I have to start off by saying, I love coconut oil!! I love the way it smells, it feels on my skin and I love the way it hardens when cold and has a high smoke point when used for cooking. It really is nature’s version of a scientific marvel – this is taking me back to my school science days! LOL But one thing to mention which we all need to be aware of is that not all coconut oil is created equal….
So how do we pick which coconut oil is the best one for us to buy? Well first off you need to know that there are two types of coconut oil;
- VIRGIN – made from the fresh meat of the coconut which is cold pressed, leaving just pure oil behind and that great coconut scent/flavour with a smoke point of 180C
- REFINED – made using dried coconut meat and the oil is gently steam refined, leaving a more neutral coconut scent/flavour with a smoke point of 200C
So how do you know which one is best for your purposes? Well if you are cooking it could be argued that the refined would be best due to the higher smoke point and the more neutral flavour and the virgin could be best for hair and body treatments as it is more pure. However both are interchangeable for each purpose and they are as nutritionally beneficial as one another with 63 percent medium chain triglycerides, including 50 percent lauric acid.
Therefore the best way to consciously shop for coconut oil is to always read the labels and check for the following;
- Certified organic
- Verified non-GMO
- Make sure that virgin coconut oil is:
- Cold-pressed
- Made without hexane
- Never deodorized or bleached
- Make sure that refined coconut oil:
- Has never been refined using harsh chemicals
- Be sure to check that it is steam-refined
Now you can feel informed and empowered at the shop, so go forth and enjoy your coconut oil and if nothing else enjoy all the wondrous properties of this natural product and take yourself back to junior high science class!
Here is one of our favourite and most simple protein ball recipes using coconut oil;
FUNCH Protein Balls:
1 x FUNCH Power Ball Mixture
4 x Tablespoons Coconut Oil
8 x DATES Dates
BUY IT NOW FUNCH