If you’re on the lookout for a dairy-free milk various, you’ve obtained loads of choices to select from — like soy, macadamia, oat, almond, cashew, and rice milk, simply to call just a few. But coconut milk advantages particularly have been getting quite a lot of consideration lately.
So what precisely is coconut milk? There are two merchandise that go by this identify, so it’s useful to know the distinction:
- Traditional coconut milk is made by soaking grated coconut flesh in scorching water after which straining out the solids. This produces the thick-and-creamy canned coconut milk typically utilized in desserts, soups, and sauces.
- Coconut milk beverage is produced by including water, sweeteners, and stabilizers to conventional coconut milk. The taste and consistency is much like low-fat milk, and it’s sometimes packaged in cartons and marketed as a dairy substitute. (This is the kind of coconut milk you’ll see on the menu at Starbucks.)
The coconut milk advantages listed under check with the coconut milk beverage. It’s essential to notice that coconut milk doesn’t present protein and isn’t a 1:1 various to common milk.
You’ll additionally wish to make sure to select a coconut milk beverage that’s fortified with calcium and vitamin D, very similar to common milk could be.
So is consuming coconut milk good for you? Is it more healthy than common milk? Before you determine whether or not to inventory your fridge, let’s get clear on all of the coconut milk advantages.
1. It’s Plant-Based and Dairy-Free
This might look like an apparent profit, however it’s an essential one! Coconut milk gives one other scrumptious dairy-free various for individuals who comply with a plant-based food regimen or can not tolerate dairy.
Like different plant-based milk alternate options, coconut milk can be a comparatively eco-friendly choice with a smaller carbon footprint than dairy.
If you’re going to drink coconut milk daily, go for the beverage model. Canned unsweetened coconut milk comprises 420 energy per cup, whereas unsweetened coconut milk beverage comprises 40 energy per cup.
2. It Provides Healthy Fats
Coconuts are a pure supply of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a sort of fats believed to profit general well being and assist improve vitality expenditure and assist a wholesome weight, says Emily Tills, MS, RDN, CDN.
And whereas coconuts do have saturated fats, that doesn’t imply coconut milk vitamin ought to be lumped in with butter or bacon. Lauric acid is the kind of saturated fats in coconuts, and it might have some heart-healthy advantages.
3. It’s Lower in Carbs Than Other Plant-Based Milks
While the precise carb depend might differ a bit by model, coconut milk usually comprises fewer carbs than different dairy alternate options.
Unsweetened coconut milk has 1 gram of carbohydrates per one-cup serving. The identical quantity of unsweetened oat milk has 14 grams, whereas unsweetened rice milk has as a lot as 22 grams per cup.
This makes coconut milk a very good various for anybody who wants to manage their carbohydrate consumption, Tills explains.
4. It May Be Easier to Digest
Some folks have points digesting milk, even when they’re not lactose illiberal. If that applies to you, substituting coconut milk for dairy might allow you to sidestep these points.
And coconut milk could also be a bit gentler in your abdomen than different nut-based milks because of the MCT, which is “an easily digestible fat that is often well tolerated in individuals who might have trouble digesting other fats,” says Dana Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, a senior dietitian on the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
5. It’s a Good Source of Potassium
You’ll get 310 mg of potassium in a single cup of unsweetened coconut milk — practically as a lot as a banana, which delivers 451 mg per serving and has a status as a potassium powerhouse.
This mineral is a sort of electrolyte that’s essential to just about each perform of the physique, together with your heartbeat, muscle mass, and nerves.
6. It May Support Immune Health
Coconut milk has antioxidant-like properties which can assist assist a wholesome immune system, Hunnes says. And analysis suggests the lauric acid in coconut might also present some advantages for wholesome immune perform.
7. It Adds Flavor to Your Recipes
Last however not least, let’s discuss probably the most essential coconut milk advantages: It’s scrumptious! Some dairy alternate options don’t style like a lot, particularly for those who purchase the unsweetened sort. Coconut milk, although, is full of taste.
Take full benefit of that through the use of coconut milk in a protein shake recipe, like our Coconut Macaroon Shakeology and Chocolate Coconut Smoothie. And as a result of coconut milk lacks protein, it is a nice strategy to get pleasure from this dairy various whereas nonetheless boosting your protein consumption for the day.