Who is this for?

Regular curry and soup cooks

If you use tinned coconut milk often, compare both fat and saturates per 100ml. Reduced-fat cans do not all have the same figures.

Weekly grocery shoppers

If a 400ml cooking can is going into your usual shop, check its nutrition panel, ingredient list and storage instructions before choosing a repeat purchase.

Shoppers choosing between a drink and a cooking milk

Alpro and Koko coconut drinks are sold in 1L cartons for uses such as hot drinks or breakfast. A recipe calling for tinned coconut milk may need a different product.

What should you check?

Choose the format your recipe calls for, then compare nutrition and practical pack details across cooking cans.

PriorityWhat to checkYour needs
Product format Check whether the pack is a tinned cooking milk or a coconut drink. For a substitution, follow the recipe’s guidance. My curry or soup recipe calls for coconut milk; I do not want to choose a drink carton by mistake.
Fat and saturates Compare both figures on the same per-100ml basis. Waitrose & Partners lists 6.2g fat and 5.5g saturates for essential Waitrose Reduced Fat; Sainsbury’s lists 6.2g and 5.1g for Blue Dragon Light, respectively. I’m comparing reduced-fat cooking cans and want to see what “light” means on each nutrition panel.
Ingredients Read the coconut-extract declaration alongside the nutrition panel. Extract percentage alone does not establish a finished curry’s flavour or texture. I want to know what is in the particular can my recipe will use, rather than judge it by its front label.
Allergens Check the current physical pack’s ingredients and allergen statement. Sainsbury’s Blue Dragon Light listing says it may contain peanuts and nuts. If I’m cooking for someone with an allergy, the statement on the pack matters more than an earlier online listing.
Leftovers Read the named product’s after-opening instructions. Waitrose & Partners and Ocado list a two-day refrigerated-use period for the essential Waitrose and M&S cans, respectively. I may use only part of a can, so I need a plan for the remainder before opening it.

Common buying mistakes

  • Assuming every “reduced fat” can has similar nutrition

    Per 100ml, Ocado lists M&S Reduced Fat at 9.3g fat and 8.2g saturates, while Sainsbury’s lists Blue Dragon Light at 6.2g and 5.1g.

    Compare both figures on the current pack using the same per-100ml basis.

  • Picking up a coconut drink for a cooking recipe

    Alpro and Koko drink cartons are presented for beverage or breakfast uses; tinned cooking milks are presented for dishes such as curries and soups.

    Use the format specified by your recipe, or check whether it explicitly allows a drink-carton substitute.

  • Overlooking instructions after opening

    A shelf-stable unopened can can have a short refrigerated-use period once opened. Waitrose & Partners and Ocado list two days for the essential Waitrose and M&S products.

    Check the instructions on your can and plan when you will use any leftovers.

  • Assuming cooking cans have the same coconut content

    In a March 2023 comparison, Which? reported coconut-extract declarations ranging from 25% to 86% among the cans it examined.

    Read the ingredient declaration on the particular can you are buying; the historical range does not describe every current product.

Brand and retailer references

essential Waitrose

Its Reduced Fat Coconut Milk is a 400ml tinned cooking option.

  • Waitrose & Partners lists 6.2g fat and 5.5g saturates per 100ml.
  • After opening, refrigerate below 5°C and use within two days, following the pack’s transfer instructions.

Blue Dragon

Blue Dragon positions its Light Coconut Milk for curries and soups.

  • Sainsbury’s lists 6.2g fat and 5.1g saturates per 100ml for the 400ml can.
  • Its Sainsbury’s listing says it may contain peanuts and nuts; check the current pack when allergens matter.

M&S

M&S Reduced Fat Coconut Milk is a 400ml cooking can.

  • Ocado lists 9.3g fat and 8.2g saturates per 100ml, giving a per-100ml basis for comparison with other cans.
  • The Ocado listing directs shoppers to refrigerate it after opening and use it within two days.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s lists branded cooking options including Blue Dragon Light and Amoy Reduced Fat.

  • Its Blue Dragon Light listing provides fat and saturates figures per 100ml.
  • The Amoy listing describes a reduction relative to Amoy Rich; check the pack’s per-100ml panel to compare it with other brands.

Tesco

Tesco lists a 400ml Light Coconut Milk for shoppers considering its own-label range.

  • The product listing identifies the light cooking-milk variant.
  • Tesco cautions that ingredients, nutrition and allergens can change; read the current physical label.

Alpro

Alpro Coconut No Sugars is a 1L coconut drink presented for uses including smoothies, porridge and chai latte.

  • The drink format suits shoppers looking for a coconut beverage or breakfast ingredient.
  • Do not assume the carton can replace tinned coconut milk in a curry recipe.

Koko

Koko Unsweetened Coconut UHT is a 1L drink rather than a tinned cooking milk.

  • The Sainsbury’s listing identifies the unsweetened UHT drink format.
  • For a recipe specifying tinned coconut milk, check the recipe before substituting this carton.

Joybuy cooking-milk option

This 400ml reduced-fat cooking can is an option for recipes calling for tinned coconut milk, such as curries or soups.

Morrisons Reduced Fat Coconut Milk 400ml can

Morrisons Reduced Fat Coconut Milk 400ml

A 400ml reduced-fat cooking can for curry or soup recipes. After opening, transfer the contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within two days; check the current pack if buying for someone with an allergy.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does “light” mean the lowest saturates?

No. Compare the per-100ml nutrition panels: Sainsbury’s lists 5.1g saturates for Blue Dragon Light, Waitrose & Partners lists 5.5g for essential Waitrose Reduced Fat, and Ocado lists 8.2g for M&S Reduced Fat. Each figure applies to the named product, not to every can described as light or reduced fat.

Can I use a coconut drink instead of tinned coconut milk?

Check the recipe before substituting one. Alpro and Koko 1L coconut drinks are beverage-format products, while the reduced-fat cans discussed here are cooking milks for dishes such as curries and soups.

What should I do with coconut milk left in an opened can?

Follow that product’s pack instructions. Waitrose & Partners and Ocado direct shoppers to refrigerate the essential Waitrose and M&S products after opening and use them within two days; check whether your can also requires transferring the contents to another container.

What should I check when buying for someone with an allergy?

Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the current physical pack. For example, Sainsbury’s Blue Dragon Light listing says it may contain peanuts and nuts, and Tesco cautions that food-product information can change.