Earth Balance Spreads - Made Just Right

Photo courtesy of Chandrika Nair

You've been hearing us rave about our new Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread for a while now, so today we'd like to get into what makes it so special, aside from the fact that it's an absolute dream to cook with… and delicious. But what are the benefits? Why would you choose to cook with coconut spread rather than regular coconut oil?

While coconut oil is solid at room temperature and has to be heated to turn into a usable cooking liquid, one big advantage of Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread is that it's spreadable and easy to use right out of the tub. It's the perfect butter replacement for baking and cooking and can take the place of oil when sautéing or pan frying. Try it in your favorite Thai curry recipes, Indian food dishes, Chinese stir-fry or anything that would benefit from a creamy, exotic boost. Imagine the delicious subtlety a hint of creamy coconut flavor will bring to your next batch of Pad Thai noodles! Its spreadable texture also makes it a delicious topping to spread on toast, pancakes, bagels, or melted on steamed veggies and baked potatoes.

Another big benefit is the price… our coconut spread is far more affordable than oil!

Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO, so not only is it a blessing for allergy sufferers, but you can be sure that you're only getting natural ingredients which are free of hydrogenated oils and artery-clogging cholesterol. Our affordable (and did we mention tasty?!) coconut spread is made with expeller-pressed extra virgin coconut oil, providing all the health supporting benefits of coconut but without all the fat you'd get from using the oil itself. Compare the 5 grams of saturated fat per serving in our spread to the over 14 grams of fat you'd get from a serving of oil… that's a big difference!

New evidence has people questioning if very low-fat diets are as healthy as we've been led to believe, and new studies suggest that moderate levels of good fats are important for overall health and even weight loss. Higher fat foods like nuts, avocados and coconuts can help to make lower calorie diets more satisfying and actually promote long-term weight control. For more on healthy fats in the vegan diet, take a look at this article by the always informative Vegan RD.

What do you think are the best uses for our Earth Balance® Organic Coconut Spread? How would you use it to substitute oil or butter in your favorite recipes? We're dying to know what you're eager to try it on! Let us know in the comments below and you just might win some for free in our Everyday Giveway!