What is Monk Fruit?

There are many choices for creating a sweet taste when sweetening food and beverages. Sugar and corn syrup are most commonly used, but artificial sweeteners such as sucralose have also been widely used for a long time. More recently, natural non-sugar or corn-based sweeteners have become increasingly more common. One such sweetener is monk fruit. But what exactly is it, and why is it a great sugar alternative?

Luo Han Guo, more commonly known in the United States as monk fruit, is a relatively small and yellowish or green-brown-colored melon of the same genus as cucumbers. The melons, a native plant of Southern China, were initially cultivated by Buddhist monks. This fact is where it got its intriguing name. It wasn’t until early in the 1900s that monk fruit was brought to the United States.

Most people eat the soft interior flesh of the melon, while the rind is often used for tea. The sweet flesh of the monk fruit can become even more intensely sweet once processed. This processed monk fruit is used as a sweetener in foods and beverages.

Why Use Monk Fruit as a Sweetener?

The sweetness in monk fruit comes from mogrosides, essentially five natural enzymes in the fruit’s flesh. These mogrosides can be up to 250 times sweeter than cane or beet sugar. The monk fruit sweetener also contains no calories or fat, making it an excellent option for those looking to lose or maintain their weight while still having a sweet treat.

Additionally, it contains virtually no carbs, so it does not affect blood sugar. This is essential for people who have diabetes or otherwise need to watch their blood sugar levels. Without an effect on blood sugar, there is no inevitable blood sugar spike and crash after eating food or beverages that contain monk fruit as the sweetener. And if all that wasn’t already amazing, the mogrosides in monk fruit have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties as they are antioxidants.

Even with healthy sweeteners, it is still essential to eat them in moderation as they can encourage dependence on sugary-tasting food.

Monk Fruit in Magic Spoon Cereal

Magic Spoon Cereal has always sought to create delicious breakfast options without any of the ingredients we want to avoid. Our gluten-free cereals are also sugar and corn-syrup free and full of protein. When coming up with our recipe, we wanted to find a sweetener that could provide the delicious sugary taste of our favorite name-brand cereals without the high carb count that often comes with that taste.

Our addition of monk fruit fits perfectly into our cereal-creating goals. Our cereals contain only 4-5 grams of net carbs alongside 13 grams of protein. Our cereals are naturally grain- and gluten-free, so they are perfect for those on Keto diets, with gluten intolerance, or who are carb conscious.

Monk fruit sweetener’s excellent taste creates childhood nostalgia for our flavors, such as Fruity, Frosted, Peanut Butter, and Cocoa. It also balances our new breakfast classics of Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Muffins, and our signature limited-time flavors.

We love snacking on Magic Spoon any time of day, but it also creates an easy and healthier take on a fast breakfast. Add plain greek yogurt, chopped nuts, and fresh fruit to your favorite flavor for an extra-protein-packed treat. It’s delicious paired with the milk of dairy-free milk of your choice. With monk fruit, Magic Spoon will sweeten anyone’s day!

Why Use Monk Fruit as a Sweetener?

Monk Fruit in Magic Spoon Cereal