Coconut milk: is it compatible with a slimming diet?
Coconut milk is sometimes used to flavor a dish, make it creamier, or replace other fatty products such as fresh cream. But is it a really good idea to consume it when you care about your streak? We did an evaluation with nutritionist Vanessa Bejaa Haddad.
A vitamin-rich moisturizer, an ally against high blood pressure. Coconut has many health benefits. This fruit that smells of sun and hot sand can be tasted in its natural form or in the form of water, oil, powder but also milk. So it is possible to drink it with a straw directly in its shell or decorate its dishes with coconut milk.
Coconut milk is especially used in cooking in Southeast Asian countries as well as in Polynesia. It enhances recipes by giving them a subtle coconut flavor and a certain smoothness. It's "a reconstituted product, made from fresh, crushed coconut pulp, mixed with boiling water. In most commercial products, thickeners are added to coconut milk," explains Vanessa Bedjay Haddad, nutritionist.
Like coconut, the milk of this fruit has many advantages. "It's particularly rich in minerals, especially iron and potassium, but it's also rich in phosphorous and magnesium. It's also hydrating because it's rich in water," confirms the dietitian. But can this product be consumed without fear as part of a diet?
Diet and Coconut Milk: Low-calorie but low-sweetness product
Coconut is rich in fiber, which promotes intestinal transit and has an appetite suppressant effect. However, it is not a slimming fruit, as it is especially rich. Thus coconut contains fat, 90% of which is in the form of saturated fatty acids, which are notoriously fats.
The same goes for coconut milk. However, coconut — and thus milk — “mainly contain lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid that has a positive effect on total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, unlike other types. Cholesterol ,” explains Vanessa Bejai Haddad. The total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio is used to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease.
If coconut milk contains saturated fatty acids, it is also caloric and contains about 180 calories per 100 ml. “The addition of water is random from product to product, so some coconut milk is richer in fat and calories than others,” the dietitian specifies. However, this product is not very sweet: it contains only 2 grams of sugar per 100 ml.
Coconut milk: reduce the consumption
Therefore, coconut milk "is not necessarily recommended, but can be compatible with a diet like any other food from the moment the quantities consumed are limited," explains Vanessa Pidjay Haddad.
However, the specialist specifies that coconut milk is "particularly interesting for people with lactose intolerance, vegetarians, vegans (but beware, it provides very little calcium), and people who monitor their cholesterol because it doesn't contain any, But also athletes, because coconut milk has a restorative effect.
Diet: Read labels carefully to choose coconut milk
To consume this product when you care about your streak, you can bet it's "light" coconut milk, lower calories because it's cut with water. It is also advised to read the labels carefully. “In the ingredients list, the coconut pulp should come first and it should make up at least 60% of the product,” explains the dietitian, who also advises choosing organic coconut milk without additives.
In cooking, coconut milk can replace fresh cream, which has higher calories (about 300 calories per 100 g), is rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. It can also be used in smoothies, casseroles, lentils, soups, or even some desserts. The specialist concludes, "Like any other vegetable fat, there is no reason to limit yourself in repetition. However, the quantities should be moderate, limited to a few teaspoons per day."
