7 Ways to Eat More Coconut Oil

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7 Ways to Eat More Coconut Oil and Get the Benefits without Eating it Straight
Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » 7 Ways to Eat More Coconut Oil

I’ve written before about 101 ways to use coconut oil for everything from oil pulling to lotion to toothpaste. One question I often get asked is how to actually eat coconut oil, especially if you don’t like the taste…

The word is getting out about the health benefits of coconut oil, but especially for those just starting to use/consume it, trying to actually eat it can be a difficult task. For some people, eating too much at once can even cause upset stomach until the body adjusts.

For those who are trying to eat more coconut oil in their diets but have trouble with the taste or texture, here are a few of the ways we consume it without the taste or texture becoming too overpowering:

1. In Coffee or Hot Drinks

A way to supercharge coffee and make it healthy and great for your skin

One of my favorite ways to consume coconut oil daily is in a cup of hot coffee or tea each morning. The trick is to blend the mixture enough for the oil to emulsify, which creates a creamy and rich consistency and not an oily consistency (which I personally don’t like). Here is my recipe for healthy coconut oil coffee, and check out the unusual ingredient I add to make it even more creamy (and healthy).

2. In Smoothies

7 Ways to Eat More Coconut Oil

It’s easy to hide the taste and texture of coconut oil in a smoothie, though sometimes it can leave clumps. I actually like the little crunchy pieces of coconut oil, but for those trying to hide the texture, the trick is to melt the coconut oil until it is just barely melted an add slowly as the smoothie is already being blended so it emulsifies in and doesn’t clump.

We often add 1-2 tablespoons to a smoothie this way and the taste and texture aren’t noticeable.

3. Homemade Energy Bars

chocolate coconut granola bars

These are another kid favorite at our house. The kids love the taste and I like that they are packed with healthy fats and are a great natural source of energy.

Here is the recipe.

4. Coconut Butter Cups

Healthy Coconut Butter Cups Recipe

Just like the energy bars, these coconut butter cups are a favorite in our house. They are a little chocolate cup filled with coconut and coconut oil “butter” and can be flavored however you’d like.

Here is the recipe for Coconut Butter Cups.

5. Cooking and Stir Frys

fast and easy chicken and vegetable stir fry recipe

Coconut oil’s high smoke point and concentration of stable saturated fats makes it a good choice for stir frys and cooking. We often use coconut oil as the base oil to coat the pan when cooking eggs, stir frys and other pan-cooked dishes.

Many of the recipes on this page (especially the stir-frys) use coconut oil as a base.

6. In Baking Recipes

Grain free, gluten free blueberry crumble muffins

Coconut oil can substitute for butter in most baking recipes and can also replace margarine and vegetable oils in most cases. My recipe list has many recipes that use coconut oil to help you get started.

7. For Frying

easy and healthy coconut shrimp recipe

If you’re going to fry something, stable oils like coconut oil, tallow and lard are great choices. This coconut shrimp recipe is one of my favorites as the coconut oil adds to the coconut flavor of the recipe.

At our house, we use coconut oil for pretty much everything…

From a previous article:

What Kind of Coconut Oil?

For external uses, expeller pressed or other types of refined coconut oil will work, but for internal use, an unrefined virgin coconut oil is best. This book provides more information about the benefits of coconut oil and the difference in the types of coconut oil.

I also love that this company supports small family farms in the Philippines. We order in five-gallon pails, which is more expensive up-front but which saves a lot of money in the long term.

My husband and I both take about 4 tablespoons a day and the kids get a couple tablespoons in food, smoothies, or hot herbal tea.

Where to Get Coconut Oil?

I love this organic virgin and fair-trade coconut oil from Thrive Market (which is like Costco online but for healthy products). Their coconut oil is 40% off retail, which is the best price I’ve found for it online. And Thrive Market sells many of my favorite products at 30-50% off normal prices!

Free Coconut Oil Book for You

If you’ve never ordered coconut oil before, now is your chance to try it. When you order through this link, you will get a copy of the Virgin Coconut Oil Book which explains the story of how they discovered this high nutrient coconut oil and the many ways it can be used to support health. The book will be automatically added the first time your order.

Do you use coconut oil as much as me? How do you use it? Share below!

Coconut oil is beneficial for so many reasons but can be hard to eat if you don't like the taste. Eat more coconut oil by using in cooking, baking, stir-frys, in coffee and more.

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

158 responses to “7 Ways to Eat More Coconut Oil”

  1. Jessica Avatar

    I recently bought nutiva organic refined coconut oil for cooking since it Does not have a “coconut” taste. I also enjoy a tablespoon in my hot tea but I’m wondering if the refined version has the same health benefits as the unrefined does. Anyone know??

    1. Safiya Avatar

      Hi there. Does it matter when one takes the coconut oil? I mean do u have to take it first thing in the morning or straight after a meal?

      Thanks

      1. Lisa Avatar

        I cannot use the coconut oil first thing in my day. It causes me extreme nausea and stomach cramping. Therefore I use it well into my day when I have consumed enough food. I looked into this, as I was concerned as well, and found that it doesn’t matter what part of the day you take it. The benefits are the same whether consumed morning.I afternoon.g or evening! ?

  2. jadwiga Brotherson Avatar
    jadwiga Brotherson

    I’m very interested but I’m blood type o and it states no coconut of any kind? So were do I go from here?

  3. Julie Rogan Avatar
    Julie Rogan

    Will eating raw coconut be of any benefit? Other than it killing my jaw….but i love coconut…..

  4. Tracy Avatar

    Thank-you so much for this post!!!
    Am off to make a hot cocoa using your coffee idea 🙂

  5. Mila Noveno Mabini Avatar
    Mila Noveno Mabini

    I just loved the taste & smell of coconut oil. I just started eating organic/virgin coconut oil with my youngest son. I have decided to eat it daily basis for I knew now the great benefits it will give us. Just 5 months ago, I been confined in a hospital for heart attack. And also I have diabetes. I have 6 kinds maintenance meds a day. Does eating coconut oil daily won’t affect in my maintenance meds daily? I hope it won’t. I want to get well for my kids. Thanks lot.

  6. Kate Avatar

    I drain the peanut oil off of my natural peanut butter then I add equal amount of Coconut Oil. It tastes great. I also add honey to my Peanut butter.

  7. Heather C. Avatar
    Heather C.

    Can you get the same health benefits of coconut oil just by consuming coconut meat every day? And by that I mean the stuff you buy in a package usually in the baking good section of the store.

  8. Eileen Koborie Avatar
    Eileen Koborie

    Everyone but my son (who has ADHD and could use the coconut oil in his diet) loves the taste of coconut. If I try any of these baked goods recipes that have coconut oil in them, will the coconut flavor be really prominent? I want him to be willing to eat them but if he tastes the coconut he won’t.

  9. Cassie Avatar

    I love coconut oil, but my husband thinks a quarter cup is too much oil to be consuming a day. I think he is lumping coconut oil in with all the other oils that doctors say to avoid because of artery clogging. How should I explain to him that coconut oil doesn’t do that. I am not sure how I should word it. I am not so good at explaining things to people face to face……..

  10. Warren Thompson Avatar
    Warren Thompson

    I am trying to find a good mixture to give my wife on a daily basis but the coconut oil makes her gag. I have tried coffee mixes but they do not work. Trying to build her daily input to 3 tbs a day. She also does not like anything real sweet. Any suggestions?

    1. Sherri Avatar

      Mix the unflavored & melted with soft butter then reset it & she will never know.

  11. Rosey Avatar

    Hi,

    I tried drinking the coffee with a tablespoon on coconut oil. It tasted very pleasant but later in the day I felt extremely bloated and this only stopped when I vomited. Not pleasant. Do you know what might have caused this, I’m pretty sure it was the coconut oil as nothing else was unusual that day.

    Thanks

    1. Michelle Avatar
      Michelle

      I’ve started eating vco to cure Candida and have found I’m having this reaction too…. bloated stomach and vomiting. I’m cutting back to see what happens, but I’ve read that vco will help gut issues and there are side effects when yeast bacteria is dying off. HTH

    2. Angela Avatar

      Read the article and above comments. Tiny need to start slowly and increase slowly. This happened to me too, but now I can take 6 tablespoons a day!

  12. Carol cox Avatar
    Carol cox

    I have been using cocanut oil virgin raw love it in my protein drinks yorgets use on toast instead of butter. I have just finished my first jar another on order I also have a cocanut oil capsuil every morning my husband has straitened to have one every morning too I put on my face every morning after a shower and my age spots on my hand are fading .

  13. Janette Avatar

    Is it ok to mix coconut oil with any drink? For example juice or milk?

  14. Tracey Avatar

    I drink a warm cup of lemon water every morning, is it ok to add the coconut oil to it? I wonder if the acid of the lemon would lessen the effect of the coconut oil?

    1. Lisa Avatar

      It’s perfectly fine to add to your lemon water. The lemon should have absolutely no adverse effects on the coconut oil! And it tastes great. I put it in my lemon tea all the time!

  15. Diane Avatar

    I want to begin taking coconut oil but I don’t know where to start. I have Virgin Coconut Oil that says ideal for cooking & baking. Thank you.

    1. Ronda Avatar

      I just started taking coconut oil two days ago I put one tablespoon in my cup of green tea everyday and it has no taste at all to me

  16. Tammy Avatar

    I am just getting ready to start eating coconut oil. Should I eat something before taking a spoonful?

  17. Jessica Avatar

    Are we still able to get the free coconut book using your link? Thank you!

  18. Bre Avatar

    I do bulletproof coffee, make coconut oil fudge & our family fav is coconut oil bark! I use whatever brand of virgin oil is quality and on sale and buy some fruit (usually strawberries or orange zest) blend the oil, fruit, a lil vanilla and I’ve added sweetners and not added them. I like without just fine but the FAM preferred with a lil honey or stevia. You can add cocoa butter to make it extra creamy if that’s our thing 😉 melt, pour into molds or onto a cookie sheet/pan or dish, freeze and break chunks off and store in fridge or freezer 😀 yum yum!

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