For a sauce, curry or family dessert, choose cooking coconut milk. For drinking or serving with cereal, look for a coconut plant-based drink. The word ‘mild’ alone doesn’t tell you how it will taste or whether it’s suitable for a child of a particular age, so compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the product you’re ordering. According to Anses, coconut drinks should not replace breast milk or infant formula for babies under one.
If you want a subtle coconut flavour in a recipe, make sure you distinguish between a cooking ingredient and a drink to serve. For babies under one, Anses says that an everyday coconut-based drink cannot replace breast milk or infant formula.
To get the texture you want, check the coconut extract and fat content, then adjust the quantity to suit your recipe. Carrefour and E.Leclerc list cooking coconut milks with different compositions.
If you want to drink it or add it to cereal, choose a product labelled as a plant-based drink and check its ingredients and nutritional information. Its composition is not the same as that of cooking coconut milk.
First decide whether you’ll use the product for cooking or drinking. For a family recipe, check the ingredients and the flavour you’re looking for, rather than relying on the word ‘mild’ alone.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking or drinking | Check the product category, coconut extract content and fat content, and make sure you note whether the figures are per 100 g or per 100 ml. | If I’m making a sauce or creamy dessert, I want an ingredient suited to the recipe, not a drink to pour into a glass. Around 46% of consumers would put this cooking use at the top of their list of concerns. |
| Flavour and family use | Check the ingredients and sugars listed on the label, as well as the age and intended use; ‘mild’ alone doesn’t tell you whether the product is suitable. | For a dish shared with children, I’m looking for a flavour that works in my recipe, without assuming that a mild taste suits all ages. Around 36% of consumers would make this family suitability their priority. |
| Ingredients and pack size | Compare the ingredients list, coconut content, whether it’s organic if that matters to you, and the quantity your recipe needs. | When I choose a product with a short ingredients list or an organic option, I also want to know how much I’ll use. Around 18% of consumers would make ingredients and pack size their main concern. |
These products can have similar names but different compositions. For example, Carrefour lists its cooking coconut milk as containing 76% coconut extract and 18 g of fat per 100 g, while E.Leclerc lists its VEGE drink as containing 3.2% coconut extract and 0.9 g of fat per 100 ml. This can make a difference to the result of your recipe.
For cooking, check that the product is specifically listed as cooking coconut milk. For drinking, look for a coconut plant-based drink.
A description of the flavour doesn’t tell you whether a drink is nutritionally suitable. Anses says that everyday drinks, including plant-based ones, are not suitable as substitutes for breast milk or infant formula for babies under one.
Don’t replace a baby’s breast milk or infant formula with a coconut drink. If you have questions about a particular dietary situation, ask a health professional for advice.
Carrefour lists a 200 ml cooking coconut milk among its plant-based cooking ingredients.
This E.Leclerc brand offers cooking coconut milk in a 200 ml carton.
Bio Village is an E.Leclerc brand that offers 200 ml organic coconut milk.
Alpro offers coconut plant-based drinks in one-litre cartons, in a separate category from cooking coconut milk.
These products are mainly cooking coconut milk. Chaokoh coconut water is a separate type of drink, so don’t choose it as a substitute for coconut milk if you want the same texture in a recipe.
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Worth considering for a small recipe that calls for coconut milk. The pack size is 200 ml; check the fat content on the packaging before comparing it with another product.
The word ‘mild’ doesn’t guarantee that the flavour will suit your recipe or a child.
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This tinned coconut milk is worth considering for a recipe that needs a smaller pack. If a mild flavour is important, don’t assume it from the product name alone.
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This 400 ml pack is worth considering if your recipe needs more coconut milk than a smaller pack contains. Check the ingredients and the storage instructions after opening, based on how much you plan to use.
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This product is labelled as coconut water in a 330 ml pack, not as cooking coconut milk. Check the product name and ingredients before choosing it for a specific use.
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This multipack of coconut milk may be worth considering if you have several recipes that need it: it contains 12 one-litre cartons. If you only need it occasionally, check that you can use and store this quantity according to the instructions on the packaging.
Not if you’re expecting the same texture. Carrefour lists its cooking coconut milk as containing 76% coconut extract and 18 g of fat per 100 g, compared with 3.2% and 0.9 g per 100 ml for the VEGE drink listed by E.Leclerc. Check which category your recipe calls for.
No. On its own, the word doesn’t tell you how the product will taste in a recipe or whether it’s suitable for the child’s age. Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the product you choose, and distinguish between cooking ingredients and drinks.
No. Anses says that everyday drinks of plant or animal origin are not suitable substitutes for breast milk or infant formula for children under one.