Known as the ‘gold of the Incas’ due to its high nutritional value, lucuma (Pouteria Lucuma) is a fruit native to the Andean region of Peru (1).

The fruit is around 8cm long with a round to oval shape. It has smooth green skin and yellow-orange flesh with one or more large, brown seeds. The flesh of the ripened fruit is dry and mealy, with the consistency of a hard-boiled egg yolk and has a distinctive sweet smell.

Lucuma can be eaten fresh, but is usually dried and consumed in powdered form. The powder is light brown in colour and has a creamy texture and butterscotch-like flavour, making it a delicious addition to drinks, baking and desserts.

While it has long been an important part of the diet in the Andes of Peru (in fact, representations of the fruit have been found at ancient burial sites), lucuma is now becoming popular around the world thanks to its impressive nutrition profile.

Some of the nutrition benefits of lucuma include:

Rich in antioxidants

Lucuma is rich in a variety of antioxidants, particularly vitamin C, polyphenols, and carotenoids, which are responsible for giving lucuma its distinctive bright yellow-orange colour (1,2,3).

Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals, substances that destroy or damage the cell membrane. Free radical damage contributes to the development of diseases such as heart disease, neurological diseases, type 2 diabetes and many types of cancer. Therefore, consuming foods with a high antioxidant content has been associated with reducing the risk of these chronic diseases (4).

Carotenoids have also been found to play an important role in eye health. They work as blue light filters, protecting the eyes from oxidative stress associated with sunlight exposure and toxins, which can lead to age-related macular degeneration and cataracts (5).

Supports gut health

Lucuma powder contains around 24g of fibre per 100g, making it almost one-quarter fibre. A 7.5g serving of lucuma powder provides 1.8g of fibre, 7% of the recommended daily intake for adults (6).

Including plenty of fibre in our diet is essential to good health for a number of reasons. In particular, fibre performs the following functions:

• Slows down digestion, keeping us fuller for longer and helping us to maintain a healthy weight
• Helps to lower cholesterol, reducing our risk of heart disease
• Absorbs water, adding bulk to stools and helping to prevent constipation
• Feeds our good gut bacteria, which in turn helps to support optimal gut health (7)

Can be used as a replacement for sugar

Lucuma has a naturally sweet flavour, making it a nutritious sweetener to use in baking and a healthier alternative to sugar, offering more protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Lucuma has been reported to have a low glycaemic index (GI), meaning it would have less effect on blood sugar levels compared to table sugar. While its GI has not yet been tested, it’s likely that the high fibre content of lucuma powder reduces the rate at which the glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream, helping to keep blood sugar levels steady and keeping us fuller for longer.

How to use lucuma

Thanks to its delicious, sweet flavour, lucuma lends itself to many different uses. Here are some great ways to use it:

• Added to smoothies along with your favourite fruit for a delicious and nutritious breakfast or snack
• As a flavouring in homemade ice cream (lucuma is a very popular ice cream flavour in Peru!)
• In pancakes
• Added to baked goods such as cakes and puddings
• In protein balls and raw slices
• Added to homemade nut milk for a delicious caramel flavour
• Mixed into porridge
• Stirred through yoghurt
• Mixed with nut butter for a healthy sweet toast topping
• Added to coffee instead of sugar

NB: If replacing sugar with lucuma, a ratio of 1:2 (brown sugar: lucuma) is recommended. For example, substitute 1 cup (120g) lucuma for each 1⁄2 cup (200g) brown sugar. It’s also a good idea to reduce the amount of flour in the recipe to accommodate the extra volume.

Written by Skye Swaney, Dietitian & Nutritionist, Shift Nutrition