For eggs, a sauce or soup served at breakfast, start with cooking coconut milk if the recipe needs a creamy texture, then compare the ingredients, fat content and pack size. A ‘light’ version does not necessarily have a milder flavour, and coconut drink cannot automatically be substituted in the same quantity. For babies under one, none of these products can replace breast milk or infant formula, as the Anses advises.
For a family savoury breakfast, adding a small amount to a mild recipe is a good way to introduce your child to the flavour of the dish. If your child is starting to eat solid foods, Manger Bouger recommends offering new foods separately.
In soup, eggs or a sauce, you can start with a small amount and adjust the recipe to taste. The percentage of coconut extract helps you compare formulations, but on its own it cannot predict how the finished dish will taste.
If fat content matters to you, compare the nutritional values on the same basis, for example per 100 ml. Check the product category too: ‘light’ does not mean ‘milder’ in taste.
For a family savoury breakfast, start with the texture your recipe calls for, then choose the formulation and amount you want to add.
Consider it: for a sauce, soup or eggs that you want to make creamier.
Bear in mind: the proportion of coconut extract varies between products and is not enough to predict their flavour.
Consider it: if the fat content shown on the pack is your main priority.
Bear in mind: ‘light’ does not guarantee the same texture as another coconut milk or a subtler flavour for a child.
Consider it: when the recipe calls for a plant-based drink or will work with a thinner consistency.
Bear in mind: it is not an automatic like-for-like replacement for cooking coconut milk.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Subtle coconut flavour | The ingredients list and the percentage of coconut extract, if shown on the label; neither of these alone measures how mild the flavour is. | When serving a child a mild savoury dish, I prefer to be able to add coconut in small amounts without assuming how they will react to the flavour. Around 40% of consumers are said to prioritise being able to control the coconut flavour in this way. |
| Recipe texture | The product category — cooking coconut milk or plant-based drink — and the texture required by the recipe. | A sauce or soup should have the consistency you want, without automatically substituting one product category for another. Texture would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Fat content | The fat content shown per 100 ml or per 100 g, comparing products on the same basis. | If I want to change how rich my dish is, I look at the stated value rather than relying on the word ‘light’ alone. Around 30% of consumers would put this criterion first. |
This label refers to the formulation, not to a child’s taste preference. The Suzi Wan Light and Kara Light products listed by Carrefour and Auchan do not have the same proportion of coconut extract.
If you choose a light version for its composition, try a small amount first in the mild dish you are planning to serve.
A plant-based drink can be used in a savoury recipe — Alpro uses one in a risotto — but the two product categories do not necessarily do the same job when it comes to texture.
Use the type of product specified in the recipe; if you substitute it, adjust the amount and cooking time gradually.
Storage instructions after opening vary by product: Auchan advises using its 200 ml carton of coconut milk within 48 hours, and its Coco Cuisine UHT 17% preparation within five days.
If you only use it occasionally, compare pack sizes and plan another recipe within the timeframe stated on the pack you buy.
Any leftovers not used within that time may end up being thrown away.
According to Anses, plant-based drinks and other drinks it assessed do not meet an infant’s nutritional needs when used in place of breast milk or infant formula.
Do not make this substitution for a child under one. Ask a healthcare professional for advice about your individual circumstances.
These products illustrate differences in ingredients and pack sizes; a brand name alone cannot tell you whether a product will taste milder.
Sterilised cooking coconut milk in a 400 ml tin.
Organic cooking coconut milk in a 200 ml pack at E.Leclerc.
Cooking coconut milk in a 200 ml carton at E.Leclerc.
Separate products for coconut milk and Coco Cuisine UHT preparation.
Cooking coconut milk, including organic and light versions.
A plant-based drinks brand, in a different category from cooking coconut milk.
These products are suitable for savoury cooking: two cooking coconut milks and one light version. When choosing one to add to breakfast, consider the recipe and the amount you need rather than assuming its name guarantees a mild flavour.
Image unavailable
A 200 ml pack to consider if you want to add coconut milk to a one-off savoury recipe.
‘17%’ appears in the product name, but the fat content stated in the name does not match the associated nutrition table. Check the value on the pack before comparing it with other products.
Image unavailable
A light version to consider if fat content is your main priority for a savoury recipe.
The tin contains 400 ml. If you only need a small amount, plan to use the rest according to the instructions on the product; ‘light’ does not guarantee a milder flavour.
Image unavailable
A 165 ml tin to compare with larger sizes if you are making a small savoury dish.
Choose how much to add according to the dish: the pack size does not indicate how strong the flavour will be once the recipe is prepared.
No. This wording cannot guarantee how a child will react to the taste of coconut milk in a dish. Check the ingredients and the percentage of coconut extract, if stated, then start with a small amount in a mild recipe; this percentage is not a taste test.
Start with cooking coconut milk if the recipe calls for a creamy texture. Coconut drink can work in some savoury recipes, as Alpro’s risotto recipe shows, but adjust the amount and cooking time rather than assuming it will give the same result in the same quantity.
No: for a baby under one, coconut milk and plant-based drinks cannot replace breast milk or infant formula. Anses states that the other drinks it assessed do not meet infants’ nutritional needs when used as substitutes.
Follow the storage instructions and use-by period on the product you buy, as they vary between products. Auchan advises using its 200 ml carton of coconut milk within 48 hours of opening, compared with five days for its Coco Cuisine UHT 17% preparation; do not apply one product’s timeframe to another.
First, check the ingredients and allergens listed for the product you have chosen, then look at the nutritional information and storage instructions. The EU labelling rules require this information for pre-packed foods; the pack of the product you buy is the best guide to its ingredients and size.