Coconut & Pineapple Ice Blocks

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These get made a fair bit at my house when the weather is nice and warm. It's a quick easy way to have a healthy treat in the freezer for when you feel like something sweet.

To make these up I mixed half a pineapple and half a tin of coconut milk in the blender with a splash of vanilla essence, half a banana chopped into small pieces, 1 peeled nectarine also chopped into small pieces, a handful of raspberries torn into pieces.

When using pineapple most people cut out and throw away the core. I like to keep it in this recipe, especially if you have a decent blender (I use a nutribullet). The core of the pineapple contains the highest amount of bromelain compared to the rest of the fruit. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme (meaning an enzyme that breaks down protein), and it also has a huge range of health benefits associated with it. It is well known as an anti-inflammatory, but also works as an antithrombotic and also has some anticancerous activities. It can be used in the treatment of angina pectoris, sinusitis, bronchitis, aids healing after surgery, relieves osteoarthritis, eases diarrhoea (if taken in small doses), and can relieve a range cardiovascular disorders. You’ll probably never look at a pineapple the same after reading this!

The bananas provide potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and fibre. Raspberries provide a decent amount of vitamin C, fibre, thiamine, vitamin A, riboflavin, zinc, calcium and vitamin B6. Coconut milk provides the body with as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). While these MCTs are saturated fats (which are generally thought of as being really bad for the body), new research shows that this may not necessarily be the case [1, 2, 3, 4].

MCTs are taken directly to the liver and used for energy production, this is what makes them different to other fats and makes them ideal to have in your diet. Evidence shows that MCTs may benefit body composition, weight loss, and have a positive impact on metabolism.

This recipe is quick and easy and can be made in advance to have on hot sunny days!

References

Nettleton J, A, Brouwer I, A, Geleijnse J, M, Hornstra G: Saturated Fat Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Ischemic Stroke: A Science Update. Ann Nutr Metab 2017;70:26-33. doi.org/10.1159/000455681

Ramsden CE, Zamora D, Leelarthaepin B, et al. Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis BMJ. 2013;346:e8707. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e8707

Ramsden CE, Zamora D, Majchrzak-Hong S, et al. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73). BMJ. 2016;353:i1246. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i1246

Svendsen, K., Arnesen, E., & Retterstøl, K. (2017). Saturated fat -a never ending story? Food & Nutrition Research, 61(1), 1377572. doi.org/10.1080/16546628.2017.1377572