For cereal or coffee, choose a coconut drink; if you want something to eat by the spoonful, look for a multipack of fermented pots. Cooking coconut milk is better suited to a brunch recipe. These three formats are not interchangeable, so check the ingredients and storage instructions for the product you choose.
If you pour coconut drink over cereal, into coffee or into a smoothie over the weekend, a 1 L carton is a good fit. The products listed by Auchan, Carrefour and E.Leclerc illustrate this format, which is different from pots to eat by the spoonful.
If you want to serve each portion separately or take one with you, look for a multipack of fermented plant-based products. E.Leclerc, for example, lists VEGE pots in packs of 4 × 100 g. These are not drinks to pour.
If your recipe calls for cooking coconut milk, choose that type of product rather than a plant-based drink. The Carrefour Bio and Tables du Monde products listed by Carrefour and E.Leclerc contain 76% and 81% coconut extract respectively. The amount you need will depend on the recipe.
Choose this: if you want a drink to pour into several bowls or coffees over the weekend.
Bear in mind: a 1 L carton does not provide individual portions. The Alpro and Auchan drinks listed by Auchan should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within 5 days.
Choose these: if a pack of four pots gives you four portions to serve by the spoonful.
Bear in mind: this chilled format is not a substitute for a drink to pour over cereal or into coffee.
Choose this: when a brunch recipe calls for coconut milk as an ingredient.
Bear in mind: the Carrefour Bio and Tables du Monde products listed by their respective retailers contain around 17 g of fat per 100 ml. Adjust the amount to suit the recipe instead of substituting them for a drink in equal quantities.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Individual portions | Check the product description, the number of pots and the weight of each one. | If I want to serve everyone without portioning out a large carton, individual pots meet my main need; around 40% of consumers would prioritise separate portions. |
| A drink to share | Check the carton volume and the storage instructions after opening. | For several bowls or coffees over the weekend, I mainly want a liquid drink that I can use up; this would be the priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| An ingredient for brunch | Compare the percentage of coconut and the fat per 100 ml, then check how much the recipe calls for. | When I’m making a dish that calls for coconut milk, the ingredients matter more than serving it in portions; around 30% of consumers would put this cooking need first. |
The Carrefour Sensation drink listed contains 3.2% coconut, while Carrefour Bio cooking coconut milk contains 76% coconut extract. These descriptions refer to products for different uses.
For a bowl or coffee, look for a plant-based drink. For cooking, follow the amount of coconut milk specified in the recipe and adjust the other liquids if needed.
The VEGE pack of 4 × 100 g listed by E.Leclerc contains pots of fermented plant-based speciality. It’s for portions to eat by the spoonful, not for a drink to pour.
Before buying a multipack, read the product description and check whether you drink its contents or eat them by the spoonful.
The products listed by retailers have different recipes: the Carrefour Sensation drink contains rice syrup, while the Alpro unsweetened drink listed by Auchan contains 0 g of sugars per 100 ml. The word ‘plant-based’ alone does not tell you what’s in a product or its nutritional values.
Compare the ingredients list and nutritional information per 100 ml or per 100 g, depending on the product, then check its packaging for allergens and storage instructions.
The 1 L unsweetened coconut drink listed by Auchan is intended to be drunk or poured over breakfast.
The products listed by Carrefour cover two uses: a 1 L Sensation coconut drink and 330 ml of Bio cooking coconut milk.
Auchan’s 1 L coconut drink is suited to sharing.
E.Leclerc’s VEGE and Tables du Monde products cover coconut drinks in cartons, fermented pots and cooking coconut milk.
ALDI offers Milsani plant-based pots made with coconut milk in 100 g portions, as well as 400 ml of Asia Green Garden cooking coconut milk.
If you want coconut drinks in separate portions, the multipack of cans below offers an alternative to fermented plant-based pots and cooking coconut milk.
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Worth considering if you want to serve coconut drink in individual portions at breakfast, rather than fermented speciality to eat by the spoonful.
A plant-based coconut drink is a better choice for this than cooking coconut milk. The Alpro, Carrefour, Auchan and VEGE products listed by their respective retailers come in 1 L cartons. Compare their ingredients, sugar content and storage instructions before choosing.
Not if you want a drink to pour: the VEGE and Milsani pots listed by E.Leclerc and ALDI are fermented plant-based portions to eat by the spoonful. They’re suited to individual servings, but not for the same use as a carton.
Yes, as an ingredient measured according to the recipe, and not necessarily in the same quantity as a plant-based drink. The Carrefour Bio and Tables du Monde cooking coconut milk products listed by their respective retailers contain 76% and 81% coconut extract respectively. Check their fat content per 100 ml too.
For the Alpro and Auchan drinks listed by Auchan, keep them refrigerated and consume within 5 days of opening, in line with the instructions for these products. For any other drink or format, follow the storage instructions on its packaging.