Coconut is an edible oil that is extracted from mature coconuts, and has various health benefits, in addition to being a great cooking tool. There are a few ways in which coconut oil can actually be a better choice when cooking, in order to create a healthier meal overall.
- White Rice
Billions of people across the world eat white rice. However, white rice is also incredibly high in calories, but using coconut oil can actually fix this and make white rice a healthier grain option. Boiling rice with coconut oil and then chilling it in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours can actually reduce the calorie count of the rice by over sixty percent. The coconut fat and the cold make less of the rice digestible, so the calories are never absorbed by the digestive tract.
2. Brew Better Coffee
Many people cannot start their day off right without a decent cup of coffee, but that doesn’t mean that cup needs to be packed with extra calories. Instead of using heavy creamer, add a scoop of coconut oil to your daily coffee so the fats your body is consuming will be more healthy.
3. Freeze to Save Cooking Time
Most people are familiar with freezing ice cubes in ice trays, but coconut oil is another thing people should consider freezing. Swap out an ice cube for a dollop of coconut oil and let it freeze overnight in the ice tray. That way, when it’s time to cook, simply pull a coconut oil cube out of the tray and pop it into a dish for added flavor.
4. Blend Creamier Smoothies
Coconut oil is thicker than other cooking oils, so adding it to any liquid will also make that liquid thicker. Adding coconut oil to a smoothie adds texture, not to mention a burst of more tropical flavor, and has a consistency similar to almond milk.
5. Magic Ice Cream
Sprinkle some melted coconut oil over cold ice cream and the result will be a nice crunch of texture. The coconut oil will harden in contrast to the cold ice cream, creating a shell of sorts, and it’s not packed with sugar or other additives like the products at the store.