Is Coconut or Almond Milk Better for Your Bones and How Do They Taste?

Coconut milk is not any better for your bones than regular almond milk. Good news is there is Protein Almondmilk that does rank better than coconut milk. Unsweetened regular almond milk and unsweetened coconut milk beverages are similar in nutritional composition.???

These two milks give you some bone-protecting nutrients but are low in protein, which is a major contributor to bone health.????

Better milks for your bones include Protein Almondmilk, soymilk, pea milk, and dairy milk. If you choose almond milk, coconut milk, or other plant milks that are low in protein, be sure to include foods to help you get enough protein in your daily intake.??

*The original blog post for the content in this article can be found at Is Coconut Milk Healthier than Almond Milk for Your Bones?? | Practical Dietitians.?

Are all coconut milks the same???

There are coconut milk beverages for drinking and coconut milk intended for recipes. The milk for recipes is much thicker. The flavors and nutritional profiles differ vastly. Therefore, they are not suitable beverage replacements.??

The versions for recipes contain more calories and fat than coconut milk for drinking. Canned coconut milk in a recipe will give you a thick, creamy sauce such as in a curry sauce.???

A newer option on the grocery store shelf for you is the coconut milk for recipes in a convenient resealable carton. It may also perform well, though we have yet to experience using this one in a recipe.???

It appears to be similar to the canned version, but in our taste test, we noticed it is less creamy and contains less fat, so your recipe may turn out differently than you expect.?

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Nutrition comparison of coconut and almond milks??

To help you quickly compare them, we used a serving size of 1/3 cup, and all products were unsweetened. We did not report on the shelf-stable coconut milk beverage for drinking, as we did not find this in our local supermarket.?

The exception we found is a new product called Protein Almondmilk, which supplies added soy protein and only 1 gram of added sugar. Since protein is a critical nutrient for your bones, we included it in our comparison.??

Unsweetened refrigerated coconut milk??

Ingredients listed are coconut milk (filtered water, coconut cream), calcium carbonate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12, dipotassium phosphate, sea salt, gellan gum, ascorbic acid, and natural flavor.??

It contains 13 calories, 1 gram fat, all saturated, with no protein, less than 1 gram of carbs and no added sugar. It offers 103 mg potassium, 1 mcg vitamin D, and 157 mg calcium.?

Unsweetened shelf-stable coconut milk for recipes with resealable lid ??

The ingredients are water and coconut.?

It contains 100 calories, 9 grams of fat, 8 grams saturated, with less than 1 gram of protein, 3 grams of carbs, and no added sugars. It offers no potassium, vitamin D, or calcium.

Unsweetened canned coconut milk for recipes?

The ingredients are coconut, water, and guar gum.???

It supplies 120 calories, 12 grams of fat, 11 grams saturated, with less than 1 gram of protein, 1 gram of carbs, and no added sugars. It offers 70 mg potassium and no vitamin D or calcium.??

Unsweetened refrigerated almond milk??

The ingredients are almond milk (filtered water, almonds), calcium carbonate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, sunflower and/or almond and/or canola oil, sea salt, gellan gum, ascorbic acid, and natural flavor.??

It contains 10 calories, 1 gram of fat, no saturated, with no protein or carbs. It offers 57 mg potassium, 1 mcg vitamin D, 157 mg calcium, and 3 mg magnesium.??

Unsweetened shelf-stable almond milk?

The ingredients are almond milk (filtered water, almonds), calcium carbonate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, sea salt, gellan gum, locust bean gum, sodium ascorbate, and natural flavor.??

It contains 10 calories, 1 gram of fat, no saturated, with no protein or carbs. It offers 60 mg potassium, 1 mcg vitamin D, and 150 mg calcium.??

Refrigerated protein almondmilk ??

The ingredients are almond milk (water, almonds), soy protein isolate, cane sugar, vitamin and mineral blend (calcium carbonate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, riboflavin, vitamin B12), calcium phosphate, sea salt, soy lecithin, gellan gum, sodium ascorbate, and natural flavor.??

It contains 27 calories, 1 gram of fat, no saturated, 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of carbs (1 gram added sugar). It contributes 40 mg of potassium, 1 mcg vitamin D, and 157 mg calcium.??

*Nutrition information is based on a 1/3 cup serving for all of the milk products.??

Which milk is good for osteoporosis????

Almond milk, like coconut milk, has some vitamin D, calcium, and potassium that can help protect your bones. However, other milks supply more bone-protecting nutrients, such as protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. ?

?Pea milk, soymilk, protein almondmilk, and dairy milk are better choices.???

What do coconut milk and almond milk taste like???

Grace and Stephanie sampled different coconut milks and almond milks available for purchase at typical grocery stores. They were excited about tasting them because they both enjoyed eating coconuts and almonds.???

The flavor of unsweetened refrigerated coconut milk??

Grace did not pick up any coconut aroma or flavor, but Stephanie did. Both noted a thin consistency with this milk.??

The flavor of unsweetened shelf-stable coconut milk for recipes?

Stephanie and Grace noted this product's mild coconut flavor and creamy texture. Grace tried it in her coffee for fun, but she didn’t notice any flavor or aroma. She didn’t care for it in her coffee; it was too thick.??

She shook the package as directed and it chug-a-lugged when pouring. This effect was greater after refrigeration as the product thickened considerably.??

The flavor of unsweetened canned coconut milk for recipes??

Grace detected a coconut flavor and appreciated the creaminess and smoothness more so than the one with the resealable lid. She also tried this in her coffee, and she did not enjoy it either because she didn’t care for the oily look it gave her coffee.??

Stephanie uses this product in curry recipes. She also commented on how smooth and creamy it was in tasting, more so than the shelf-stable pack. This may be due to the guar gum that is in this product and not the other.???

?She also tasted a slight coconut flavor, reminding her of evaporated, canned dairy milk.??

The flavor of unsweetened refrigerated almond milk ?

Stephanie detected a thin drink, slightly thicker than water, with a bland flavor. She tried it in her oatmeal, in place of water, and noticed a richer flavor with an added tasty dimension to her hot cereal.??

Grace did not pick up any flavor and noted the thin texture.??

The flavor of unsweetened shelf-stable almond milk??

Stephanie noticed a slightly more robust flavor than the refrigerated version. This could be the result of the additional processing required to keep it shelf-stable. Still, it was thin and bland.??

Grace picked up a pleasant flavor with a thin consistency.??

The flavor of refrigerated protein almondmilk?

Stephanie and Grace recognized this drink was thicker with a pleasant, sweet flavor that wasn’t overpowering. They both felt it was better than ordinary almond milk. They did not pick up any soy flavor even though that is the source of the added protein.??

Conclusion??

Coconut milk isn’t any better than almond milk for your bones. These plant milk beverages have some bone-protecting nutrients, including potassium, calcium, and vitamin D, but are low in protein.??

Their similar nutritional profiles and flavors can be substituted for each other.??

However, the newcomer to the milk aisle, protein almondmilk, contributes a rich protein source similar to that of soymilk and pea milk.???

?After tasting these products, we decided to stick with coconut and almonds instead of the milks for bone protection. Stephanie will, however, continue to add canned coconut milk for recipes to her curry sauce.??

Grace will continue to drink her soymilk, but should she desire almond milk, she will go with protein almondmilk for better bones.??

?For more bone-protecting nutritional guidance, check out our free course on 5 Staples for Quick Meals to Keep Your Bones Strong!????

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