Coconut flour is obtained from coconut flesh as a by-product of coconut oil and milk production. It has a slight coconut flavor and aroma, but not sweet. It is worth using due to its numerous he alth-promoting properties. Learn the nutritional value of coconut flour, its possible culinary uses and a recipe for homemade coconut flour.

Coconut flourcontains a lot of fiber and protein, and few easily digestible carbohydrates, which is why it is used in diets for diabetics and slimming people. Its regular use helps to lower blood sugar levels and brings other he alth benefits.

Coconut flour: properties and nutritional value

Coconut flour is made from the flesh that lines the inside ofcoconut . It has a white color and a delicate coconut flavor and aftertaste. It is sold as a finely ground powder. Depending on the degree of grinding, coconut flour can be fine, light and well aerated or coarser and heavier. Coconut flour does not contain gluten, hence it is more and more often used as a replacement for traditional cereal flours. 100 g of coconut flour provides 443 kcal. It is also an excellent source of fiber, it contains twice as much as bran. Coconut flour can be classified as a low-carbohydrate flour recommended for people with a disturbed sugar economy. The fats contained in coconut flour are mainly saturated medium-chain fatty acids (MTC), which have antibacterial and antiviral effects, accelerate themetabolismrate, contribute to faster fat burning, and thanks to this coconut flour is use in slimming diets. It is also a very good source of protein. It can be recommended for people who engage in regular physical activity as well as children and adolescents in the period of growth, when the demand for protein is higher.

Worth knowing

100 g of coconut flour contains:

59 g carbohydrate (20% DV), including:

  • 38 g of fiber (150% DV);
  • 7 g sugars;

15 g fat (23% DV), including:

  • 14 g saturated fat;

18 g protein (37% dailyrequirements);

443 kcal.

What kind of flour to use for? [TOWIDEO]

Production of coconut flour

Coconut flour is produced industrially mainly in the Philippines, which is the world's second largest producer of coconuts and the largest exporter of coconut products. Coconut flour is made from coconut flesh, which is first dried, pressed and extracted to remove most of the fat from it. First,coconut oilandcoconut milkare produced, while flour is made from the squeezing residue of liquid products. Coconut flour can be produced in two ways:

  • dry method, which produces cream-colored or slightly brown-colored flour, richer in protein and fat; main product is coconut oil,
  • wet method, which produces a light-colored flour, richer in fiber, with a lower fat content; the main product is coconut milk.

It is possible to obtain flours of different composition and properties, e.g. full-fat flour, semi-skimmed flour, low-fat and high-fiber flour, high-protein flour and high-fiber flour. The coconut flour production process is very cost effective as a single raw coconut flesh produces several high-quality end products: oil, milk and flour.

Coconut flour and he alth

  • Coconut flour does not containgluten- protein present in grains, which is often allergenic. It can be used by people suffering from celiac disease and gluten intolerance as a substitute for grain flours.
  • Increases the rate of metabolism and balances the level ofglucosein the blood due to the presence of medium-chain saturated fatty acids MCT.
  • It contains a lot of dietary fiber, which maintains the feeling of satiety for a long time, improves the rhythm of bowel movements, helps to regulate the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood and remove toxins from the body. It has a beneficial effect in the prevention of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, especially of the large intestine.
  • Contains a small amount of easily digestible carbohydrates, which are the main cause of lifestyle diseases such as insulin resistance,diabetesand obesity.
  • Has a lowglycemic indexand does not cause sudden spikes in blood sugar or insulin spikes. Research shows that eating foods (including high-starch foods) with coconut flour lowers the glycemic index of a meal and helps keep blood glucose at a good and constant level in diabetics and he althy people. Coconut flour isrecommended for people suffering from diabetes, insulin resistance and carbohydrate problems as well as for people who are slimming, because the normalized level of insulin in the blood promotes fat burning.
  • Regular use of coconut flour in the kitchen improves the lipid profile. It helps to lower the level of total cholesterol, "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood in people with exceeding the norm of these parameters.
  • Regular consumption of coconut flour reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack, and also supports the functioning of the immune system.

Including coconut flour in your daily diet can help prevent colon cancer because the fiber in it is metabolized in the gut into butyrate, an important substance for gut he alth.

Coconut flour: use in the kitchen

Coconut flour is used both in recipes for sweets and for dry dishes. It is cheaper than other nut flours and is just as he althy. It is recommended in low-carbohydrate diets indicated for diabetics and people on a diet, because even a 15% addition of coconut flour lowers the glycemic index of the dish. It has a slight flavor and aroma of coconut, but is not sweet, so it does not dominate other flavors. Coconut flour contains a lot of fiber, so it absorbs water more than other flours.

Coconut flour absorbs more water than other flours.

You have to keep this in mind when cooking and increase the amount of wet ingredients in your recipes. Coconut flour strongly thickens sauces and masses, it is quite heavy, so that cakes and muffins do not rise high with it. That is why it is sometimes advisable to mix it with other flours in recipes. Coconut flour can be used in many ways:

  • as an ingredient in cakes, cookies, truffles,
  • pancakes,
  • low-carbohydrate bread,
  • pizza base,
  • to thicken soups and sauces,
  • instead of breadcrumbs or bran in meatballs,
  • as a coating for meat and fish mixed with various spices.

When baking desserts with coconut flour, you need to remember about the right amount of water. It's best to use them in a 1: 1 ratio, for example, add 3 tablespoons of water to 3 tablespoons of coconut flour. The most common recommendation is to replace up to 20 percent of the flour used in the recipe with coconut flour and add water equal to the amount of coconut flour. If you want to prepare a dish only with coconut flour, you must remember to add eggs that will combine the ingredients and prevent the baking from disintegrating. Coconut flour does not contain gluten, so with too littlethe amount of wet ingredients gives crispy and brittle pastries.

Homemade coconut flour recipe

Coconut flour is more and more widely available. You can buy it in stores with the so-called he alth food, supermarkets and online stores. The prices of coconut flour range from about PLN 7 to even PLN 60-90 per kilogram. You can prepare coconut flour yourself at home. This is a very good proposition for people who also make coconut milk.

Ingredients:

  • 200 g coconut shrims
  • 1.5 liters of water

Preparation method:

  1. Pour the coconut shrims with 1.2 liters of water, leave overnight. If you have a strong blender, you can skip soaking the chips.
  2. Heat the chips with water, pour the warm ones into a blender and mix for a few minutes.
  3. Hang a strainer on the pot, line it with a double layer of gauze and pour the mixed liquid. Squeeze very hard and thoroughly (this way you will get coconut milk that you can use for other dishes).
  4. Squeezed chips pour a glass of boiling water, mix for a few minutes and pour through the gauze again.
  5. Put the pressed shavings on a large baking tray, press down with a fork and spread over the entire surface.
  6. Oven dry at 100oC or 80oC with top-down heating and hot air for 1.5 hours, occasionally stirring and lifting the oven door to release the steam.
  7. Completely dry and cooled shavings blend to a powder of the desired thickness.
  8. Put the finished coconut flour into a jar.

Sources:

1. Trinidad T.P. et al.,Dietary fiber from coconut folu: A functional food,Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 2006, 7, 309-317

2. Production of coconut flou and virgin coconut oil, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Ei7JmJTGCv0J:pca.da.gov.ph/pdf/techno/flour_vco.pdf+&cd=1&hl=pl&ct=clnk&gl=pl

3. Ramaswamy R.L,Coconut folur - a low carbohudrate, gluten free folur. A review article,International Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine, 2014, 4 (1), 1426-1436

4. https://draxe.com/coconut-flour-nutrition/

5. http://www.olgasmile.com/maka-kokosowa.html

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