Coconut oil is a versatile household item with a long list of uses. It can be used for cooking, as a beauty product, and even as an animal product. Coconut oil is really useful in the kitchen for frying or baking and can be used as a healthier alternative to butter. In the beauty routine, coconut oil helps keep skin hydrated and healthy by being applied topically to the skin or hair.
Coconut oil is a natural product that is a fat, of which 90% is saturated. A spoonful contains 130 calories and 14 grams of fat. Coconut oil has been popular throughout Southeast Asian countries for centuries due to its many benefits such as being an antioxidant, soothes burns, hair conditioner, moisturizer and more.
Coconut oil is a nearly magical food that can be used as a substitute for practically any other fat. In cooking, one can also use it instead butter, but keep in mind that the latter has a higher water content.
There are two main types of coconut oil on the market: virgin and refined. The first is a pure oil that has been cold pressed and extracted without the use of solvents. The second type is refined, which has been processed with solvents to extract all fats and oils.
Coconut oil is perfect for cooking, baking and frying. It can be used as a replacement for partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to help reduce the amount of trans fat in foods. It’s also a low-calorie alternative to butter and margarine.
Refined coconut oil is more suitable for frying or cooking at higher temperatures. One of its peculiarities is that it has low levels of saturated fat and high levels of polyunsaturated fat. Coconut oil, especially virgin oil, is rich and tasty and is an excellent alternative to butter or animal fats, and therefore it is suitable for many vegan recipes. It should be kept in a cool and dark place and used in cooking to give a light flavour and a sweet coconut aftertaste.
It’s good for so many things from salad dressing to making smoothies, just give it a try.
