We’ve recently moved to Cape Town , South Africa, for 5 months to escape the British winter. We’ve been spending a lot of time with family, hubby and I have actually had a couple of date nights and most days we get to go for a walk on the beach.
Our days are falling into a gentle rhythm of homeschool in the morning and work in the afternoons and evenings. It’s been wonderful.
But…
My daughter’s fussy eating has come to a head. Apparently everything in South Africa tastes different to England. Ham is different. Cheese is different. Meat is different. Eggs are different. Seriously?! What am I going to feed the child?
But you know what isn’t different? Ice cream. Sweets. Any junk she can get her hands on.
We’ve had a couple of wins. Fish is a hit. Lots of lovely seasonal fruit. New vegetables. She’ll still eat the healthy food, if it’s cooked just right.
I’m learning…
They’re quick and so easy to make. They’re a lovely after-supper treat for something just a little bit sweet.
One of the things that has been a hit, though, are PCOS friendly coconut honey treats. They’re quick and so easy to make. They’re a lovely after-supper treat for something just a little bit sweet.
It makes the endless no’s (to ice cream and sweets) easier for both of us to cope with.
Now, you might be asking, “Are these really PCOS friendly?”
Absoultely.
They’re made from honey, coconut and vanilla essence. That’s all.
Coconut Oil and PCOS
In recent years, coconut and coconut oil have had a lot of publicity. It is supposed to be a very healthy oil that can cope with being cooked at high temperatures and has wonderful antimicrobial properties.
But, there are other benefits to coconut oil when it comes to your PCOS.
Waist circumference
Research has shown that coconut oil can help to improve metabolism and help to reduce waist circumference (1).
Women with PCOS tend to gain weight around their waist (in fact our abdominal fat cells are larger than normal, causing us to gain weight around our waist and abdomen (2).
So, coconut oil may help to combat some of this accumulation of fat around the middle.
Inflammation
Another added benefit of coconut oil is that it helps with inflammation. People who use coconut oil instead of other vegetable oils tend to have lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. (1)
Now, women with PCOS are prone to inflammation. This inflammation also makes us more resistant to insulin which makes our PCOS worse. So, we need to do what we can to manage our levels of inflammation (3).
A word of Caution
Before we go gung ho on coconut oil, we need to be wise. One tablespoon of coconut oil has 130 calories. It’s important to bear that in mind, especially if you are trying to lose weight.
Okay, so now that we know that these Coconut Honey Treats are PCOS friendly, here’s the recipe:
PCOS Friendly Coconut Honey Treats
Makes 20 treats
Ingredients
- 1 x cup shredded / dessicated coconut
- 4 x tablespoons coconut oil (melted or runny)
- ¼ x cup of honey
- 1 x teaspoon vanilla essence
Method
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Spoon the mixture into a small flat dish.
- Refrigerate for about an hour.
- Cut to serve.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition Information (per serving)
- GL: 2
- Total carbs: 4g
- Calories: 56
So, why not take 5 minutes to whip up some of these PCOS friendly coconut honey treats? I’m sure they’ll go down well with the whole family!
Leave me a comment and let me know if you enjoyed them. I’d love to hear your feedback!
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13 Responses
Love that I finally found a blog that focuses on PCOS and gives recipes and help! Feels good to know I’m not alone! Can’t wait to try all of your recipes. I was just recently diagnosed and am trying to wrap my head around a healthy life. Slowly but surely I will get there!
Would this recipe work if the honey was substited with organic dark chocolate and if so would it be PCOS friendly and would it require the same amount (1/4 cup)? I quite like the combination of chocolate and coconut (Bounty lover) and think i would enjoy rhe treat more.
It’s definitely worth a try! Let us know what it’s like. The dark chocolate should be fine.
Does honey not have a very high glycemic index tho? I’m so confused when it comes to honey. Everyone says it’s good for you but when you look at the carbs they are off the roof? How can it be good for pcos?
Why do you use vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract? Do you have a favorite brand or is it something you make. I googled it, but so far have found very little info about vanilla essence.
Leah, I’m based in South Africa and we call it vanilla essence. You can absolutely use vanilla extract.
Hi.
How can I get your pcos started kits?
What sort of honey should I use? They look and sound really yummy and a good sweet alternative! Thanks!
Lucy, I use organic runny honey from my local supermarket. Raw honey would be even better but it’s often hard to find.
Thanks for the recipe ? Does this recipe reflect the nutrients values for unsweetened shredded coconut or sweetened ??
Sherin, I would use unsweetened coconut. It’s very sweet with the honey already and the sweetened coconut will probably increase the carb content and the glycemic load.
Just checking to be sure but is there any actual honey in this recipe? I didn’t see it in the ingredients and I’d like to try and make these. Thanks.
Tinnesha, thanks for pointing that out. I’ve changed the recipe. There should be a quarter of a cup of honey 🙂