The health benefits of coconut flour for athletes (+ 4 recipe ideas)

The coconut flour is a favorite food of many fitness enthusiasts. It's gluten-free, rich in fiber and protein, and has numerous health benefits. health athletes. Ideal for desserts, this ingredient also has a low glycemic index. Discover its benefits, as well as 4 recipes for incorporating it into your weight-loss or weight-building program.

What is coconut flour?

Coconut flour, also known as coconut flour, is derived from the coconut. However, it is less renowned than other products of the same origin, such as milk, butter or coconut oil.

This flour is made from flesh Coconut. The latter must first be degreased, which explains why coconut flour is less fatty than other foods in its family.

Once dried, the flesh is ground to a fine powder.

This flour can therefore replace traditional flours (wheat, rye, corn, oats, rice, etc.) in many recipes, mainly sweetbut also salted.

Let's take a look at his nutritional values. First of all, is coconut flour caloric?

Count between 350 and 400 calories per 100 grams of flour, an average amount for cereal flours. The macronutrient content is as follows: 

• Carbohydrates: 19.7 grams
• Protein: 20.5 grams
• Fat: 13.5 grams

Coconut flour is also rich in dietary fibres (34.3 grams per 100 grams).

It also contains a number of nutrients and vitamins: 

• Calcium
• Iron
• Zinc and potassium
• From selenium (a trace element)
• Manganese
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin E

The benefits of coconut flour

Why use coconut flour in your cooking? What are its benefits on the body? That's what I'd like you to find out.

Rich in fibre

As we've seen, this flour has a high fiber content, far superior to foods such as prunes or chia seeds. This has several advantages.

Firstly, fibre consumption promotes digestion and intestinal transit, especially if you're prone to bloating.

Fibre also increases the sensation of satiety. If you're trying to lose weight, this will prevent you from feeling hungry between 2 meals.

Lastly, they contribute to the proper functioning of the intestinal microbiota and the immune system. immune system.

It is rich in protein

Coconut flour also contains a significant amount of proteins of plant origin (approx. 20 %). Interestingly, it contains 8 essential amino acids essential for building muscle, which is not always the case for a vegetable protein.

As such, it is a relevant food for people on a diet of vegetarian or vegan.

It has a low glycemic index

And that's not all, the glycemic index of this flour is only 35.

This is directly linked to the presence of fiber. By way of comparison, this is roughly equivalent to that of soy, almond or hazelnut flour, but much lower than that of buckwheat, spelt, wheat, rye or oat flour.

L'glycemic index (GI) simply refers to the speed at which the body absorbs glucose from a food. Thus, a food containing fast sugars can cause blood sugar spikes.

This variety of flour is therefore ideal for diabetics or people who want to watch their weight.

Gluten-free

In addition to its excellent nutritional value, coconut flour contains no gluten.

If you suffer from intolerance, it's a good alternative to traditional wheat or rye flours.

4 recipes for coconut flour

So what can you do with coconut flour?

With its slightly sweet taste, this ingredient is ideal for preparing desserts and other dishes. your snacks coconut flour bars, cakes, cookies, pancakes, smoothies and muffins.

Beware, however, of dosageCoconut flour is particularly absorbent. We recommend replacing 1 dose of conventional flour with a quarter of the amount of coconut flour. If a recipe calls for 100 grams of wheat flour, use 25 grams of coconut flour.

Coconut flour cake

This moist coconut flour cake is both delicious and healthy. 

Ingredients for 8 portions : 

• 80 g coconut flour
• 3 whole eggs
• 200 g skyr or cottage cheese
• 100 g dark chocolate
• 40 g chocolate-flavoured or plain protein powder
• 1 teaspoon stevia

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

Start by melting the chocolate in a bain-marie.

In a bowl, mix the eggs, flour, fromage blanc, whey and stevia until you have a fairly thick paste.

Stir in the chocolate, then pour into a baking tin. Place in the oven for 30 minutes about. 

Let the mixture cool at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes, and there you have it. yoghurt cake with coconut flour, ready to enjoy!

Coconut flour cookies

You prefer cookies ? Here's another delicious recipe.

Ingredients for 8 cookies : 

• 40 g coconut flour
• 40 g vanilla whey protein
• 150 ml cow's milk or plant milk
• 1 egg
• 20 g almonds or pecans
• A few dark chocolate chips
• Half a sachet baking powder

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the coconut flour whey protein and yeast. Then add the egg and milk, and mix to form a consistent dough.

Stir in the coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts, and shape into 8 homogenous balls. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. 15 to 20 minutes.

Coconut flour pancake

Looking for a way to use coconut flour? Coconut flour is excellent in a pancake batter.

Ingredients for 1 to 2 pancakes : 

• 25 g coconut flour
• 20 g whey protein (flavour of your choice)
• 2 eggs
• 60 ml vegetable or cow's milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• A quarter of a sachet of baking powder

Mix the flour with the baking powder and protein powder. Add the beaten eggs, milk and honey. Whisk again to obtain a smooth dough.

Heat a frying pan or crepe pan with a little fat, then cook your pancakes.

Once cooked, you can garnish them with the fresh fruit of your choice (apple, mango, pineapple, kiwi, etc.).

Coconut flour smoothie

And what if you used this flour to prepare smoothies with no added sugar? This recipe is ideal for calming you down during a lean period, or for increasing your caloric intake during weight gain.

Ingredients for 1 smoothie : 

• 1 banana
• 10 g coconut flour
• 30 g rolled oats
• 15 g protein powder
• 180 ml plant milk

Cut the banana then use a blender to blend all the ingredients together.

Pour the resulting mixture into a glass and chill for a few hours before serving.

Conclusion

So, is coconut flour good for you? As we've seen, it has a number of advantages. Rich in fiber and protein, gluten-free and with a low glycemic index, it's a perfect addition to any diet. diet for sportsmen and women, as a partial or total replacement for cereal-based flours.

And for more ideas on healthy and tasty preparations, discover my e-book with 50 protein recipes.