Have you ever taken a really good look at some of the fruits and vegetables as you walk through the produce section? Beyond the usual apples and carrots, there are some really fascinating foods in there. You may not know how to eat these foods (yet!), but as the old saying goes, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. The same goes for coconuts. Although their exterior may look intimidating, the fruit inside is a delicious treat. While coconut may not be considered a weight loss food, coconut water can be a sweet and healthy treat as you’re on your weight loss journey with SmartShape Weight Loss Centres in Toronto.
Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to eat this tropical fruit!
How to Open a Coconut with Ease
Let’s start with the basics: opening the coconut.
You’re going to need a coconut, a large bowl, a screwdriver, and a hammer. After cleaning your tools thoroughly, place the tip of the screwdriver into the eye of the coconut. Use the hammer to hit the screwdriver deep into the fruit, then proceed to make two more holes directly beside it. Drain the coconut water out of the fruit and into a bowl. You can drink the coconut water right away, or save it for later!
Once the water is drained, hit along the circumference of the coconut with your hammer, turning the fruit in a full circle. You’ll start to notice a hairline fracture appear, and shortly after the coconut will bust open.
How to Eat a Coconut
Raw or Frozen Coconut Chunks
Once the coconut is open, you can decide what you’d like to do with the coconut meat inside. You can simply cut out the coconut meat and enjoy it raw and fresh. Try eating it raw as a light snack, or add it into another dish. Alternatively, you can freeze the coconut meat and eat it frozen as a cool, refreshing snack.
You can even buy frozen coconut chunks from the frozen section of most grocery stores. This makes for a quick and easy snack, without all the prep work. You can easily store the bag of frozen coconut chunks in your freezer at home, or bring to work for a midday snack.
Remember while you’re enjoying your coconut, that they’re a high-calorie, high-fat fruit, similar to an avocado. This means they should be enjoyed in moderation if you want to lose weight or maintain your weight loss. You don’t need to cut these foods out of your healthy diet altogether, but simply eat smaller quantities.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is known around the world as nature’s sports drink. It’s low in calories, free of fat and cholesterol, contains less sugar and sodium than popular sports drinks, and much more potassium. In fact, it has more potassium than four bananas.
You can simply drink coconut water, or you can cook with it! Try adding coconut water to your rice, smoothies, sauces, dressings, and more!
Although coconut water is good for you, you shouldn’t overdo it. It’s not a good idea to drink your calories, especially while on a weight loss journey. Coconut water makes a great substitute for sugary drinks, soda, and sports drinks, but pure water is always the best choice to stay hydrated.
Shredded Coconut on Fruit Salads
Coconut can make a great addition to just about any fruit salad! Try including strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, and/or melon to your fruit salad. Garnish your fruit salad with a little shredded coconut, or add a touch of coconut milk to the dressing for a tropical taste. Be mindful about portion sizes when adding shredded coconut to your fruit salads – an appropriate serving would be about 1 to 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut.
Coconut Oil for Cooking
Coconut oil can be purchased from many retail grocery stores and health food stores, and is best stored in a cool, dark place at room temperature. Any warmer than that, and chances are it will melt. Coconut oil is also a popular cooking oil because it’s resistant to oxidation when cooked at high temperatures. It can even be added to other recipes, such as smoothies or salad dressings. However, coconut oil should be considered an addition to your cooking oil arsenal, not a replacement for other oils. Other oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, offer their own range of health benefits that you don’t want to miss out on.
Read More: 5 Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating
Coconut Oil for Hair and Skin
Coconut oil has been become famous of its supposed health benefits, not just as an edible food, but when applied topically to skin or hair.
Some possible benefits of coconut oil include:
- Stronger, healthier hair
- Smooth and healthy skin
- Relief from dry skin and hair
You can use it on your skin and hair as a moisturizer, or use it as a hair mask. Coconut oil lovers claim it improves damaged hair and skin, helping it to grow stronger and healthier than before. However, if you have oily or acne prone skin, you may find coconut oil doesn’t agree with your skin type.
Coconuts and Weight Loss
If you recently had weight loss surgery at SmartShape in Toronto, or you’re simply on a weight loss journey to become your best self, you may find that coconut chunks, shredded coconut, coconut milk, and coconut oil for cooking aren’t foods that you can integrate into your diet yet. This doesn’t mean that you need to avoid these foods forever, but their high calorie and fat content means that they’re not the best choice when you’re trying to reach a weight loss goal. For that delicious, tropical coconut taste, coconut water in moderation is a better choice, since it is lower in calories and fat.
After your weight loss surgery, whether it’s the gastric sleeve, mini gastric bypass surgery, Lap-Band (gastric band), you’ll need to follow a special diet for a limited amount of time. This will ensure your body is able to adjust and heal properly immediately after your surgery, and you can start your weight loss journey off on the right foot. Once you’ve healed and your weight loss journey is underway, you can start slowly integrating different foods back into your diet and expanding your palette. Our SmartShape registered dietitian team, as part of our 5-Year AfterCare Success Program, will guide you through this process and help you understand appropriate portion sizes for different types of foods, such as coconuts!
Read More: How Should I Change my Eating Habits After Weight Loss Surgery?
SmartShape: Gastric Sleeve, Mini Gastric Bypass & Lap-Band in Ontario
If you’ve been researching weight loss methods and struggling with your weight, SmartShape Weight Loss Centre in Toronto, Ontario may an option to consider. If diet and exercise haven’t worked for you, weight loss surgery is a safe and effective way to lose weight and keep it off.
SmartShape works with people across Canada to improve their health and lose excess weight for good. We’re Canada’s leading experts in weight loss surgery to help you achieve your weight loss goals, and regain your confidence, health, and energy. We offer several weight loss surgery options in Toronto, Ontario, including the gastric sleeve, mini gastric bypass surgery, Lap-Band (gastric band)
SmartShape’s team of expert bariatric surgeons and our clinical Aftercare Support Program team will help you every step of the way throughout your weight loss journey, so you can achieve long-lasting weight loss. Our unique 5-Year AfterCare Success Program ensures that our patients have the tools they need for success by providing with 24/7 access to our team of registered dietitians, nurses, and bariatric surgeons for 5 years after your bariatric surgery.
SmartShape is the first bariatric surgery centre in Canada accredited by the Bariatric Centre of Excellence. Explore our weight loss surgery procedures and read our patient success stories to discover how weight loss surgery in Toronto, Canada can improve your overall health and happiness. If you’d like to learn more about weight loss surgery, schedule a complimentary virtual consultation with our expert weight loss surgeon to discuss your goals and which weight loss surgery is right for your needs.
Read More: What Centre Should I Choose for My Weight Loss Surgery?