We found a fun new product at Costco this week and I thought I would share it with you.
It is called Coconut Clusters and in addition to delicious, has pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds which provide protein. There is a only small amount of added sugar per food label serving size. They are gluten free, dairy free, organic, and non-gmo.
They have a fresh, sweet, and slightly nutty taste. They work well for a small snack for kids (my boys LOVED having them in their lunches this week) or as a topper for cereal, yogurt, or salad. As with all foods of higher caloric density, moderation is key. I packed about 2 Tbsp. for the boys in their lunch twice this week.
But is coconut healthy? Coconut is a source of nutrition that is unique in its make up. It contains saturated fat which we usually should try to avoid; however, the make up of the fatty acids in coconut is quite different from that in high fat milks and red meat which have a direct link with increased risk of heart disease. While (long chain triglycerides) saturated fats increase our LDL cholesterol (the bad); the type of saturated fat (medium chain triglycerides) in coconut also has been shown to increase our HDL cholesterol (the good). Long story short, moderation is key. Coconut is not a fat that we want to use in place of olive oil, grapeseed oil, and avocado oil; however, it is a fat that we can consume in moderation as part of healthy diet. The list of possible health benefits of coconut oil is quite long including, but not limited to, some studies showing that intake of coconut can help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and may help to reduce inflammation.
Why chia? Chia seeds are a source of complete protein. This means that they contain all of the essential amino acids our body needs to make body proteins. This is not true of most plant based proteins. Other plant based complete proteins include quinoa, soy nuts, and hemp hearts.
If you love coconut I hope you can try this new product too!
Until next time….stay healthy!