coconut milk and coconut water

slimsdown

someone please tell me about coconut milk and water, alot of people have mentioned them in there diet regimes, do you use as a meal replacment or is this good for any other reason

i looked at it today and it has quite a few calories in a can

please advise x

slimsdown

anyone?xxxx

smokinjackd

Coconut water is high in nutrients buttttt also very high in sugar. I used to drink it until I started MFP and it blew my sugars right out of the water .

AmeChops

I use Kara Coconut Milk:

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=2781&prodid=3603&bid=507

Very slightly coconut in flavour, is good in coffee - takes a bit of getting used to in tea and awesome on cereal or in porridge! Tastes pretty good as a drink too!

LeenaRuns

Coconut milk is a great alternative to cow/almond/rice/soy/hemp (you get the picture) milk.

Coconut water has natural electrolytes and is great as an alternative to sports drinks after running.

ShannonMpls

Coconut water is high in nutrients buttttt also very high in sugar. I used to drink it until I started MFP and it blew my sugars right out of the water .

8 ounces of the plain, unflavored coconut water has about the same amount of natural sugar as a banana, but considerably more potassium, fewer cals, and fewer overall carbs. Yep, it is naturally higher in sugar, but it is not added sugar. Depends on how you view natural sugars and fruit sugars, I suppose.

OP, I only drink coconut water after a particularly strenuous workout - for my outdoor runs of 75+ minutes, sometimes I feel pretty light-headed afterward and I drink a coconut water afterward the way others might drink an artificially sweetened gatorade.

Coconut milk is something I use for cooking - thai and indian food primarily, sometimes in a marinade. Occasionally I cook rice in it or use it a sweet recipe. I'm referring to the coconut milk in cans. The coconut milk in cartons is meant as a milk substitute, but I don't drink much (any, really) dairy milk, and cook with it only occasionally, so I don't keep that around.

Jenny_Rose77

Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond and Coconut Milk (Blend) is delish! And only 45 calories per cup. I love it.

Avandel

Coconut water is high in nutrients buttttt also very high in sugar. I used to drink it until I started MFP and it blew my sugars right out of the water .

8 ounces of the plain, unflavored coconut water has about the same amount of natural sugar as a banana, but considerably more potassium, fewer cals, and fewer overall carbs. Yep, it is naturally higher in sugar, but it is not added sugar. Depends on how you view natural sugars and fruit sugars, I suppose.

OP, I only drink coconut water after a particularly strenuous workout - for my outdoor runs of 75+ minutes, sometimes I feel pretty light-headed afterward and I drink a coconut water afterward the way others might drink an artificially sweetened gatorade.

Coconut milk is something I use for cooking - thai and indian food primarily, sometimes in a marinade. Occasionally I cook rice in it or use it a sweet recipe. I'm referring to the coconut milk in cans. The coconut milk in cartons is meant as a milk substitute, but I don't drink much (any, really) dairy milk, and cook with it only occasionally, so I don't keep that around.

I drink unsweetened coconut water after a workout too. It replaces your electrolytes.

megsmom2

Coconut milk and coconut water are not the same thing,..if I'm understanding your question right. Coconut milk is thick and white, and the full fat kind has quite a lot of calories. Its a useful milk replacement.. or great for Thai cooking. Coconut water is thin...its meant to be a beverage. It has lots of electrolytes so its excellent for workoit days. I don't like the flavor myself...but if you do, its a nice option.

placeboaddiction

I love coconut water..but..only synthetic flavored coconut water... For some reason every time I try fresh coconut water it taste like crap. I drink the sobe life water coconut water.. It goes down like an elixir... its pure bliss.. 90 calories per bottle. I treat myself to one or 2 a week.

julieh391

Coconut milk in a can=Good for cooking (especially curries), high in calories
Coconut milk in a carton=Yummy non-dairy milk, 90ish calories per serving, some brands are enriched (Silk has lots of calcium) and some are not and have very little calcium
Coconut water in a little carton=Meh, not a whole lotta flavor, I just drink water (free, no sugar, no calories)

slimsdown

its all making sense now!!!! thank you, seems rather cheap in shops worth a go , see if i like it x

ilovedeadlifts

I'd go with coconut milk or coconut oil.

short answer:
They have medium chain triglycerides which are beneficial to your health.

Corsetopia

We use coconut oil to cook, it's fantastic. I tried coconut water and I wasn't a huge fan of it. Supposedly the benefits of it are numerous but I just didn't like the taste; it tasted like a weird carrot juice to me. I do, however, like coconut milk - but I'm not a huge fan of regular milk anyways.

slimsdown

i dont think i have ever tried coconut...... apart from malibu lol love that to drink

CannibalisticVegetarian

I've tried a few different kinds of coconut water, but the only one that got my interest and tastebuds was the Vitacoco brand water. Whenever I'm able to locate it (Seeing as I managed to purchase out my favorite flavor from Winn Dixie as well as the local GNC store), i use it between meals or sometimes as a recovery drink, since it has plenty of potassium in it. It really hits the spot when I'm working it on the treadmill.

denezy

I use coconut milk beverage in my protein shakes, so delicious brand. And it is so delicious. Only 70 cals per cup.

Ila1227

all I know is that it is good for you. I do not drink dairy(yes I sometimes eat cheese, but have trying to train myself to eat soy cheese) I use coconut milk creamer for my coffee. It is fantastic and has very few calories or fat. Sometimes I use coconut milk for cereal or smoothies. I alway check for either low or no sugar brands. Hope this helps some

_Sara_A_

My boyfriend's Filipino and uses Coconut Milk in some of his dishes, as does a Filipina who I have as a friend here on MFP! I've used Coconut Milk in other Asian recipes, ie Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese but never tried it anywhere else!

shebaw79

Luckily for me I live on an Island and we have many coconut trees here, I have some in my backyard. So I just drink the real coconut water which I prefer to the store bought brands. It really is good for you loaded with electrolytes, especially after a real tough workout. Coconut milk on the other hand I don't use as it has so many calories.

hlp423

Regular plain natural coconut water tastes like something foul and rotten to me. I buy one that has a mango flavour added to it, I think its pure via or something. It has a ton of goodies in it including that elusive potassium I have trouble getting.That sobe one is tasty but I dont think thats actually coconut water.

Coconut milk is totally different. It tastes very good and I use it in place of soymilk sometimes.

Brengild

I use it during and after a long ride(coconut water,I prefer unflavored). In place of gatorade type drinks, it replaces electrolytes. Dairy doesnt agree with me so I alternate coconut milk(in cartons) with almond milk. Whichever the store has.

sjhoward2012

Hi. I have been taking GRACE coconut water with pulp for a few months now. I take in the morning and I find it gves me a energy boost. Not a huge one. Yes it has higher calorie count but no protein. You can take split it into two days. Hope this helps.

mermer45

The main reason why people are adopting coconut is that it is mainly saturated fat, it contains significant amounts of lauric acid which supposedly doesn't create more bad cholesterol. Also, the fat is a medium-chain triglyceride which means that it absorbed and metabolized for energy more easily than other saturated fats which have long- chains. It's unclear to me what the impact of this is....but that's the reason why many claim it has strong health benefits.

dished555

Sounds like you're getting good input - I'll just add one thing. I drink coconut water on long distance bike rides where I know I'll be exercising for more than an hour. I didn't like the taste at first either, but it's one of the few electrolyte replacement drinks I can use on the food plan I follow, so I gave it another try. Now I actually like it, and I think it definitely helps my endurance on bike rides.

I was in my doctor's office and picked up one of those health mags, and that's where I first read about coconut water as a natural sports drink. The article said you don't really deplete your electrolytes and potassium enough to worry about it unless you're working out over an hour. I get whichever kind is on sale and has no added sugar.

zeebruhgirl

I'm not a huge fan of coconut milk, I switched to almond because it was too watery for me, but I love coconut oil to cook with. High in healthy fats and tasty!