Regular coconut drink users watching fat
If you use coconut drink in cereal, hot drinks, smoothies or porridge, compare total fat and saturates per 100ml across ready-to-drink cartons. Keep cooking coconut milk out of that like-for-like comparison.
Who is this for?
Shoppers checking both sugar and fat
If sugars matter to your choice, read their value on the nutrition panel alongside fat. A drink labelled “no sugar” need not have the lowest fat figure.
Households buying several cartons
If you need roughly four pints for regular use, check carton sizes and plan how many to buy. Opening one carton at a time may make it easier to follow each pack’s storage instructions.
What should you check?
Start with the intended use, then compare nutrition panels on the same per-100ml basis before deciding how much to buy.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Check whether the pack is a ready-to-drink coconut drink or coconut milk intended for cooking. Compare nutrition within the format you intend to use. | For cereal or drinks, I need a drink carton rather than a cooking ingredient. |
| Fat and saturates | Read both figures per 100ml. Tesco Groceries lists 0.8g fat and 0.7g saturates for Tesco Long Life Coconut Original; ASDA Groceries lists 0.8g fat and 0.8g saturates for Alpro Coconut Long Life. | If I use coconut drink regularly, I want to compare the fat and saturates in the amount I pour, not rely on the product name. |
| Sugars | Check the sugars figure separately from fat. ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars and 1.2g fat per 100ml for Alpro Coconut No Sugar. | When sugars are part of my decision, I want to know the actual value; a zero-sugar choice does not automatically have the lowest fat figure. |
| Household quantity | Confirm the size and number of cartons, then check each pack’s instructions for storage after opening. Compare pack formats on the same quantity basis. | I need about four pints, but would rather open cartons as I use them than have several open at once. |
Common buying mistakes
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Buying cooking coconut milk for everyday drinking
The names are similar, but the nutrition can differ substantially. Koko Dairy Free lists 17.4g fat and 15.7g saturates per 100ml for its Cuisine Coconut Milk, compared with Tesco Groceries’ 0.8g fat and 0.7g saturates for Tesco Long Life Coconut Original.
For cereal or drinks, look for a ready-to-drink carton and check its per-100ml panel.
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Reading “no added sugar” as “no sugar” or “lowest fat”
Waitrose & Partners lists 3g sugars per 100ml for Plenish Organic Coconut Unsweetened. ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars but 1.2g fat per 100ml for Alpro Coconut No Sugar; its Alpro Coconut Long Life listing shows 0.8g fat.
Compare sugars, total fat and saturates as separate figures on the exact carton you are considering.
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Assuming four pints means one large bottle
The drink cartons discussed here are listed in 1L sizes. Buying several cartons changes how much you need to store and how many you might have open at once.
Check the current pack size and buy the number of cartons that suits your usage; follow each carton’s instructions once opened.
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Overlooking ingredients in a different coconut drink
A barista blend is not necessarily the same formulation as an everyday coconut carton. Waitrose & Partners identifies soya in Alpro Coconut Barista.
If an ingredient or allergen matters to you, read the statement on the physical pack for the exact variant before use.
Brand and product-line references
Compare individual coconut drinks rather than treating a brand’s cooking, everyday and barista products as interchangeable.
Alpro
Alpro has everyday coconut drinks and a separate coconut-and-soya barista blend.
- ASDA Groceries lists 0.8g fat, 0.8g saturates and 1.9g sugars per 100ml for Alpro Coconut Long Life.
- ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars but 1.2g fat per 100ml for Alpro Coconut No Sugar. Waitrose & Partners identifies soya in the Barista variant.
Koko
Koko’s unsweetened drink and Cuisine Coconut Milk serve different uses.
- Koko Dairy Free lists 1.4g fat, 1.2g saturates and 0.2g sugars per 100ml for its Unsweetened drink.
- Koko Dairy Free lists 17.4g fat and 15.7g saturates per 100ml for Cuisine Coconut Milk, so it is not a like-for-like everyday drink substitute.
Tesco
Tesco lists 1L own-label coconut drinks, including sweetened variants.
- Tesco Groceries lists 0.8g fat and 0.7g saturates per 100ml for Long Life Coconut Original.
- That Original drink lists 2.4g sugars per 100ml. Check the exact variant’s current pack label when comparing it with other cartons.
Joybuy coconut drink option
This coconut-and-soya barista drink is an option for coffee use and buying several cartons together. Its 8 × 1L pack is larger than a roughly four-pint requirement, so check whether that quantity suits your household.
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Alpro Barista Coconut Long Life Drink, 8 × 1L
A coconut-and-soya barista drink for coffee use, supplied as eight 1L cartons. The listing states 1.4g fat and 0.7g saturates per 100ml. It contains soya; check the pack’s allergen statement. Refrigerate after opening and use within five days, according to the listing.
Questions about coconut drink
Is coconut drink the same as cooking coconut milk?
No. They are intended for different uses and can have very different fat figures. Koko Dairy Free lists 17.4g fat per 100ml for Cuisine Coconut Milk, while Tesco Groceries lists 0.8g per 100ml for its Long Life Coconut Original drink.
What should I compare when choosing a coconut drink for a low-fat diet?
Compare total fat and saturates per 100ml on ready-to-drink cartons, then check the portion you normally use. The NHS explains that nutrition information is given per 100g or 100ml, which provides a consistent basis for comparing labels.
Does “no added sugar” mean no sugars?
No. Check the sugars value on the nutrition panel: ASDA Groceries lists 0g per 100ml for Alpro Coconut No Sugar, while Waitrose & Partners lists 3g for Plenish Organic Coconut Unsweetened and 4.1g for Rude Health Organic Long Life Unsweetened.
How should I store several coconut drink cartons?
Follow each carton’s instructions after opening and consider opening one at a time. The product information cited for Tesco Long Life Coconut Original, Alpro Coconut Long Life and Rude Health Organic Long Life says to refrigerate and use within five days of opening; Plenish states four days.