Coconut Milk Nutritional Value
Coconut milk, which is an indispensable ingredient of the tropical cuisine, is also rich in nutrients. Scroll down for more details on coconut milk nutritional value.
Coconut trees are abundant in tropics, but, are also seen in other parts of the world. Almost every part of the coconut tree has been used by humans for various purposes. The same applies to the seed of the tree – coconuts, which are indispensable in many tropical cuisines of the world, like the Thai and Malaysian cuisine. Coconut meat, milk and water are used for culinary purposes. Coconut milk is often confused with coconut water. While the latter is the liquid inside the coconut, the former is extracted from coconut meat (endosperm). Grated coconut meat or dessicated coconut is squeezed to extract thick coconut milk. This squeezed coconut meat is soaked in warm water and squeezed again to make thin coconut milk. While, both are used in many dishes, thick coconut milk is often used in desserts, sauces, etc. and thin milk is used to prepare soups and other dishes. Read more on coconut milk recipes.
Nutritional Value of Coconut Milk
While speaking of coconut milk, you should not compare it with the regular milk, like that from cow, goat, soy milk etc. The latter category deals with those types of milk, which are consumed regularly. However, the uses of coconut milk is different from that of regular milk as, it is a completely different product. Coconut milk is high in calories and so, it has to be consumed in moderation. In some places, fresh coconut milk is available in the market. If there is no fresh form available, even frozen or canned ones can be used. Apart from sizzling your taste buds, coconut milk is also very rich in nutrients. Let us take a look at the nutritional value of coconut milk, in its various forms – fresh/raw, canned and frozen. The following tables show the coconut milk nutritional value of 100 grams of various types of coconut milk.
Fresh Coconut Milk Nutritional Value 100 grams of fresh coconut milk (extracted with water) contains almost 230 calories of energy, 2.3 grams of proteins
, 23.8 grams of fat, 5.5 grams of carbohydrates, 2.3 grams of dietary fiber and 3.35 grams of sugar. The following table shows the vitamin and mineral content in 100 grams of fresh coconut milk.
Vitamins
Value of Vitamins
Minerals
Value of Minerals
Vitamin C
2.8 mg
Potassium
260 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
0.76 mg
Phosphorous
100 mg
Folate (total)
16 mcg
Magnesium
37 mg
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
0.183 mg
Calcium
16 mg
Vitamin B6
0.033 mg
Sodium
15 mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
0.026 mg
Selenium
6.2 mcg
Vitamin E
0.15 mg
Iron 1.64 mg The following is the amount of vitamins and minerals in fresh coconut milk extracted without using water, which is otherwise called coconut cream. It contains 330 calories of energy, 3.63 grams of proteins, 35 grams of fat, 2.2 grams of dietary fiber and 6.65 grams of carbohydrates. You can get the vitamin and mineral content from the following table.
Vitamins
Value of Vitamins
Minerals
Value of Minerals
Vitamin C
2.8 mg
Potassium
325 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
0.890 mg
Phosphorous
122 mg
Folate (total)
23 mcg
Magnesium
28 mg
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
0.261 mg
Calcium
11 mg
Vitamin B6
0.047 mg
Sodium
4 mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
0.03 mg
Zinc
0.96 mg
Vitamin E
0 mg
Iron
2.28 mg Canned Coconut Milk Nutritional Value 100 grams of canned coconut milk (extracted by adding water) has around 200 calories, 21.33 grams of fat, 2.03 grams of proteins and 2.81 grams of carbohydrates. The vitamin and mineral content are as follows.
Vitamins
Value of Vitamins
Minerals
Value of Minerals
Vitamin C
1 mg
Potassium
220 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
0.637 mg
Phosphorous
96 mg
Folate (total)
14 mcg
Magnesium
46 mg
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
0.153 mg
Calcium
18 mg
Vitamin B6
0.028 mg
Sodium
13 mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
0.022 mg
Zinc
0.56 mg
Vitamin E
0 mg
Iron 3.4 mg Now, we shall take a look at the nutritional value of 100 grams of canned coconut cream, i.e., coconut milk extracted without using water. The total energy offered by 100 grams of this product is 192 calories. It contains 2.7 grams of proteins, 17.8 grams of fats, 2.3 grams of dietary fiber, 6 grams of sugars and 8.35 grams of carbohydrates. The amount of vitamins and minerals in canned coconut cream is as follows.
Vitamins
Value of Vitamins
Minerals
Value of Minerals
Vitamin C
1.8 mg
Potassium
100 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
0.038 mg
Phosphorous
22 mg
Folate (total)
14 mcg
Magnesium
17 mg
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
0.163 mg
Calcium
1 mg
Vitamin B6
0.029 mg
Sodium
50 mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
0.022 mg
Selenium
5.5 mcg
Vitamin E 0.13 mg Iron 0.51 mg Now, you know the coconut milk nutritional value of canned and fresh forms. Frozen coconut milk contains around 199 calories of energy, 20 grams of fats, 2.1 grams of proteins, 12.3 milligrams of sodium, high in magnesium, phosphorous and folate content and has fair amounts of vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, thiamine, iron and zinc. As coconut milk is very rich in nutrients, it offers many health benefits too. Health benefits of coconut milk is based on its anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties. It contains lauric acid, which is good for brain development and bone health. Coconut milk is also used to promote skin health and helps in combating skin problems.
