The days of only one non-dairy beverage option, aka soy milk, are long gone. The non-dairy beverage aisle hosts a wide variety of options: rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk, oat milk, raw nut milk and now amidst the 'coconut craze' a new option from the Turtle Mountain brand, So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage. And no, it's not the same thing as canned coconut milk, commonly used for cooking. This light, creamy beverage comes out of a carton and you use it like milk. Click ahead to learn more about the taste, uses and health benefits of this product.....
Coconut Milk Craze. You've seen it everywhere lately right? It's not just an ingredient used in curries, Thai cooking and coconut cream cakes. Now coconut milk, coconut oil and coconut water are all being touted for their health benefits and delicious taste. Coconut milk has tip-toed its way into the non-dairy ice cream scene and the Turtle Mountain brand has been leading the pack with its wide selection of Coconut Milk Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert (aka vegan ice cream). The brand also offers new coconut milk So Delicious yogurt, with live and active cultures. But the main event in this post: the Coconut Milk beverage.
Why Coconut Milk? So you're happy with your soy milk, huh? Well ask any Registered Dietitian and they will tell you one thing: diversity is the key to a healthy diet. Eat a wide variety of different colored fruits and veggies. And also drink a wide variety of non-dairy beverages. Mix it up. Soy one week, hemp the next, rice the next and coconut milk beverage the next. So Delicious's Coconut Milk beverage is uniquely healthy because unlike the other non-dairy options, it is a rich source of MCFA's (medium chain fatty acids). Here's what So Delicious says about MDCFA's:
"MCFA's are recognized as "good fat". They are readily absorbed, digested and utilized as energy by the body, unlike long chain fatty acids which the body stores as fat. Two of the primary MCFA's found in coconut milk are lauric and capric acid, they are known for supporting the body's immune system."
Product Review: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*flavors: vanilla, original and unsweetened.
Shelf-Appeal: Great carton. Packaged in a sturdy carton with a top cap spout. Refrigerated. Easy to grab this once in a while instead of your traditional soy milk. I love the spout with the picture of the coconut.
Label Check: Wow, when I saw the 50% RDA of vitamin B12 in all three flavors, I got excited! Veg-eaters always need more sources of B12 available to them. The unsweetened flavor has only 50 calories per cup. Wow. All three flavors have 5 grams of fat per cup. And it may initially freak you out that all 5 grams are 'saturated' fat. But the word 'saturated' can be deceiving when it comes to coconut products. These saturated fats are actually MCFA's. Which as explained above, are claimed to not hurt your body, but help it greatly. This milk is vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, cholesterol free and trans fat free. And each cup contains 10% RDA magnesium, 10% RDA calcium, 30% RDA Vitamin D, and 8% RDA selenium. Though coconut milk beverage should not be used as a main source of protein in your day, unlike other non-dairy milks, it is low in protein (only 1 gram per cup). But those healthy fats make up for it.
Taste Test: Creamy, luscious and tasty. If you are sick of watery, bitter non-dairy milks you should give this a try. It has a subtle coconut flavor, but not enough to overwhelm your palate. I tried it in my usual soy chai latte and it was delicious. The vanilla flavor has a fluffy sweet flavor, while the original flavor is classicly plain and creamy. And wow, the rich and creamy unsweetened flavor has only 50 calories, just 1 gram of carbohydrates and no sugar added. Super diet friendly. Yum. For me, the creamy texture of this product is what stands out as amazing-something I would crave in certain recipes.
Price Check: Suggested Retail Price for So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage is $4.49 for a half gallon. So it is competitively priced to brands like Silk soy milk.
Last Word: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage has been added to my non-dairy beverage rotation. Super easy (and yummy) way to get coconut milk MCFA's.
Uses of Product: In hot beverages (coffee, tea, chai), with cold or hot cereal, smoothies, rice pudding, rice or couscous entrees, in baked goods recipes and plain on its own (great for cookie dunking).
Read more about this and other Turtle Mountain products.
Extra Factoid: Coconut Craze Continues. And other healthy people in the media have raved about coconut milk and coconut oil. Babycakes NYC, a vegan "special diet" allergy-friendly bakery, uses coconut oil as the primary fat in all their baked goods.
More yummy photos....
