Can you have coconut milk ( So Delicious brand) on paleo ?

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Just wondering. Is it classified as milk ? I switched from almond milk to coconut. Just use it for my chia pudding.

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  • each_day_stronger
    each_day_stronger Posts: 192 Member
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    I would opt for the stuff out of a can over the stuff in the carton. If I remember correctly the So Delicious brand adds a whole bunch of other stuff (sugar maybe?) and it isn't the full fat stuff? Also Goya/other canned coconut tends to be slightly cheaper I believe?
  • monkeydharma
    monkeydharma Posts: 599 Member
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    Just wondering. Is it classified as milk ? I switched from almond milk to coconut. Just use it for my chia pudding.

    So Delicious, Silk and others is NOT coconut milk - it is coconut milk BEVERAGE. If you look on the carton, you'll find the word. It's not milk in the same sense as cow's milk - it is called milk merely because it has a milky texture and can be used somewhat like the real thing.

    I've used it for chia pudding as well, but as mentioned by others, it's a manufactured product - lots of added nutrients, starches, emulsifiers, etc to make it seem more like the moo juice we all grew up on. Canned coconut milk is real coconut milk.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    The best kind I have ever had is canned Native Forest. Canned Aroy D is ok too. I've seen the ingredients of the So Delicious and wouldn't buy it. I won't buy the almond milk either. I use the best coconut milk that I can access (I live in the Arctic) to make kefir and that's what I use for most "milk" purposes.
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
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    Get the canned kind, way less ingredients. The best I've seen so far are Thai Kitchen and Whole Foods 365 brand.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    Get the canned kind, way less ingredients. The best I've seen so far are Thai Kitchen and Whole Foods 365 brand.

    Thai Kitchen tastes ok but I think they might use BPA in the can. It is also owned by McCormick who has contributed substantial funds to oppose GMO labelling. It's the most available brand to me, but I avoid it for that reason.
  • GrokRockStar
    GrokRockStar Posts: 2,938 Member
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    My favorite is Natural Value coconut milk, the quality is equivalent to Aroy D, which you can purchase at Whole Foods and Sprouts, possibly Trader Joes.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Get the canned kind, way less ingredients. The best I've seen so far are Thai Kitchen and Whole Foods 365 brand.

    Thai Kitchen tastes ok but I think they might use BPA in the can. It is also owned by McCormick who has contributed substantial funds to oppose GMO labelling. It's the most available brand to me, but I avoid it for that reason.

    Ugh, I can't wait until Whole Foods opens near me, so I can get the Whole Foods 365 milk when I want/need canned. As it stands, Thai Kitchen is the only one I've found that doesn't list anything else in the ingredients. I'm glad we're not big coconut users in my house (coconut oil is the most we use, typically), so I don't have to go too far out of my way to get coconut milk.

    To the OP - If you want a milky drink, I recommend nut milk (yes, pedants, it's not actual milk, get over it), and make your own. Almond is the typical one, but any nut will work, so pick your favorite and give it a try.

    1. Soak nuts in water for at least 4 hours (I do overnight, to make it easy).
    2. Drain, rinse, put in blender.
    3. Add 1-4 cups water per cup of nuts (less water for creamier texture and stronger nutty flavor)
    4. Blend until you get a slurry - about as thick as a milkshake
    5. Pour into nut bag, fine mesh strainer, or cheese cloth over a bowl
    6. Let excess liquid strain off, squeeze/press hard enough to get liquid out, but not so hard that you force the pulp through.
    7. (optional) Repeat steps 3-6 if you want to get more out. Subsequent presses will be more watery, though, so this is good if you started with less water.
    8. (optional, but I recommend) Run final milk through a clean strainer/cheesecloth to filter out any excess pulp.
    9. (optional) Add any flavorings you want, if desired. I personally enjoy it plain, and it's far better than the crap in the store.

    Store in the fridge and enjoy for up to a week or so. You get nut flour as a byproduct. You can dry it out and it's edible, but I recommend using sparingly, due to the high Omega-6 content in nuts and the risk of them breaking down when heated. I also opt for raw nuts, for the same reason (the Omega-6 fats), and organic (because of the crap they spray on nuts).

    This also works for coconut milk, except you don't have to soak it, and you include the coconut water (if you're using a fresh coconut). Just make sure that if you use shredded coconut, that it's not the sweetened kind. As an added bonus, I think you get coconut butter as a byproduct.
  • Tuesday4422
    Tuesday4422 Posts: 56 Member
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    Not sure what the brand was I used to get, but I drank it in the beginning and still lost weight. I will occasionally buy it i the summer and mix it with agave nectar and pecan and freeze it....yumo!
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    Not sure what the brand was I used to get, but I drank it in the beginning and still lost weight. I will occasionally buy it i the summer and mix it with agave nectar and pecan and freeze it....yumo!

    I wouldn't think it needs added sugar... but careful with agave; it's not the "health food" that it's been marketed to be. I find frozen berries stirred in with coconut milk (or coconut milk kefir) quite like ice cream.
  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
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    I get the canned stuff at Whole Foods and it is fantastic!
  • annoel
    annoel Posts: 18 Member
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    Yep, canned is better.
    I love Golden Star brand. . My Walmart used to have it. Now I order it from the manufacturer directly.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    As others have said, Thai Kitchen coconut milk is a great brand. The So Delicious ones have a bunch of junk added to them.

    One warning, when I was on my whole30 I added 2 T of coconut milk to my coffee every morning. I ended up getting very bad cystic acne (3 - 4 active ones). I found out later it was possibly due to the BPA in Thai Kitchen brand cans. Hopefully your body isn't as sensitive as mine!
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Just wondering. Is it classified as milk ? I switched from almond milk to coconut. Just use it for my chia pudding.

    I'll probably get slammed for this, but yes, you can use it...especially in the small sounds you'd be issuing it. You can use whatever you want. Everyone's version of paleo is different. It's not about perfection, it's about changing habits.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Just wondering. Is it classified as milk ? I switched from almond milk to coconut. Just use it for my chia pudding.

    I'll probably get slammed for this, but yes, you can use it...especially in the small sounds you'd be issuing it. You can use whatever you want. Everyone's version of paleo is different. It's not about perfection, it's about changing habits.

    I don't think anyone would "slam" you for it. First of all, because, like you said, it's about changing habits, not perfection (don't let perfection get in the way of progress). Coconut milk in any form is arguably better than dairy milk, especially if you're intolerant. Of the coconut beverage brands out there, So Delicious is one of the better ones, with the worst thing about it being the carageenan (and good luck getting away from that, especially if your access to the canned varieties is limited), the rest is arguably neutral or beneficial, albeit artificial. When it comes to not-perfect stuff, there are worse options (and far worse options when it comes to food in general).
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    As others have said, Thai Kitchen coconut milk is a great brand. The So Delicious ones have a bunch of junk added to them.

    One warning, when I was on my whole30 I added 2 T of coconut milk to my coffee every morning. I ended up getting very bad cystic acne (3 - 4 active ones). I found out later it was possibly due to the BPA in Thai Kitchen brand cans. Hopefully your body isn't as sensitive as mine!

    Um... then it wasn't such a "great brand" after all (owned by McCormick who fights GMO labelling). Whether a person notices the symptoms of contaminants or not, they are there and still hurt our health.

    I've heard that Aroy D doesn't use BPA but cannot confirm it (only confirmed for cartons, not cans). Right now, one of our stores is stocking it, so that's great for me because with ordering online, so far, I can only get Thai Kitchen. Aroy D canned only has coconut and water.

    Native Forest doesn't have BPA in their can linings. Native Forest is THE best I've tried. I would prefer to give that company my money over any other.

    More info:
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/are-your-canned-foods-safe-to-eat-a-bpa-free-buying-guide/#axzz2uvJCPyYy