Any raw granola bar type thing is fine to add it to as well. You also shouldn't eat too much of it at once, especially to start out with, so go easy on the dosage.
posted by ananci at 2:10 PM on April 18, 2016

Best answer: I haven't used it too much lately, but I used to put it in green smoothies as a supplement.
posted by theorique at 2:13 PM on April 18, 2016

Best answer: I hear you're not supposed to heat it. I mix mine into chocolate milk (sometimes with espresso powder). At first I thought it tasted like dirt, but after I had tried it a couple times I started craving it.
posted by meemzi at 2:46 PM on April 18, 2016

Best answer: Yep, smoothies. My favorite combo is frozen banana, unsweetened coconut shreds, almond milk, cocoa powder, Chia seeds, and a heaping spoonful o' maca.

It's also good in "raw truffles" like these.

You can also buy it in capsule form in the future, if you find you don't like using it in drinks.
posted by Pizzarina Sbarro at 11:09 PM on April 18, 2016

Best answer: What ananci says about avoiding heat is true. Heat will destroy some of the nutrients you're after. Did you get raw maca or pre-gelatinized? Keep in mind raw maca is quite difficult to digest and may cause some stomach upset. Pre-gelatinized maca (which doesn't actually involve gelatin at all) has had the difficult-to-digest starches removed and is generally better tolerated.

That said, I used to add maca to my smoothies, which contained greens powder and a bit of chocolate almond or soy milk. I didn't quite like it at first, but then I began to really look forward to it. It's also great in vanilla yogurt, as it has a sort of malty flavor to it.
posted by stubbehtail at 12:47 AM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I got this, raw maca powder. Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm really looking forward to trying this (and I have heeded the warning about it being difficult to digest).
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 3:02 AM on April 19, 2016

That's a very good price. £13.49 for 500g is under $20 (US) per pound. In the US I would be Navitas brand which used to be available at around that price, but apparently doubled a couple of years ago.
posted by theorique at 4:52 AM on April 19, 2016