Given that high cholesterol runs in my family, I’ve stayed away from coconuts for most of my life (if I’m gonna indulge in some high cholesterol eats – ice-cream and cheese, please!), but it’s impossible to ignore the coconut water craze going on right now. A few months ago I watched a special on CNBC on Coca-Cola and even they banked on coconut water by buying a stake in Zico. Turns out, much to my surprise, that coconut water – unlike coconut milk – is low in calorie (about 45 per serving compared to over 500 for coconut milk), and has no cholesterol! There are a ton to choose from, but I like to avoid anything Coca-Cola supports (must they BUY EVERYTHING!?), so I opted to try Vita Coco because it not only comes in a bunch of flavors (100% Pure, Pineapple, Peach & Mango, Tangerine, Passion Fruit, and Açai & Pomegranate), but Madonna and Demi Moore both invested in the company – and you know they watch what goes into their bodies! Jump for more!
The water comes from green coconuts which are known for their health benefits and aside from being
cholesterol-free, each serving has 15 times more potassium than a
traditional sports drink (about 600 milligrams). I like the original
the best because it has a light almond-like flavor, but even the
fruit-flavored ones are light (think “water consistency”), so they go
down easy making them a great alternative for people who don’t like the
taste of sports drinks or for those who feel a little ill if they drink
water while working-out. I drink 5 to 6 bottles of water a day and have
started switching one for coconut water most days to get potassium and some beverage variety! The only thing stopping me from drinking more is that
while it’s low in sugar, it’s still not sugar-free like water.
Do you drink coconut water? I give it a big yay…surprisingly delicious (and nutritious!).
I love coconut water! I am a big runner and have permanently replaced coconut water as my main hydrating beverage. I also drink for when I am hungover or before a nith of big drinking I (like NYE).
I love coconut water is well! I never knew celebrities had invested in Vita Coco and Coca Cola had purchased a stake in Zico.
Also another benefit of coconut water is that is rich with electrolytes and actually a great replacement for those who do not like sports drinks.
Yay!
I am lucky to be drinking Dr. Martin’s coco drink, the ONLY unpasteurised coconut water on the market.
Vita Coco is cooked, but still has some benefits.
I’ve also heard it’s a great hangover cure! I just love the clean, refreshing flavor…drinking some right now from So Delicious, another very good option:)
Yea… Coconut water is often advised by doctors in tropical countries during the summer. Coming from India, I miss the option of cutting open a fresh green coconut and sipping directly from it.
By the way, if you are concerned about cholesterol, you might want to know that no plant foods have cholesterol. They might have saturated fats which your body would convert into cholesterol, but cholesterol is essentially made by animal bodies – their livers to be precise – so a pure vegan diet has absolutely no cholesterol in it.
Dairy products do have cholesterol since they are not plant foods.
I tried Zico; it was OK.
My hairdresser buys coconuts and cracks them open herself, but she is more experienced with blades than I.
Some of our farmers’ markets have vendors who open fresh coconuts and serve the water and meat. This is MUCH better. When I see this vendor, I make sure to buy a cup.
Hi Soos!
Where do you live? Always looking for good farmer’s markets! We don’t have too many options in NYC, but every time I’m in San Fran, Farmer’s Market shopping is one of my fave things to do.
Thank you for that interesting tidbit! For some reason I was always told by my DR that coconuts were one of the things I should try and stay away from because of my high cholesterol levels, but I should be doing much better now that I’m eating mostly raw (except …you know…at the holidays where I eat 1000000000 calories worth of my mom’s delicious cooking! My waistline is not loving me right now..)
Hmmmm, this looks a bit interesting. 🙂 I think I’ve been drinking coconut juice/buko juice (which we called here in the Philippines) since i’m a child or like 5 yrs. old below. It really taste delicious! so i would say Yay! and I would like to try this vita coco, too. 😀
Love, love, love coconut water. I agree with Soos and purchase the young coconuts myself to drink. That way you get the added treat of eating the fresh coconut as well.
Sharon – you should be able to find young coconuts at any Whole Foods in the city. But be sure to have a sharp cleaver (and some straws!) on hand to hack off the top of it. 🙂
Thanks! I’ve seen them at Whole Foods, but I can’t even imagine cutting one of those babies open…perhaps I can get the bf involved in the process! Maybe in the summer they’ll have some at the farmer’s market that they can crack open for you..so glad everyone loves coconut water so much!
Sharon I live in Honolulu, where there are more coconut trees than farmer’s markets. The coconut water people are regularly at 2 or 3 of them, and of the 2 or 3 I go to, I might see them at one of them. I may just have to pick up some knife skills…