Guest blog post: Alice Webster

Coconut oil and fruit, sometimes greens too. We’re not sure who first tried that smoothie combination, but it truly is heaven. You wouldn’t normally expect something like oil to be in a raw fruity drink, but it works perfectly.

In this article, we’ll outline all the health benefits of coconut oil and the reasons that it works so well in smoothies. We’ll even give a couple of smoothies with coconut oil recipes at the end. Let’s get started!

Is It Even A Smoothie Without A Superfood?

If you’re someone who makes smoothies regularly, you’re likely familiar with the category of foods called superfoods.

Superfoods are ingredients that have exceptionally high levels of nutrition compared to other foods. Therefore, they are considered “super” foods.

Some examples of superfoods include goji berries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, moringa, spirulina, and more. Coconut oil is also included in this category of superfoods, which many people aren’t aware of.

Coconut Oil As A Superfood

Coconut is a superfood due to its MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) that it contains. These MCTs are quickly used by the liver for energy, and they boost your metabolism as well.

In addition to the unique and powerful MCTs, coconut oil is anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial. This helps to prevent infections and boosts immunity.

Coconut oil also contains an important fatty acid called Lauric acid. It contains the same amount of Lauric acid that you would find in nurturing human breastmilk.

All of these reasons and more are why coconut oil is classified as a superfood. Therefore, it can be added to your smoothies just like any other superfood would be.

Weight Gain Vs. Weight Loss Smoothies - With Coconut Oil

Smoothies can be drank for a variety of reasons. Some people drink smoothies to get greens in, some people drink smoothies as a weight loss meal, and some people drink smoothies as a way to get more calories into their diet.

If you’re hoping to either lose or gain weight while drinking smoothies, coconut oil can be your friend in both situations.

Coconut Oil In Smoothies For Weight Gain

If you’re drinking smoothies to gain weight, adding anywhere from 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil in your smoothies can help. The main benefit here would be calorie-wise, because you could easily add an extra 200 calories in there.

This would especially be beneficial for athletes. In addition to the calories it will add, you will also receive all the other nutritional benefits of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil In Smoothies For Weight Loss

If you typically make your smoothies around the goal of weight loss, adding a little bit of coconut oil to them can help you with this goal. Just 1 teaspoon of coconut oil added to your smoothie will help to boost your metabolism.
The faster your metabolism work, the more calories you will naturally burn off. The coconut oil won’t be stored as fat in the body, because the liver will immediately use the MCTs in the oil for energy.

Drinking Smoothies For Clear Skin & Overall Health

As we discussed earlier, there are a variety of reasons that someone could be drinking a smoothie. One of those reasons is for clear skin and overall health.

Smoothies are a great way to pack in plenty of fruit and greens that you normally wouldn’t be able to fit into your diet. We all know fruits and vegetables are great for clear skin.

Adding a little bit of coconut oil to these skin-geared smoothies would only boost the nutritional quality. It’s great for preventing and reducing acne. It’s also great for the health of your hair, teeth, and nails.

Adding just a little bit of coconut oil to your smoothies will provide great benefits.

Coconut Oil Smoothie Recipes

Now that you know the reasons why adding coconut oil to smoothies is so perfect, you might be eager to make one. Here are some of our favorite smoothie recipes that coconut oil works well in.

Coconut Oil Green Smoothie

1 teaspoon of coconut oil
2 cups of spinach
2 frozen bananas
1-1/4 cup of soy milk

Place all of the ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth. You can always blend the greens with the soy milk first if your blender isn’t as strong. Enjoy!

Tropical Coconut Oil Smoothie

1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup of frozen mango
1/2 cup of frozen pineapple
1.5 cups of almond milk

Place all of the ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Creamy Chocolate Coconut Oil Smoothie

1 teaspoon of coconut oil
2 frozen bananas
3 pitted dates
1 tablespoon of cacao powder
1 cup of oat milk

Place all of the ingredients in the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Enjoy!

For any of these smoothie recipes, the amount of coconut oil can be adjusted to your personal needs. You might find you need to double the recipes, or you might find you need to halve them.

We’re all different, so please personalize them.

How To Choose The Best Coconut Oil

When buying coconut oil, you want to look for the most natural and unprocessed version. This will come in the form of unrefined coconut oil or extra-virgin coconut oil.

These will be the highest-quality, and as a result, they will provide the most nutritional benefits.

Allergen Friendly Smoothies

For those looking for a creamy component to smoothies, coconut oil can be the answer. It’s a great alternative to peanut butter in smoothies and other nut butter.

Conclusion

We hope that after reading this article, you feel inspired to try adding coconut oil to your next smoothie. The best way to find out if something actually works is to try it for yourself.

Thankfully, this is an easy and risk-free way to try and improve your health. We’re confident that once you start adding coconut oil to your smoothies, you’ll be hooked on the results! After all, who doesn’t want an energy-boosting, fat-burning, nutritious smoothie?

For more fitness inspiration and barre workouts visit Nadia Murdock Fit on Instagram @NadiaMurdock and the NMFIT Blog!

Why Coconut Oil & Smoothies Are a Match Made In Heaven