Coconut is one of the most delicious fruits on the market, can boast of being food that combines well with many recipes and, in addition, is very healthy. If you have tried to eat raw coconut, you may not have been convinced of its flavor.
Here, we discover the nutritional values of coconut, how you can enjoy the consumption of this fruit and many recipes with natural coconut. You will love, and it will help you lose weight. Don’t you know how to eat coconut? Take note!
How to eat coconut?
Now you know that eating coconut slims as long as you consume it moderately and accompany the right foods. That is why, next, we offer you coconut recipes for desserts and simple meals to prepare and perfect for your diet or to surprise your diners with creative and homemade ideas.
Coconut Salad
To prepare this rich and simple recipe with coconut, you will need the following ingredients:
- Lettuce
- Coconut for grating or 200g of coconut
- Olive oil
- 1 carrot
- Walnuts (optional)
Once you have the ingredients prepared, follow this step by step:
- Wash the lettuce well and put it in a deep dish (the amount will depend on your taste and the number of people who are going to eat salad).
- Next, grate a carrot on top of the lettuce.
- If you have bought grated coconut, just add the amount you want to the dish. It is cheaper to buy a coconut and take advantage of it for different dishes. In this case, cut a piece of the fruit and grate the coconut pulp over the lettuce.
- Finally, add some nuts to give more flavor to the salad, dress it to your liking and mix the ingredients.
- If the texture of the grated coconut does not convince you, you can cut the coconut pulp into small cubes or add a piece of the coconut on the plate.
Healthy lunch with coconut
Coconut is perfect to accompany a wide variety of fresh and healthy dishes for lunch or snack. For your lunch result to be similar to the one below, you will need these ingredients:
Natural yogurt or oatmeal: Remember that the purpose of these recipes is to make low-calorie dishes. If you want to lose weight with coconut, make sure you choose totally natural and skim yogurts or oatmeal.
- Half banana
- 4-5 strawberries
- Blackberries, raspberries or blueberries (choose the food you prefer)
- 1 piece of coconut
- 2 nuts
Now that you know the benefits and harms of coconut and have seen that the rest of the ingredients for the dish are the healthiest, you just have to follow these steps:
- The first step will be to choose if you want your healthy coconut lunch base to consist of yogurt or oatmeal. If you choose the first one, you will only have to put a moderate amount in a bowl, but if you prefer to make an oatmeal lunch, you will have to cook it first.
- To cook oatmeal, add half a cup of this ingredient in a small pot next to a cup of water or skim milk. Cook the mixture over low heat and stir until the oatmeal has absorbed the liquid. Remove the oatmeal from the heat and pour it into a bowl to add the rest of your breakfast ingredients.
- Cut some banana pieces and add them to one end of the bowl. Then do the same with strawberries.
- Add the blackberries, raspberries or blueberries that you have chosen (remember that it should be a moderate amount).
- Break the two nuts into smaller pieces and spread them over the other ingredients.
- Finally, you will only have to grate the coconut on top of the other foods.
How to make coconut ice cream
If the image of coconut ice cream has caught your attention and you want to surprise your guests with a fresh and delicious dessert, read the instructions below. You will need to:
- 1 can of condensed milk
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 coconut
- The first thing you will have to do is mix the condensed milk with the coconut milk and set it aside while preparing the next step.
- Add the whipping cream in a bowl and beat until it has a creamy appearance.
- Then add the first mixture in a bowl next to the whipped cream. You should do it little by little, adding the whipped cream to small tablespoons and continuing to mix the ingredients at any time. As you add the whipped cream, also pour the teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Mix the ingredients well for a while and, when finished, cover with plastic wrap. Leave the mixture in the freezer and, meanwhile, split the coconut (preferably small) as we have taught you before.
- The broken coconut will serve as a dish to taste the ice cream, so after 30 minutes, extract the ice cream from the freezer and carefully add a few tablespoons in both halves with the coconut pulp. And ready! You can now enjoy your coconut ice cream.
How to make coconut water: recipes with coconut water?
As you have already seen, coconut water is full of vitamins and minerals that are very beneficial for your health. It contains a large amount of sugar. It is a very appetizing drink on hot summer days. To make coconut water, you will need:
- 1 coconut
- Evaporated milk
- Ice
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
Preparing the recipe is very simple:
- First, you must pour the fruit liquid into a glass next to the grated coconut pulp you have bought.
- Add both ingredients to the blender with two tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, an optional step that will give the coconut water an extraordinary flavor.
- When you’re done, you just have to add the evaporated milk and mix all the ingredients again.
- After this step, your coconut water will be ready to be served in a jar with a couple of ice cubes.
Benefits of eating coconut
Before presenting some of the most delicious recipes you can make with this fruit, we want to talk about the properties of fresh coconut and the many benefits of eating coconut. Discover the nutritional value of coconut, as well as everything that this food can bring you:
- Coconut is one of the fruits with the essential nutrients you will find in the market: zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins E, C, and B, etc. Thanks to these nutrients, coconut is a fantastic fruit to reduce high cholesterol levels and even to control blood uric acid levels, as it is a low-fructose food.
- Special mention should be made of coconut lauric acid, a fatty acid with great antimicrobial properties perfect for skin and hair care, among other things. If coconut oil is one of the star products to treat hair and skin problems, it is precisely because it is a fruit with antioxidant properties. Among other things, regenerate skin cells and help delay aging.
- In addition, coconut is one of the most recommended fruits for blood pressure, as it is a food with very beneficial amounts of potassium for our body.
- Coconut is also a perfect moisturizer since water is one of its main components, which makes it a fabulous option to eliminate toxins through urine and purify the body. This moisturizing property is the reason why coconut is used for the elaboration of multiple cosmetic products. We have seen, its oil rejuvenates, cleanses and softens the skin and hair.
- Finally, it should be noted that coconut is very beneficial for the digestive system. Its high fiber content makes it an ideal food to digest and cleanse our body of toxins. This beneficial dietary fiber makes it a very good satiating food, which is why it is used in several diets to promote rapid weight loss.
Properties of grated coconut
The difference between grated coconut and other products rich in saturated fat is that the former does not hurt our body if consumed in moderation. Many people believe that the grated coconut that can be found in supermarkets is different from the natural coconut. The truth is that it is only the product that is obtained from grating the dried coconut meat. Therefore, within the properties of grated coconut, we also find that it is very rich food in fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Its consumption can be very beneficial.
How to cut a coconut
Now you know the properties of grated coconut and before you start preparing dishes with this tropical fruit. We want to give you a couple of tips, so you know how to open a coconut.
We recommend that you bet on the classic hammer. However, first you will have to get a knife (or a corkscrew, whatever you prefer) and follow the steps we propose below:
- Visualize the so-called “eyes” of the coconut, three dark rounds that you should find without any problem.
- Stick the knife or the corkscrew has chosen in one of the eyes of the coconut (or two, if you have trouble draining the water). We recommend that you take advantage of coconut water because you can use it for many purposes.
- Once all the coconut water has come out, take a small hammer, and lightly tap the shell until a crack begins to form. If you do not have a hammer at hand, you can do it with the same knife you used to drill the coconut. It may be somewhat more complicated.
- When it starts to break or form the crack in question, give softer blows or start separating the coconut with your own hands. And you will have learned how to open a coconut!
Does coconut get fat or eat coconut slimming?
If you have heard that coconut contains many saturated fats, we have to tell you that it is true. If we talk about the nutritional value of coconut, you should know that it is one of the most caloric fruits that exist, because every 100 grams of coconut has about 350 calories. However … does coconut get fat? Or eat coconut slim?
It all depends on how you consume it and the amount you consume. Coconut and coconut water has been constantly used to promote weight loss. It is because of this fruit, as we explained above. It contains a large amount of fiber, potassium, and water; A fundamental combination to lose weight healthily.
Excessive consumption of coconut can make you fat, as with virtually all foods. However, adding coconut to your diet to lose weight can be a wise choice, since its satiating properties will make it. Besides giving a sweet and delicious flavor to your lunch, lunch, snack, or dinner, you feel full with a small portion.
