For a snack recipe approved by the nursery, consider culinary coconut milk. If the product is to be served as a drink, look at a coconut plant-based drink instead. Before choosing, check your child’s age, the nursery’s rules and any applicable individual care plan (PAI). According to Anses, an ordinary plant-based drink is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula before the age of one. The word “mature” is also not enough to establish that a product is suitable for a snack.
Before choosing a product, check with the nursery whether children can bring in snacks and what rules apply to your child. If there is an individual care plan (PAI), follow the arrangements agreed with the nursery.
If the recipe calls for culinary coconut milk, compare the product description, coconut extract content and fat content. A higher proportion does not prove that the product is “mature” or “aged”, or that everyone will enjoy its flavour.
A carton of plant-based drink and coconut milk intended for cooking may have different ingredients and uses. For a child under one, Anses says that an ordinary plant-based drink is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula.
Start by checking what the nursery allows and how the product will be used: as an ingredient in a recipe, a drink or a prepared dessert. Then compare the label on the specific product, rather than relying on the word “coconut” alone.
Worth considering: for an approved recipe that calls for coconut milk as an ingredient.
Bear in mind: coconut content and fat content vary between products; “mature” does not guarantee a stronger flavour.
Worth considering: if the nursery allows plant-based drinks and this use is appropriate for your child’s age.
Bear in mind: it is not culinary coconut milk and, before the age of one, it is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula, according to Anses.
Worth considering: if the nursery allows prepared desserts and their ingredients comply with the rules that apply to your child.
Bear in mind: a dessert may contain ingredients other than coconut milk; the product described by Auchan contains sugar, for example.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery approval and dietary requirements | Ask whether brought-in snacks are allowed; check the ingredients, any listed allergens and the PAI, if there is one. | If a medical diet applies to the snack, I need to be able to get the specific product approved before bringing it in. Around 36% of consumers rank this approval as their main concern. |
| Age and intended use | Check your child’s age and how the product will be used. According to Anses, an ordinary plant-based drink is not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula before the age of one. | When choosing a drink for a young child, I first want to know what role it can play in their diet. This is the main concern for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients for the recipe | Compare the product description, coconut extract and fat content for the product you’re considering; don’t infer the flavour from the word “mature” alone. | When making a coconut snack, I look for an ingredient that gives me the texture I want, without confusing culinary coconut milk with a drink. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this result in their recipe. |
| Pack size and storage | Choose a pack size that suits the quantity you’ll use, and read the storage instructions for after opening on the packaging. | If I only need a small amount, I want to be able to store the rest according to the product instructions. Pack size and storage come ahead of other criteria for around 14% of consumers. |
Their ingredients can be very different: Carrefour lists 76% coconut extract in its 330 ml carton of Bio coconut milk, while E.Leclerc lists 3.2% for the VEGE coconut drink reviewed. These figures apply to these two products, not to every product in either category.
Decide whether you need coconut for a recipe or as a drink, then compare the product description and ingredients of the one you’re considering.
The product name alone does not tell you what it contains or whether it meets your child’s requirements. Anses highlights the importance of checking the ingredients list to identify allergens.
Read the label on the product you buy and check the arrangements with the nursery, including any PAI requirements.
According to Anses, ordinary plant-based or animal-based drinks are not suitable replacements for breast milk or infant formula for a child under one.
Check your child’s age before choosing a drink. If they follow a medical diet, ask the healthcare professional looking after them to clarify what they should eat and drink.
For its 3 × 20 cl coconut cooking preparation, Auchan recommends storage between 0 °C and +6 °C and consumption within five days of opening. Other products may have different instructions.
Choose a pack size that suits the recipe and follow the instructions on the packaging you buy.
Carrefour lists products including Bio coconut milk for cooking and coconut plant-based drinks. Check the category before comparing products.
E.Leclerc product listings distinguish between ECO+ culinary coconut milk and VEGE coconut drink.
Auchan offers a UHT coconut cooking preparation in a 3 × 20 cl pack for sweet and savoury recipes.
Carrefour lists an Alpro coconut plant-based drink in a 1 L carton. It’s a drink, not culinary coconut milk.
This selection features a small pack of culinary coconut milk to consider for a snack recipe approved by the nursery. It is not a drink to serve as it is.
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Worth considering for an approved snack recipe that calls for culinary coconut milk.
200 ml pack. Before choosing how much to use, check the packaging for the ingredients, what “17%” means and the storage instructions.
No, not for a child under one: according to Anses, ordinary plant-based or animal-based drinks are not a substitute for breast milk or infant formula. If your child follows a medical diet, ask the healthcare professional looking after them to confirm which products to use.
If an individual care plan (PAI) sets out dietary arrangements for your child, choose snacks in line with those arrangements and confirm them with the nursery. The French Ministry of National Education’s circular on PAIs includes collective nurseries, day nurseries and micro-nurseries within its scope.
No: the ingredients lists for the coconut milks reviewed at Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan include coconut extract and water, for example, but no dairy milk among the listed ingredients. Don’t assume the same applies to other products or desserts made with multiple ingredients. Read the label on the specific product, particularly if there are requirements relating to allergens.
No, this wording alone doesn’t guarantee the flavour of coconut milk. When choosing an ingredient for a recipe, compare the product description and ingredients on the packaging, then check that the planned preparation is allowed by the nursery.