For cereal and drinks in a student kitchen, compare coconut drinks by fat per 100 ml: Business Companion’s UK guidance sets the condition for a low-fat claim on liquids at no more than 1.5 g per 100 ml. Alpro Coconut No Sugars lists 1.2 g fat and 0 g sugars per 100 ml, while Koko Unsweetened lists 1.4 g fat and 1.2 g protein per 100 ml. Check the current carton for nutrients, allergens and storage instructions as well as fat.
How you will use the drink—and how much fridge space you have after moving in—matters alongside its nutrition panel.
A long-life carton may suit cupboard storage before opening, but check where it must be kept afterwards. Tesco and Sainsbury's instruct shoppers to refrigerate Koko Unsweetened after opening and use it within five days, so consider how quickly you will finish a carton.
Compare drink-style products using fat per 100 ml rather than the word “coconut” alone. Alpro UK lists 1.2 g fat per 100 ml for Coconut No Sugars; Tesco and Sainsbury's list 1.4 g per 100 ml for Koko Unsweetened. Both figures meet the liquid low-fat condition in Business Companion’s UK guidance.
If coconut drink is a regular part of breakfast or hot drinks, compare its protein and stated added nutrients as well as its fat. The UK Office for Health Improvement & Disparities notes that plant-based drinks vary considerably in nutrient composition.
Start with the product format and fat declaration, then compare the details that affect your usual meals and opened-carton use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and format | For a coconut drink, read total fat per 100 ml; Business Companion’s UK low-fat claim condition for liquids is no more than 1.5 g per 100 ml. Compare canned cooking coconut milk on its own stated nutrition basis, not as though it were the same drink. | I want something to pour on cereal or add to drinks, not a curry ingredient chosen because its label says “reduced fat”. |
| Other nutrients | Compare sugars, protein, calcium and any declared vitamins on the exact carton. Alpro UK lists 0 g sugars and 0.2 g protein per 100 ml for Coconut No Sugars; Tesco and Sainsbury's list 1.2 g protein per 100 ml for Koko Unsweetened. | If I use coconut drink regularly in place of dairy, fat alone does not tell me what else the drink contributes. |
| Storage after opening | Read the refrigeration instruction and opened-carton use period. Tesco and Sainsbury's specify refrigeration and use within five days after opening for Koko Unsweetened. | Shared-fridge space is limited, so I want a carton size I can use within its labelled period. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen statement for the exact product. ASDA’s Alpro Coconut No Sugar listing states “May Contain: Nuts”; do not infer allergen suitability from “dairy-free”. | When avoiding an ingredient or allergen, I need the current product label rather than an assumption about coconut drinks generally. |
M&S describes its Reduced Fat Coconut Milk as a curry ingredient and lists 9.3 g fat per 100 g. That declaration is for a different format and basis from the per-100-ml figures on coconut drinks.
For cereal or drinks, compare pourable coconut drinks by their per-100-ml panels. Choose a cooking product when you need it for cooking, rather than treating “reduced fat” as the same claim as “low fat”.
Alpro Coconut No Sugars lists 0.2 g protein per 100 ml, while Tesco and Sainsbury's list 1.2 g per 100 ml for Koko Unsweetened. The UK Office for Health Improvement & Disparities also notes that plant-based drinks differ considerably in nutrient composition.
Once you have checked fat, compare sugars, protein and any declared added nutrients on the cartons you are considering.
A long-life drink’s unopened storage does not tell you how to store it once opened. The Koko Unsweetened listings from Tesco and Sainsbury's require refrigeration and use within five days after opening.
Check each carton’s instructions, allow space in the shared fridge and note when you opened it.
Allergen statements are product-specific: ASDA’s listing for Alpro Coconut No Sugar says “May Contain: Nuts”. A dairy-free description does not settle a separate nut-allergy question.
If you need to avoid an allergen, read the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statement before using the drink.
These examples show why it helps to compare named products and their stated nutrition bases, rather than judging every coconut product by its brand or front-of-pack wording.
Alpro UK lists Coconut No Sugars as a drink with 1.2 g fat, 0 g sugars, 0.2 g protein and 120 mg calcium per 100 ml.
Tesco and Sainsbury's list Koko Unsweetened coconut drink at 1.4 g fat, 1.2 g protein and 120 mg calcium per 100 ml.
Tesco’s coconut-drinks category lists named dairy-alternative drinks alongside own-label options.
Sainsbury's provides a listing for Koko Unsweetened Coconut UHT 1L.
M&S lists Reduced Fat Coconut Milk as a curry ingredient, with 9.3 g fat per 100 g.
Waitrose lists Rude Health Organic Long Life Unsweetened Coconut Drink at 1.4 g fat per 100 ml.
This barista-style coconut drink is an option to consider if you use coconut drink in coffee and have room to store a multipack. Check its current nutrition panel against the UK low-fat condition before choosing it for that purpose.
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This coconut drink is labelled for barista use and comes as eight 1 L long-life cartons, so consider cupboard and shared-fridge space. Check the current pack’s fat per 100 ml, ingredients and instructions for use after opening.
Business Companion’s UK guidance on permitted nutrition claims sets the low-fat condition for liquids at no more than 1.5 g fat per 100 ml. Read the per-100-ml panel on the exact coconut drink rather than treating “light” or “reduced fat” as interchangeable wording.
No. M&S describes its Reduced Fat Coconut Milk as a curry ingredient and lists 9.3 g fat per 100 g. By contrast, Alpro UK lists 1.2 g fat per 100 ml for Coconut No Sugars drink, and Tesco and Sainsbury's list 1.4 g per 100 ml for Koko Unsweetened drink. Choose by intended use and compare nutrition on the stated basis.
Check protein, calcium and any declared vitamins on the individual carton as well as fat and sugars. The UK Office for Health Improvement & Disparities notes that plant-based drinks vary considerably in nutrient composition, so the word “coconut” does not tell you what nutrients a particular drink contains.
Follow that carton’s instructions. Tesco and Sainsbury's say Koko Unsweetened should be refrigerated after opening and used within five days; Waitrose gives the same opened-pack period for its listed Rude Health coconut drink. Plan fridge space and note the opening date.
No. Dairy-free does not answer a separate nut-allergy question: ASDA’s listing for Alpro Coconut No Sugar states “May Contain: Nuts”. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statement for the specific drink you intend to use.