If you’re on the road to mastering the kitchen, then one of the best ways to improve your skills and broaden your repertoire is to cook with an ingredient in a range of uses until you really understand what it can add to a meal. One such ingredient you ought to use in your kitchen more often is coconut milk. Used often as a vegan replacement for milk in things like cereal, oats, and the like, it’s also a crucial ingredient in many meals on its own. 

Here, we’re going to look at why you should be eating more coconut milk and how you can make better use of it.

A delicious dairy-free alternative for smoothies

A lot of people use coconut milk as a direct replacement for milk when they want to have cereal, a milkshake, or any other treat or snack that would rely on it. A good coconut milk smoothie is going to have hints of that delicious coconut flavor in it, as well as being suitable for anyone who is lactose intolerant or is trying to go vegan

Make curries with good fatty acids

Coconut milk is a staple in kitchens around the world, especially in the eastern world where you get a lot more cuisine cultures that specialize in curries. It’s not overly difficult to make them, either, as this simple massaman curry shows. What’s more, there are plenty of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut milk. Unlike other long-chain fats, these medium-chain fatty acids go directly to the liver where they are burned for energy more efficiently, which means that they’re a lot less likely to get stored as fat. Combine that with the sheer amount of veg in a good massaman curry and you have one highly nutritious meal.

This goes for soups, too

Of course, if you’re making curries using coconut milk already, then it’s not going to be too hard to start using it in soups, as well. Coconut milk is a great compliment to soups and stews that use winter squash ingredients, such as this sweet potato soup. If you have a soup that needs a little extra flavor or could use a little more body so that it’s not quite as watery, then you can add a dollop of coconut milk where you might otherwise add some dairy cream.

Make a healthier dessert

Coconut milk is a relatively high-fat food, so it’s not one that you want to eat all the time, every day. However, if you’re looking to treat yourself to a dessert but you’re still trying to stick to a diet, then using it as a replacement for dairy treats is going to do a lot of good for you. You can make your own coconut whipped cream from coconut milk without too much stress, and then this is perfect for all manner of desserts, such as roasted pineapple, pancakes, and cakes of all kinds. What’s more, coconut milk has been found to have the potential of reducing stomach ulcers, meaning it can be a good choice for those who find dairy desserts can leave them feeling a little sensitive in the stomach.

Improve gut health with some yogurt

Just like you can make whipped cream from coconut milk, you can make coconut milk yogurt, as well. While not quite as light as low-fat yogurt, it definitely makes for a good dairy alternative and it has a whole host of gut health benefits, as well. Coconut milk naturally has antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties that can play a role in reducing the presence of a wide variety of disease-causing organisms. As such, it can be great for increasing your resilience to disease, especially good now that we’re in cold and flu season.

It’s good for your hair, too

If you have any selection of black hair products then there’s a good chance that you’re well aware of how good coconut milk can be for your hair. There are plenty of homemade cosmetics that use the benefits of coconut milk, with a coconut milk hair mask being one of the best, able to keep your hair soft, shiny, and easy to care for. It’s especially good for dry hair of all types.

Coconut milk deserves a place in your fridge, there’s no doubt about that. Aside from substituting milk with it, it’s also got its own unique qualities that make it perfect for things like curries and stews. Pick it up next time you’re in the store.