Who is this for?

People preparing lunch at home

If you make coconut curry, soup or sauce to take to work, compare the amount used in each portion and plan chilled storage for the finished meal.

Shoppers choosing between a tin and a drink

Cooking coconut milk and coconut drinks serve different purposes. Check the product format before buying for a sauce, cereal or coffee.

People planning plant-based lunches

Coconut cooking products may fit a plant-based recipe, but check the current pack for ingredients and allergen information that matter to your lunch.

What to check before choosing

Start with how you will use the coconut milk, then compare nutrition on the same measurement basis and plan for any leftovers.

Priority What to check Your needs
Product format Check whether the product is a cooking coconut milk or a coconut drink. Koko Dairy Free lists its Unsweetened No Sugar Milk for drinks, while Koko Cuisine Coconut Milk is a separate cooking product. I'm making a curry or soup for lunch, so I need a cooking ingredient. For cereal or coffee, I'd choose a drink deliberately.
Fat and saturates Compare panels per 100ml where possible. Sainsbury's lists 5.6g fat and 4.9g saturates, Tesco Groceries 6.0g and 5.2g, and Waitrose & Partners 6.2g and 5.5g for their cited reduced-fat cooking products. If I'm using coconut milk in several lunch portions, I want to compare both figures and consider how much goes into each portion—not rely on the word 'light'.
Pack size Compare the pack with the recipe quantity. Tesco Light comes in a 400ml tin; Tesco Groceries lists Kingfisher Oriental Light in a 200ml tin, with 8.0g fat and 6.3g saturates per 100ml. A smaller tin may leave less unused coconut milk when I'm cooking only one or two portions, but I still want to check its nutrition panel.
Storage Follow the opened-pack instructions: Tesco Groceries and Waitrose & Partners specify use within 2 days after refrigeration; Sainsbury's specifies 3 days. Safefood advises keeping packed food that goes off quickly as cold as possible until eaten. Will I use what remains in the tin within its stated period, and can I keep my prepared lunch cold on the way to work?

Common buying mistakes

  • Assuming 'light' means little saturated fat

    The label still matters: Tesco Groceries lists 5.2g saturates per 100ml for Tesco Light, Sainsbury's lists 4.9g for Coconut Milk Light, and Waitrose & Partners lists 5.5g for Essential Reduced Fat.

    Compare fat and saturates on the current pack, then consider the quantity your recipe uses per lunch portion.

  • Using a coconut drink as a direct sauce substitute

    Koko Dairy Free lists 1.4g fat per 100ml for its Unsweetened No Sugar Milk and 17.4g per 100ml for its separate Cuisine cooking milk. The two products should not be treated as interchangeable in a recipe.

    Choose a product intended for cooking when making a curry, soup or sauce; choose a coconut drink for drinking, cereal or coffee.

  • Opening a large tin without a plan for the rest

    The cited 400ml cooking products have different instructions for refrigerated leftovers: Tesco and Waitrose specify 2 days, while Sainsbury's specifies 3 days.

    Check how much the recipe needs and follow the individual pack's instructions for transferring, refrigerating and using any remainder.

  • Treating the finished lunch like an unopened tin

    The storage needs of a prepared curry or soup depend on the finished dish and its other ingredients. Safefood advises keeping packed food that goes off quickly as cold as possible until it is eaten.

    Refrigerate a lunch that needs chilling and keep it cold during the journey; an insulated lunch bag can help.

Relevant brand references

These examples show why the product format and nutrition panel are more useful than comparing brand names alone.

Tesco

Tesco Light Coconut Milk is a 400ml cooking product.

  • Tesco Groceries lists 6.0g fat and 5.2g saturates per 100ml and describes it as having 50% less fat than Tesco standard coconut milk.
  • After opening, Tesco instructs users to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and consume within 2 days.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's Coconut Milk Light is a cooking coconut milk with nutrition stated per 100ml.

  • Sainsbury's lists 5.6g fat and 4.9g saturates per 100ml.
  • Its opened-pack instruction is to refrigerate and use within 3 days.

Waitrose

Essential Reduced Fat Coconut Milk is a cooking product in the Waitrose range.

  • Waitrose & Partners lists 6.2g fat and 5.5g saturates per 100ml.
  • Waitrose instructs users to move unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate below 5°C and consume within 2 days.

M&S

M&S lists a Reduced Fat Coconut Milk for cooking and separate coconut drinks in its milk-alternatives range.

  • Marks & Spencer lists 9.3g fat and 8.2g saturates per 100g for its Reduced Fat Coconut Milk; note the per-100g basis when comparing panels.
  • It instructs users to refrigerate unused contents and eat them within 2 days.

Koko

Koko Dairy Free has distinct products for drinks and cooking.

  • Its Unsweetened No Sugar Milk is listed for hot and cold drinks, with 1.4g fat per 100ml.
  • Koko Cuisine Coconut Milk is a separate cooking product, listed at 17.4g fat per 100ml; do not substitute one format for the other without considering the recipe.

Alpro

Tesco Groceries lists Alpro coconut drinks, including a Coconut No Sugar drink, among its coconut-milk search results.

  • A coconut drink is a relevant format to consider for cereal, coffee or drinking with lunch.
  • Check the particular pack's intended use and nutrition panel rather than treating a drink as a reduced-fat cooking coconut milk.

A cooking coconut milk on Joybuy

This option is a reduced-fat cooking coconut milk for preparing a curry, soup or sauce to take to work.

Morrisons Canned Reduced Fat Coconut Milk 400ml

Morrisons Canned Reduced Fat Coconut Milk 400ml

This cooking coconut milk is a 400ml option for a curry, soup or sauce prepared for lunch. Morrisons describes it as having 50% less fat than its standard coconut milk; compare the current nutrition panel when deciding how much to use. After opening, transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within 2 days.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a coconut drink or cooking coconut milk for a packed lunch?

Choose cooking coconut milk if you are preparing a curry, soup or sauce; choose a coconut drink if you want something for cereal, coffee or drinking. Koko Dairy Free lists separate drink and cooking products, so check the intended use on the pack rather than relying on the words 'coconut milk' alone.

How long can I keep an opened tin of reduced-fat coconut milk?

Follow the instruction on the particular tin. Tesco Groceries and Waitrose & Partners specify refrigeration and use within 2 days for their cited products; Sainsbury's specifies refrigeration and use within 3 days. Move unused contents out of the tin where the pack instructs you to do so.

How should I carry coconut curry or soup to work?

Keep a prepared lunch that needs chilling cold until you eat it. Safefood advises keeping packed food that goes off quickly as cold as possible; refrigerate it at work where possible, or use an insulated lunch bag to help keep it cool during transport.

Does 'reduced fat' mean little saturated fat?

No: the descriptor does not tell you the saturated-fat amount. Tesco Groceries lists 5.2g saturates per 100ml for Tesco Light Coconut Milk, Sainsbury's lists 4.9g for Coconut Milk Light, and Waitrose & Partners lists 5.5g for Essential Reduced Fat. Check the current panel and the amount your recipe uses.