Coconut Milk vs Almond Milk

While I am pretty sure coconut milk has been around for quite some time (tongue firmly in cheek), it seems that it just may be the the next big thing in your grocers refrigerator. Ironically, this is well-timed with my 8 year-old son, Sam’s, recent obsession with coconut. He wants it in his slushies at Sonic, he wants it in his ice cream and he was fascinated by the coconuts we found on the beaches in Kaua’i.

I had always thought coconut milk was high in fat and calories and something to be avoided like heavy cream. But now with so many people facing lactose intolerance issues, it looks like coconut milk is reformulated and has a new niche. It keeps popping up in Jillian Michaels interviews and posts as being “super good for you.” I have even seen comments that Starbucks is debating it as an alternative to soy. Lots of attention.

So, here is my nitty gritty comparison between my grocery store’s almond milk (Blue Diamond Almond Breeze) and coconut milk (So Delicious Coconut Milk):
1. Both taste only “okay” plain
2. Almond milk has a small taste advantage over coconut in the vanilla flavored versions
3. Calories are the same per serving (90 calories)
4. Coconut has twice the fat (5g) per serving and it is all saturated fat while Almond Milk has zero saturated fat
5. Almond is 10 times as high in sodium (6% daily value)
6. Almond is nearly double the carbohydrates (16g) and over double the sugars (15g)
7. Almond milk has 3 times the calcium (30% daily value)
8. Both are a good source of vitamin D

There are pros and cons to each and your personal diet requirements should help you decide. For me, I strive for low carbohydrates and low sodium, so the coconut is appealing. But five grams of saturated fat? And not a whole lot of calcium? Neither of these are “perfect” or will become a major staple in my diet.