For a sauce or dessert, choose coconut milk for cooking and keep an eye on how much you use. For a drink, compare coconut drinks instead, as they serve a different purpose in cooking. The coconut milk products for cooking listed by Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan contain more energy and fat per 100 ml than the unsweetened Alpro coconut drink listed by Auchan. If vegan certification is essential, check the label on the specific product: the word “vegan” alone does not confirm third-party certification.
You want the texture of coconut milk in a sauce or dessert, and want to keep track of how much you add to the recipe. The per-100 ml figures for the cooking products listed by Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan make it easier to compare them before deciding on a portion.
You plan to drink it, perhaps with cereal or in coffee, rather than use it to make a sauce creamy. Compare the drinks’ nutrition information per 100 ml, and don’t confuse it with figures for coconut milk intended for cooking.
You want to distinguish between a plant-based ingredients list or a “vegan” claim and certification from a named organisation. Check the logo and the specific product variant on the packaging before making this a deciding factor.
First decide whether you want coconut as a cooking ingredient or a drink: the products compared here have different uses and compositions.
Choose it for: adding coconut to a sauce, curry or dessert, while measuring how much you use.
Bear in mind: the products listed by Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan contain 170 to 178 kcal per 100 ml; they’re not used like a light coconut drink.
Choose it for: drinking or adding to coffee or cereal.
Bear in mind: the unsweetened Alpro coconut drink listed by Auchan contains 14 kcal per 100 ml, but it doesn’t work in a sauce in the same way as coconut milk for cooking.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and fat | Compare energy, fat and saturated fat using the same unit, then consider how much you plan to use in the recipe. Don’t compare figures per 100 g directly with figures per 100 ml. | If I often cook with coconut, I want to be able to measure out this ingredient without confusing the composition of coconut milk for cooking with that of a drink. Around 36% of consumers put this nutritional comparison at the top of their needs. |
| Vegan claim and certification | Read the ingredients and, if certification is important, look for the logo, certifying organisation and product variant it covers. | A simple “vegan” claim doesn’t meet my needs if I require identifiable certification. This proof is the priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| For cooking or drinking | Check the product name and recommended use, then read the storage instructions for the product you choose once it’s opened. | For my coffee, I want a drink; for a sauce, I want a cooking ingredient. I don’t assume they’ll give the same result. Suitability for the intended use comes first for around 28% of consumers. |
The coconut milk products for cooking listed by Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan contain 170 to 178 kcal per 100 ml, compared with 14 kcal per 100 ml for the unsweetened Alpro coconut drink listed by Auchan. These figures relate to products intended for different uses.
First choose the type of product to suit the recipe or drink you have in mind, then compare the nutrition information using the same unit.
The Jardin BiO étic product listed by Auchan carries the “Vegan” claim. On its own, this does not identify a third-party certification organisation for the product.
If a label is essential to your choice, check the logo, the organisation that issues it and the exact product variant it applies to.
Sugar content doesn’t tell you everything about a product’s nutrition. Manger Bouger notes, for example, that energy and saturated fat are also included in the Nutri-Score calculation.
Read the nutrition information per 100 ml and consider how much you’ll actually use. Where a Nutri-Score is shown, compare it between similar products.
The product reviewed by Carrefour is a 330 ml organic coconut milk intended for cooking.
The Bio Village product listed by E.Leclerc is a 200 ml organic coconut milk for cooking.
The product listed by Auchan is a 22.5 cl organic coconut milk carrying the “Vegan” claim.
The unsweetened coconut product listed by Auchan is a plant-based drink, not concentrated coconut milk for cooking.
This selection includes coconut milk for cooking and a coconut drink that can be used in coffee, among other things. If you’re choosing with weight management in mind, distinguish between these uses, compare nutrition information on the same basis and check separately for any vegan certification you require.
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When making a recipe with coconut milk, choose how much to add according to the dish you’re preparing.
This variant comes in a 400 ml pack. To compare its nutrition information with products listed per 100 ml, first check the unit shown on the label.
If vegan certification is essential, check the label and the variant it covers.
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You could consider this variant for a coconut-based recipe; decide how to use it based on the recipe and the label.
The stated pack size is 400 ml. The word “Light” in the name doesn’t replace comparing the nutrition information on the same basis.
If you require vegan certification, check the label and the specific product it applies to.
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If you’re making coconut coffee rather than a sauce, consider this drink for the purpose you have in mind.
The stated pack size is 1 l. The recipe also contains soya: check the label if this allergen is relevant to you, and check the sugar content per 100 ml.
Don’t assume a drink made for coffee will give you the same texture as coconut milk for cooking.
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When cooking with coconut milk, measure out this variant according to the amount needed for your recipe.
The name states 9%, and the product comes in a 400 ml can. “Light” alone doesn’t tell you its nutritional composition: check the figures for the variant you buy.
If your choice depends on vegan certification, check the logo and the corresponding organisation.
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If you cook with coconut milk over several occasions, this pack lets you open one 250 ml bottle at a time.
The name states 18%, and the pack contains six 250 ml bottles. Check the nutrition information, ingredients and storage instructions after opening on the pack you buy.
If you follow a vegan diet or have an allergy, check the labelling for this variant before buying.
No: you can choose how much to add to a recipe without treating it as a coconut drink. The coconut milk products for cooking listed by Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan contain 170 to 178 kcal per 100 ml. Also compare fat and saturated fat on the label of the product you choose.
Not necessarily: only choose it for a sauce if you’re happy with the texture the substitution will give you. The unsweetened Alpro coconut drink listed by Auchan is intended for drinking and contains 14 kcal per 100 ml, compared with 170 to 178 kcal per 100 ml for the coconut milk products for cooking listed by Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Auchan. These products aren’t interchangeable for this use.
No: the word “vegan” alone doesn’t identify verifiable third-party certification. The Jardin BiO étic product listed by Auchan carries this claim. If you require certification, check the logo, certifying organisation and product variant it applies to.
Follow the storage time given for the product you buy, as it varies from one product to another. Auchan’s product listing for Jardin BiO étic coconut milk says to keep it chilled and use it within four days of opening; its listing for the unsweetened Alpro coconut drink says five days in the fridge.