I was intrigued to learn that a company called WhatIF Foods is focused on regenerative agriculture through its innovative use of the Bambara Groundnut (which they call the BamNut). As a result, I accepted an offer to try WhatIF Foods’ BamNut milk and noodles.
The BamNut, a resilient crop found in West Africa and Southeast Asia, is a nutritionally complete, regenerative and hardy legume that has the ability to grow in degraded lands with minimal demand for resources. That’s part of WhatIF Foods’ mission to restore soil health, which will increase its carbon capture potential and reconnect people with farming communities who are vital in our value chain.
The BamNut Milk ($7.32 for 1 L) is made with just three natural ingredients, is fortified with minerals and does not have any added sweeteners. Each serving has 5 g. of protein and comes in three flavors:
- Barista is very mild with a slight almond aftertaste. It works well in coffee.
- Everyday reminded me of soy milk to some extent. It had a good body to it.
- Airy is a lighter version of Everyday in both flavor and calories (80 vs. 120).
The BamNut noodles ($16.66 for a box of five) are similarly nutrient-dense, and the texture is not terribly dissimilar from regular ramen noodles. Depending on the flavor, each individual pack has 270-300 calories, 17-18 g. of protein and 33-38 g. of carbs.
- The BamNut noodles with sweet hot seasoning is a good introduction to these noodles. Try adding a poached egg to the dish.
- I liked the potent garlic sesame seasoning that comes with the green-colored moringa noodles. The color comes from moringa leaves, which provide a very slight hint of green tea flavor (if you ate them before adding the seasoning).
- You can definitely taste the pumpkin in the pumpkin noodles with cheeky curry seasoning, which has a hint of clover and nutmeg. It’s quite unique, and I’m glad I tried it.
- The charcoal noodles with mushroom pepper seasoning had an earthy flavor, possibly from the charcoal powder, which also provides the color.
WhatIF Foods is not carried in Madison stores yet, but you can buy the products on its website.
Photos by WhatIF Foods
