August 17, 2015 · Written by Foodtolive Team

Dried Coconut: Nutrition Facts, Health Benefits, and Recipes

Dried coconut often goes underappreciated when compared to other dried fruits. However, if you are interested in eating healthy, you definitely need to include it in your diet. Benefits of dried coconut and its exceptionally high nutritional value make it a valuable addition to many meals.

Don’t forget the fact that this food is delicious. There are  many great recipes that include some type of dried coconut. You will definitely enjoy trying all these delicious dishes. They may help you with a transition to healthy eating because it’s always easier to switch to a new diet when you get to eat some tasty treats.

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Dried Coconut Nutrition Facts

One of the most important benefits of dried coconut is its high nutritional value. However, it’s a point that you will need to consider carefully if you are trying to lose weight. While this fruit contains healthy fats, they are still fats. So, you’ll need to count your calories when adding coconut dishes into your daily meal plan.

The nutritional value of desiccated coconut (1 ounce) is:

  • 185 calories
  • Dietary fiber: 18% of the required daily amount (RDA) of
  • Vitamin C: 1%
  • Vitamin E: 1%
  • Riboflavin: 2%
  • Vitamin B6: 4%
  • Iron: 5%
  • Calcium: 1%
  • Copper: 11%
  • Manganese: 38%
  • Selenium: 7%

Dried Coconut Health Benefits

If nutritious value alone isn’t a good enough reason for you to start eating this fruit, the health benefits of dried coconut should change your mind:

  • It strengthens you connective tissues
    Your skin, ligaments, bones, and tendons fall into the category of connective tissues. They contain a great number of minerals, which means that deficiency of any of these elements affects this particular part of your body. Keeping your connective tissues strong should be one of your health priorities as any problems with them endanger your life and make your existence as a whole highly uncomfortable. Desiccated coconut contains a wide range of minerals that are easy for your body to absorb and process. Therefore, including it in your diet will prevent mineral deficiency and reduce the risk of many serious diseases, such as arthritis and osteoporosis. 
    Benefits of Coconut Fruit: Why Should You Eat Coconuts

    Benefits of Coconut Fruit: Why Should You Eat Coconuts

  • It promotes your brain function
    The health benefits of dried coconut don’t make you smarter, but they help improve and promote a healthy brain function. Some of the chemicals contained in the coconut meat promote the production of neurotransmitters as well as myelin. The latter is the fatty coating that covers neurons and allows them to transmit electrical signals that come from or to the brain more efficiently. Note that any damage to myelin cover of your neurons leads to severe neurological problems. Coconut is so effective in protecting this particular part of your body and promoting your brain health as a whole that coconut oil has recently received acknowledgement from the researchers who are looking for an efficient treatment for Alzheimer’s. According to the results of some studies, it helps slow down the progression of the disease as well as prevent it.
  • It helps lower your blood cholesterol levels
    As any other source of healthy fats, desiccated coconut lowers your levels of LDL cholesterol while increasing the level of HDL cholesterol. Therefore, it strengthens your arteries and promotes cardiovascular health.
  • It prevents anemia
    Iron deficiency anemia is a common health issue that often affects women. The condition in itself isn’t dangerous, but it lowers your natural protections as well as affects your overall condition. Anemia causes bouts of dizziness, which can lead to accidents. It also makes it easier for bacteria and viruses to attack your body. Consider your iron intake when you plan your meal plan as people rarely receive enough of this mineral from food. One of the main health benefits of dried coconut comes from its high iron content. Adding dried coconut to some of your foods will help you reach the daily requirement of this particular mineral.

Is this enough to persuade you that including dried coconut in your diet is a wise decision?

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How to Make Coconut Milk from Desiccated Coconut

The nutritional value of desiccated coconut is high nu default. Therefore, including it in your diet is always a great idea. You can do this in many ways as there are many interesting desiccated coconut recipes.

However, you can also easily turn this product into real coconut milk. This will not only allow you to create more delicious recipes but also ease the digestion of the food.

Top 3 Shredded Coconut Cookies Recipes to Try with Kids

Top 3 Shredded Coconut Cookies Recipes to Try with Kids

This is how to use dry coconut for turning it into milk:

  1. Take 4 cups of water and 2 cups of desiccated coconut.
  2. Heat up the water so that it’s hot but don’t bring to a boil.
  3. Combine hot water and shredded coconut in a blender and pulse for several minutes. Use the highest speed and power settings.
  4. Pour the mix through a mesh colander. Next, squeeze through a thin, cotton towel to get all the coconut out.

You can flavor this delectable drink with anything you like, for example, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or some berries.

Dried Coconut Recipes

You can enjoy the health benefits of dried coconut through delicious and exotic meals. This food has many great culinary uses, including soups and the tastiest desserts you’ll ever try. Today we want to share our favorite desiccated coconut recipes.

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Coconut Granola

Ingredients:

  • Chopped walnuts: 1 cup
  • Desiccated coconut: 1 ½ cup
  • Almonds: 1 cup
  • Rolled oats: 6 cups
  • Maple syrup: ½ cup
  • Coconut oil: ½ cup
  • Raisins: 1 cup
  • Salt: 1 teaspoon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Celsius.
  2. Combine oats, nuts, and shredded coconut in a large bowl.
  3. Combine maple syrup, salt, and coconut oil in a different bowl.
  4. Mix the contents of two bowls and pour the mixture onto a sheet pan.
  5. Put the sheet pan in the oven and let it cook for about an hour and 15 minutes.
  6. Stir the contents of the pan every 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and add raisins.
  8. Enjoy your delicious sweet snack.

Mango Pudding with Shredded Coconut and Pecans

Ingredients:

  • Mango: 2 fruits (ripe)
  • Pecans
  • Shredded dried coconut
  • Juice from a quarter of 1 lime

Note that you can take as much dried coconut meat and pecans as you wish as they will be used for sprinkling.

Instructions:

  1. Peel the mangos and cut them into medium-sized chunks.
  2. Combine the fruit and lime juice in a blender or a food processor.
  3. Blend the mangos into a smooth paste.
  4. Put your pudding into serving cups and sprinkle shredded coconut and pecans on top.
  5. Let the dessert cool off for a bit in the fridge and enjoy.