Picnic planners packing a plant-based drink
If you want coconut drink for sipping, cereal or iced coffee, decide whether you can keep a chilled carton cool or would rather pack an unopened long-life one.
Who is choosing?
Shoppers looking specifically for low fat
Check the low-fat claim or the fat figure per 100 ml. Coconut, unsweetened and no-sugars wording describe different things and do not establish fat content.
Hosts checking ingredients for guests
Check the particular carton before serving it to someone avoiding an ingredient. Sainsbury's describes Alpro Barista Coconut as containing soya, while its Koko Unsweetened listing describes a different allergen profile.
What matters when choosing?
Choose the product type for your menu, then check its fat labelling and how you will store it on the journey and at the picnic.
Long-life coconut drink
Choose it when: you want an unopened drink to pack ahead; Sainsbury's lists Alpro Coconut No Sugar Long Life and Koko Unsweetened UHT as low in fat.
Bear in mind: follow the carton's storage instructions after opening, and do not take unsweetened wording alone as a low-fat claim.
Chilled coconut drink
Choose it when: you can keep it cool until serving; Sainsbury's describes Alpro Coconut Original Chilled as low in fat.
Bear in mind: a chilled carton calls for a cool bag or cooler during the picnic.
Reduced-fat cooking coconut milk
Choose it when: your picnic menu needs a cooking ingredient for a prepared dish rather than a drink to pour.
Bear in mind: reduced-fat cooking milk is not interchangeable with a low-fat coconut drink; check the recipe and pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Look for a low-fat claim and compare fat per 100 ml on the nutrition label. The legislation.gov.uk annex gives 1.5 g fat per 100 ml as the limit for a low-fat liquid claim; sugar wording is a separate check. | I want to choose on fat content, not assume that an unsweetened coconut drink is low in fat. |
| Picnic storage | Check whether the carton is long-life/UHT or chilled, and follow its storage instructions before and after opening. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping foods normally refrigerated at home cool at a picnic. | How long will the drink be travelling and outdoors, and can I keep a chilled carton cool until serving? |
| Intended use | Distinguish a coconut drink for pouring from coconut milk sold for cooking. Marks & Spencer describes its cooking coconut milk for curries, soups and sundaes. | I need something to pour into picnic coffee or cereal, rather than an ingredient for a dish prepared in advance. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients and emphasised allergen information for the exact carton. Sainsbury's lists soya in Alpro Barista Coconut; its Koko Unsweetened description differs. | If I am serving someone who avoids soya or another ingredient, I need to check the product I actually bring. |
What should you avoid?
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Assuming “unsweetened” means low fat
Sugar and fat are separate entries on the label, so an unsweetened drink does not necessarily meet a low-fat requirement.
Check for a low-fat claim or compare the fat figure per 100 ml. The legislation.gov.uk annex specifies 1.5 g per 100 ml for a low-fat liquid claim.
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Packing a chilled carton without cooling it
The Food Standards Agency advises that foods normally kept in the fridge at home also need to be kept cool at a picnic.
Use a cool bag or cooler for a chilled drink through serving time, or consider an unopened long-life carton and follow its pack instructions.
Keeping chilled items cool also means carrying a cool bag or cooler and cooling packs.
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Buying cooking coconut milk for drinks
Marks & Spencer describes its coconut milk for cooking uses including curries and soups; it sells a separate coconut drink.
Choose a coconut drink for pouring or sipping, and cooking coconut milk when a recipe calls for it.
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Assuming every coconut drink has the same ingredients
Formulations vary: Sainsbury's lists soya in Alpro Barista Coconut but describes Koko Unsweetened as free from several common allergens.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information on each carton before serving guests with ingredient restrictions.
Relevant brands and retailers
These references help distinguish named drinks and cooking products; a brand or retailer name alone does not establish a particular carton's fat content or ingredients.
Alpro
Alpro has long-life, chilled and barista coconut drinks with different formulations.
- Sainsbury's describes Coconut No Sugar Long Life and Coconut Original Chilled as low in fat.
- Sainsbury's lists soya in Alpro Barista Coconut; check that variant's ingredients rather than assuming all Alpro coconut drinks are alike.
Koko
Koko Unsweetened Coconut UHT is a long-life coconut drink.
- Sainsbury's describes this variant as low in fat and fortified with calcium and vitamins D2 and B12.
- For ingredient restrictions, check the current carton even where a retailer description lists the product as free from particular allergens.
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label long-life coconut drinks alongside branded options.
- Its coconut-drink category includes Tesco Long Life Coconut Original.
- Check an own-label carton's low-fat claim or fat figure per 100 ml before choosing it for a low-fat requirement.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists coconut drinks from Alpro, Koko and other brands.
- Its descriptions distinguish named low-fat long-life and chilled variants.
- Use each product's own description and current pack; a claim for one variant does not apply to the whole range.
M&S
M&S offers a Creamy Coconut Drink and a separate coconut milk for cooking.
- Marks & Spencer describes the drink as enriched with calcium, iodine, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
- Its cooking coconut milk serves a different use; check the drink's fat label before treating it as a low-fat choice.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists Essential Reduced Fat Coconut Milk as a coconut milk product.
- The reduced-fat wording identifies a cooking-product option to examine for a prepared dish.
- Check its nutrition label and intended use rather than treating “reduced fat” as a low-fat drink claim.
A Joybuy coconut drink option
This Alpro long-life barista coconut drink comes as an 8 x 1L bundle for picnic drinks such as iced coffee. If low fat is essential, check the current pack's claim or fat figure per 100 ml before choosing it.
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Alpro Barista Coconut Long Life Drink 8 x 1L
The long-life barista format is relevant if you are packing coconut drink for picnic coffee; the bundle contains eight 1L cartons. Check the current carton for fat content and storage instructions. Sainsbury's describes Alpro Barista Coconut as containing soya, so check the ingredients before serving anyone avoiding it.
Common questions
How do I check whether a coconut drink is low fat?
Look for a low-fat claim and read the fat figure per 100 ml, rather than relying on “unsweetened” or “no sugars”. The legislation.gov.uk annex specifies no more than 1.5 g fat per 100 ml as the condition for a low-fat liquid claim.
Should I pack a long-life or chilled coconut drink?
An unopened long-life carton is easier to pack ahead when keeping a drink cool would be difficult. A chilled drink can work if you keep it cool until serving: the Food Standards Agency advises doing so for foods normally stored in the fridge at home. Follow the chosen carton's instructions after opening.
Can reduced-fat canned coconut milk replace a picnic drink?
Not as a like-for-like choice. Marks & Spencer markets its coconut milk for dishes including curries and soups, and sells a separate Creamy Coconut Drink. Choose by the recipe or intended drink use, then check the particular product's nutrition label.
Do all coconut drinks have the same allergens?
No. Sainsbury's describes Koko Unsweetened Coconut UHT as free from several common allergens but lists soya in Alpro Barista Coconut. Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact carton you plan to serve.