Earlier this week I recomended using coconut flour because it’s an excellent fibre source and promising wheat flour replacement in certain recipes. Since I started along the coconut vein, I’ve decided to spend the entire week discussion this amazing fruit.
The coconut, which botanically speaking is not actually a true nut but rather a drupe, is quite the amazing food. In fact, the coconut is one of the most versatile foodstuffs known to mankind. Among the many nutritional products it provides are:
- coconut flour
- coconut oil
- coconut milk
- coconut water
The flour you’ve already read about so no need to rehash that now. But I will elaborate a bit on the other three products.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has some remarkable properies. It contains predominantly medium-chain triglyceride (MCTs) saturated fats, in particular lauric acid. Not only are MCTs metabolized differently than their longer chain cousins (making them preferentially burned for fuel and less likely to be stored as body fat), but lauric acid in particular is believed to have strong anti-microbial and anti-viral properties.
As a cooking oil, coconut oil is second to none. It has a very high smoke point (180°C) and won’t readily burn. Due to it’s saturated fat content, coconut oil is also extremely slow to oxidize and can be kept at room temperature for up to two years with no deterioration of health properties.
Interestingly though, coconut oil liquifies around 24°C, so be prepared to purchase a solid product in the store, but find yourself with a liquid if you have an exceptionally warm kitchen.
Coconut oil has become my go-to oil when it comes to light pan frying or sautéeing. Although I must caution: just because coconut oil is heat stable and has beneficial health properties, you shouldn’t eat it with reckless abandon.
As with any refined oil it is a concentrated sources of calories (1 TBSP = 120 kcal) so you do still need to be sensible with your serving sizes.
Alright, enough of me blathering about the health stuff… on to the real reason why you read this article – the recipes!
For those of you who are sweet lovers but don’t do well with sugar, here is a coconut flour brownie recipe you can try.
1/3 cup coconut oil (extra virgin is best)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
6 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Splenda or stevia
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan at low heat, melt butter and blend in cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, beat together eggs, non-nutritive sweetener, salt and vanilla . Stir in cocoa mixture. Add well sifted coconut flour and whisk the batter well until there are no lumps. Fold in the nuts. Pour batter into a greased 8″ or 9″ square baking pan. Bake at 350′ for 30-35 minutes.
Makes 16 brownies.
Per serving: 140 kcal, 12 g fat, 7 g carbohydrates (3 g fibre), 4 g protein
If you omit the nuts, each serving then provides 90 kcal, 7 g fat, 5 g carbohydrates and 3 g protein
Coconut Milk
Although coconut milk contains fewer calories and less fat than the oil, it still packs quite the calorie punch. This doesn’t mean it should be avoided, but rather that you shouldn’t make a habit of drinking a can of this stuff every day… unless you have IBS and are in a mass phase of a training program.
Two of my favourite ways to use coconut milk in cooking are in curries and as a means of adding a nice creamy texture to shakes.
1 medium onion
2 clove garlic
1-2 tbsp curry powder
4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 tbsp ginger root (optional)
1 tbsp coconut vegetable oil
10 chicken thighs (~2 lbs)
1 tsp cumin
1.5 cup coconut milk (~400 ml)
DIRECTIONS
In a frying pan, heat oil. Add chicken thighs and cook until no longer pink. Place chicken in a slow cooker or large cooking pot.
Toss chopped onion, mushroom and garlic into frying pan, sautée until translucent. Add to slow cooker. Add 1 can (400 ml) of coconut milk to stock pot. Season with curry powder, salt, pepper, ginger and cayenne (if you like it hot). Cook on low for 3-5 hours.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 440 kcal, 29 g fat, 10 g carbohydrates (2 g fiber), 36 g protein
If you are a fat phobe, just use 1/2 can of coconut milk. But don’t use reduced fat coconut milk, that stuff is just vile.
1 1/2 scoop vanilla protein
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup Almond Milk
ice as needed
Blend.
It’s like a party in your mouth… only there’s no alcohol so the good times are short lived.
But then you realize that by skipping the alcohol, all your clothes fit much better and so the happiness returns.
Per serving: 390 kcal, 21 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate (3 g fibre), 37 g protein
Coconut Water
This product is derived from the interior of young coconuts and is naturally low in sugars and high in a number of minerals and electrolytes. Unfortunately, most of the products labelled coconut water found in stores contain significant amounts of added sugars.
Therefore, canned coconut waters are only really ever a reasonable beverage choice during and after physical activity; definitely not something to induldge in daily (unless you can find a low-sugar variation).
So there you have it. A few simple and delicious ways you can incorporate more coconut into your lifestyle.
Not that I expected you to burning desire to do so beforehand, but at least now you’ve got a couple of reasons to!
Till next time, train hard and eat clean!
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