For pouring over cereal or making porridge, choose a plant-based coconut drink rather than coconut milk intended for cooking. The word ‘mild’ alone doesn’t tell you whether your child will like the taste: compare the recipe and sugar content per 100 ml. If the product is for a baby under one, Anses advises that an everyday plant-based drink is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula.
When serving cereal or porridge, you’ll want to know how much sugar the drink itself contains. The wording on the front of the pack is no substitute for checking the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 ml and the ingredients list.
You want a coconut taste your child will enjoy, without assuming that every recipe tastes the same. Check the ingredients to see whether it contains rice or coconut water; taste preferences are best judged product by product.
If the calcium content matters to you, compare the specific products rather than the brands alone. For a child under one, this does not mean replacing breast milk or infant formula, in line with Anses’ advice.
Start by distinguishing a plant-based drink for pouring into a bowl from coconut milk for cooking. Then compare the sugar content and recipe, followed by the stated calcium content if that matters to your household.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | The exact wording, the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 ml and any sweetening ingredients. | If breakfast is already sweet, I want to choose a drink knowing how much sugar it contains. Around 46% of consumers would put this first. |
| Use and taste | The product name, pack size and recipe, especially whether it contains rice or coconut water. | For a bowl or a glass, I’m looking for a ready-to-pour drink with a taste my child will enjoy. This would be the main criterion for around 36% of consumers. |
| Calcium and age | The calcium stated for the product you choose and guidance appropriate to your child’s age. | If I sometimes serve a coconut drink at breakfast, I want to take account of the stated calcium without confusing it with infant formula. Around 18% of consumers would make this their priority. |
A search for ‘coconut milk’ on Carrefour brings up both small packs of coconut milk for cooking and 1 L cartons of plant-based drinks. The word ‘coconut’ alone doesn’t tell you what the product is intended for.
For drinking or pouring over cereal, check the product name before you choose. Save coconut milk for cooking for recipes where you want its texture.
The product information for Carrefour Bio’s no-added-sugars drink says it contains naturally occurring sugars. The two claims don’t mean the same thing.
Check the full wording, then compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 ml and the ingredients for the specific product.
According to Anses, everyday drinks of plant or animal origin are not suitable substitutes for breast milk or infant formula for babies under one.
Don’t make this substitution for a baby. If you have questions about their diet, ask a healthcare professional for advice.
The coconut recipes sold by Carrefour and Auchan vary: some contain rice, coconut water or flavourings. The word ‘mild’ doesn’t tell you how much sugar they contain or whether your child will like the taste.
Read the ingredients and nutrition information per 100 ml, then try a small amount of the product you’ve chosen if taste is a deciding factor.
For breakfast, compare the individual products rather than guessing their ingredients from the brand name alone.
Two 1 L cartons offer different recipes: Coconut No Sugars and Coconut & Rice.
The 1 L organic coconut drink carton carries the claim ‘no added sugars’.
The 1 L organic coconut drinks include a No Sugars option and another made with coconut water and coconut milk.
The retailer’s 1 L plant-based coconut drink contains, among other ingredients, water, coconut and rice syrup.
Not necessarily: coconut milk for cooking and plant-based coconut drinks are intended for different uses. For a bowl or a glass, check that the product is labelled as a plant-based drink; for a creamier recipe, look for coconut milk intended for cooking.
No: a drink labelled ‘no added sugars’ may contain naturally occurring sugars, as Carrefour Bio’s product information points out. To compare two products, check their exact claims and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 ml.
Not for a baby under one: according to Anses, an everyday plant-based drink is not suitable as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula. If you have any questions about a baby’s diet, speak to a healthcare professional.
Follow the storage instructions and use-by period on the pack you’ve bought. Product information from Carrefour and Auchan gives four days in the fridge for a Bjorg drink made with coconut water and coconut milk, and five days for Alpro Coconut & Rice and Auchan’s coconut drink. These periods don’t apply to every recipe.