What's to love about coconut? It's rich and creamy, an addictive staple in Thai, Indian and Caribbean cuisine. Coconut is high in immunity-boosting lauric acid, which is touted (though not proven) to lower cholesterol and rev metabolism.

What's not to love? Coconut is high in saturated fat. However, your body digests it more readily than animal fats, so don't shun the coconut. Coconut wisely.

Add lushness to vegetables and whole grains with canned coconut milk. This is no sugary pina colada mix, but a solution of grated, squeezed coconut meat and water. A 1/3-cup serving contains 120 calories and 11 fat grams (10 saturated). Choose a reduced-fat variety and cut those numbers by more than half. Thai Kitchen coconut milk ($2.59, 14 ounces) comes in regular and light, with organic versions of each.

Spectrum organic coconut oil ($9.99, 14 ounces) and other brands are extracted from copra, the dried coconut kernel. It has a long shelf life, neutral flavor and can withstand high heat, so it's sauté-friendly. Like all oil, it has 120 calories per tablespoon, with 12 grams saturated compared with olive oil's 2.

New So Delicious coconut milk yogurt ($2.50, 6 ounces) is vegan, contains live cultures and is neither dairy nor soy. Coconut milk makes it wildly creamy but with no coconut taste. It comes in nine flavors including a delectably true-blue blueberry. One container has 140 calories and 6 grams fat (all saturated). (The downside: only 1 protein gram, compared with 8 for milk-based yogurt.)

All the above are available at natural food stores and some supermarkets, but only natural food stores carry Coconut Bliss ice cream ($5.79, 1 pint). The decadent dark chocolate contains coconut milk, agave, cocoa and vanilla -- no additives.

Half a cup of this organic, dairy-free, beat-the-heat treat contains 209 calories and 14 grams fat (12 saturated) -- more than dairy ice cream. It freezes rock-hard, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping to allow flavor and texture to shine. Then it's coconut bliss indeed.

Ellen Kanner writes about vegetarian concerns. She blogs at www.edgyveggie1.blogspot.com.

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