Coconuts are my new best friend. I am, quite frankly, nuts over them. But I’m not only talking about the meat of the coconut (which is delicious), but I’m in love with coconut oil (virgin organic coconut oil, please) and coconut butter and coconut milk. Heck, it’s all good!
You may be sitting there thinking, “But Leanne! Coconuts are famous for their high-fat content!”
And you’d be right. But it’s not bad fat. The fat in our friend the coconut is used as a fuel source by our bodies when it’s consumed, and it does not get stored on our butts or thighs.
Let’s learn more.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a miraculous product. It’s solid at room temperature and when it warms up, it turns into a liquid. It is shelf stable in either form, and it can go from solid to liquid many times without its quality being jeopardized.
Use coconut oil to saute with, bake with, or even moisturize your skin. It’s true! There are hundreds of uses for coconut oil (just Google it and you’ll see what I’m talking about!) from softening dry lips to curing cradle cap.
Coconut oil can actually aid in weight loss because it burns stored fat in your body. It really is a miracle product. Look for organic, virgin coconut oil which is available in most mainstream grocery stores.
And a bonus? It’s delicious.
Coconut Butter
It’s not really a butter like we think of butter, but coconut butter (also referred to as coconut cream concentrate) is a concentrated form of coconut meat. The meat of the coconut is dried out and ground into a creamy consistency. Nothing is added to this delicious product (not even water) and it is absolutely delicious.
You can mix coconut butter with water to get coconut milk, put it in your coffee instead of cream or use it in place of fruit dip or peanut butter. Oh so yummy! You’ll find it in the health food section of most grocery stores.
Coconut Milk
It’s easier than ever before to get your hands on coconut milk. You can purchase two forms: carton or canned. I’ve personally replaced my cow’s milk for coconut milk in the carton (So Delicious is a popular brand) and I use the canned stuff (richer, thicker, and higher in calories) in curry dishes and soups on a regular basis.
One cup of coconut milk provides us with 25% of our daily recommended iron intake along with Vitamin C, copper, manganese, and all of the other goodness we get from the oil and meat of the coconut.
So much to love about coconuts. No wonder I’m crazy about ’em!
What’s your favorite coconut product? Tell us here!
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I put coconut cream in my blender with a favorite fruit like banana and some ice and blend it. Sometimes I add some nutrasweet. The coconut is so good in a blended drink with ice and it is a great diet aid at night to sit and sip instead of crunching salty chips. I also like to just make a shake with cocoa, coconut, ice, nutrisweet and possibly milk and use that or a hot cocoa mix or a protein whey shake mix with coconut………the ideas are indless! Coconut is wonderful! Thanks for the tip about the coffee I am trying it right now and it is really good!