Do you enjoy the taste of coconut? Do you want to get health benefits from the foods you eat? Would you like to eat butter but cannot due to severe dairy intolerance? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will want to check out a food that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and delicious all over – Artisana Coconut Butter.
Artisana coconut butter is a blend of coconut oil and coconut meat (this is the dried coconut that you use in baking or your granola). Artisana takes these two ingredients and blends them into a substance that is solid at room temperature but melts easily. If you are a coconut lover, you will find that this product tastes absolutely amazing. It tastes somewhat similar to full-fat coconut milk, but the texture is more solid rather than liquid and the coconut flavor is a bit more pronounced. When warmed, coconut butter makes a great replacement for dairy butter to put on vegetables, rice, or your favorite gluten-free muffin. It’s also very tasty in smoothies, sauces, and soups. Artisana coconut butter is not certified gluten-free, but it is manufactured in a facility that does not process gluten.
Coconut oil has a long history of use in the tropics, where it has been used for cooking and skincare for many generations. Here in the U.S. coconut oil has recently seen an upsurge in popularity, and for good reason. Coconut oil is rich in a particular type of saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides, or MCTs. MCTs have many health benefits. They are anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal, making them excellent for digestive repair. MCTs are not stored as fat, but rather used for energy production. They benefit the brain, the immune system, skin, and the cardiovascular system. Worried about the saturated fat? Don’t be. Saturated fats have been shown to improve HDL cholesterol (the “good” one), plus they balance blood sugar. These facts, in addition to all of the other health benefits, make coconut products a great asset to a healthy diet.
Next time you are in the mood for something nutritious, delicious, and a little bit different, try some Artisana coconut butter. You’ve never tasted anything like it!
Tiffany Godwin, MNT