Should I Use Coconut Oil For Cooking While On Keto?

When eating a ketogenic diet, you have to make some changes to the way you cook. One of the big changes is the oil you use to cook your foods.

Can I have coconut oil while on the keto diet? Yes, coconut oil is perfect for keto because it’s low in carbohydrates and has multiple health benefits.

Want to know more about why you should add coconut oil to your diet? Keep reading below!

Is Coconut Oil Good For Keto?

Coconut oil is quite possibly the perfect keto food. It is made of medium-chain fatty acids, which are fats that are turned into ketones by your body. When ketones are present, your body is able to remain in ketosis, which is the state in which your body burns fat since there are no carbohydrates and sugars for it to burn otherwise.

There are several things you can do with coconut oil. The most popular way to get it into your diet is by cooking with it. Coconut oil is especially prevalent in frying, baking, and roasting.

How Much Coconut Oil Should I Have On Keto?

The amount of coconut oil you should consume as part of a ketogenic lifestyle will be dependent on how many other fats you have each day, but on average, two to three tablespoons is ideal.

When you’re in ketosis, you’re looking for your healthy fat intake to make up about 75% of the calories you eat. This is difficult for a lot of people because fats fill you up, making it difficult to eat as much of it as you need and even harder to overeat. This makes coconut oil a perfect supplementation.

If you’re new to keto or just trying to increase your intake of healthy fats, it’s possible that you may have some digestive issues. If you find this to be an issue, cut back to a teaspoon of coconut oil and work your way up to the recommended amount.

What Are The Keto Benefits Of Coconut Oil?

1. Coconut Oil Boosts Your Metabolism

The fatty acids that make up coconut oil are called medium-chain triglycerides, but you’ve probably heard them referred to as MCTs. When you consume them, they get absorbed into your body very quickly. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, this quick absorption aids in temporarily boosting your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories.

2. Coconut Oil Suppresses Your Appetite

Coconut oil is loaded with useful, healthy fats. Not only do these fats give you the fat-burning benefits, but if you’re using it for cooking or otherwise consuming it with food, the oil can make you feel full faster, naturally suppressing your appetite. If you’re on keto for weight loss, it makes a lot of sense to include coconut oil in your diet.

3. Coconut Oil Helps Absorb Nutrients

Anytime you hear anything about saturated fats in the media, it is always negative. The fact is, healthy fats can be very beneficial for us. The fats in coconut oil, for example, aids your body in absorbing the nutrients from the foods we consume.

The fatty acids that you find in coconut oil allow our bodies to better extract vitamin B, magnesium, and calcium, all of which are important. Along with the nutrients, the oil also aids in absorbing amino acids.

Ways To Consume More Coconut Oil On Keto

1. Cooking – The easiest way to get more coconut oil in your diet is to cook with it. It has a high smoke point and gives your food a slightly sweet flavor. If you’re not a big fan of the taste of coconut, look for an oil that says expeller-pressed coconut. Click here for my favorite coconut oil.
2. Supplements – Some people have a hard time adding enough coconut oil to their diets. If that’s you, a coconut oil capsule, such as the ones made by Jarrow Formulas. One soft gel capsule taken one to two times a day will give you all the benefits coconut oil has to offer.
3. Eat it straight – Unlike vegetable, canola, or other cooking oils, coconut oil tastes good. If you take a spoonful of coconut oil about a half hour before you eat, you’ll be able to eat a smaller portion and feel satisfied faster.
4. Baking – It doesn’t matter what you’re baking, if your recipe calls for you to use butter, replace it with coconut oil. When you do this, it’s important to remember that any cold ingredients you’re using should be room temperature before using because coconut oil solidifies when it comes into contact with cold items.
5. Make a smoothie – Do you have picky kids who never want to eat their healthy foods? Maybe you have trouble fitting all of the good stuff into your diet because you are not a fan of the way healthy foods taste. Regardless of the reason, smoothies make it easy to add the nutrient-dense goodies t your diet. Next time you make yours, add a spoonful of coconut oil to the mix. If you aren’t a fan of the small clumps, melt the oil beforehand.
6. Add it to coffee – You might be using heavy whipping cream and a sweetener to your coffee, but have you ever considered coconut oil instead/ A spoonful or two will melt nicely and give your coffee a sweet, mildly nutty flavor.

Additional Coconut Oil Benefits

The ketogenic benefits are not the only ones coconut oil has. There are many additional benefits that come from adding it to your diet. These benefits include:

• Mental clarity – The oils found in coconut oil do not rely on insulin to be able to get inside your cells. Instead, they are made into ketones, which can be absorbed into your brain so much easier. This makes the mind run much more efficiently.
• Gut health – Adding coconut oil into your diet may work better than a daily probiotic. It can keep yeast and bacteria from overtaking your stomach and stop intestinal bacteria from spreading.
• Constipation – Since coconut oil can get into your digestive tract so quickly and eliminate so much of that bacteria, it’s a natural aid to keep you regular.
• Rash relief – Coconut oil reduces the amount of redness and swelling in a rash, helping the pain go away. This is an especially helpful natural remedy for a baby’s diaper rash, but adults can use it too.
• Hair mask – If you haven’t tried coconut oil on your hair, what are you waiting for? After you wash your hair, apply the oil to your hair, and leave it alone for five minutes. Once you rinse it out, you’ll discover that it makes the best hair conditioner you’ve ever used.
• Shaving – Coconut oil makes a fantastic shave gel. You’ll find that it allows for a close shave while allowing your razor to glide smoothly over your skin. This eliminates nicks and cuts and goes a long way towards preventing inground hairs.
• Insect bites – There are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties in coconut oil that act as a natural pain reliever and swelling-reducer for insect bites. It also relieves the urge to itch almost instantly, which is essential for preventing infections from too much scratching.
• Dandruff – Dandruff is an annoying condition that’s hard to get rid of. For most people, it occurs because the scalp is too dry. To moisturize your scalp, take a small amount of coconut oil and massage it to your roots when you go to bed. After a few applications, you should start seeing some improvements.
• Chapped lips – This tip will be especially helpful in the winter months, but some people deal with chapped lips all year round. A small dab on your lips with soothe your dry, cracked lips and give them the moisture they need for hours.

Related Questions

What fruit can I eat on the keto diet? The best fruit options for keto include avocados, lemon, blackberries, watermelon, tomatoes, strawberries, cantaloupe, and raspberries.

What is keto rash? Keto rash is an itchy rash that appears on both sides of your body. It is most commonly seen on the neck, chest, armpits, or back.