Hydrating, nutritious, and delicious, coconut water is a refreshing drink. Many use this drink to help replenish nutrients and hydration, especially after a workout. But is it okay for the keto diet?
Coconut water is not keto. The Ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. This strategy uses fat in place of carbohydrates from energy. Coconut water isn’t suitable for keto because it’s high in net carbs and low in fat. The best keto alternatives to coconut water include Equinox Harvest Birch Water and DRINKMAPLE Organic Maple Syrup.
In this article, we will discuss the keto diet, nutritional value of coconut water, and some other keto alternatives. Let’s dig in!
Contents
The Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is a nutrition plan that causes your body to go into a state where the body uses fat as a primary fuel source rather than carbohydrates) This state is called ketosis. To get to ketosis, dieters must eat a very low amount of carbohydrates, a small amount of protein and about 80% of their diet will be from fat.
Many people follow the ketogenic diet as research shows it may have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease as well as promote weight loss. Keto dieters try to keep their carb counts between 20 and 50 grams per day. Therefore, low-carb food options that have low carbohydrate and net carbohydrate count are preferred.
Keep in mind that this diet can be hard to sustain as even the smallest amount of carbohydrates more than your daily average can kick you out of ketosis. Also, studies show this diet may not be beneficial for long term weight loss maintenance.
What is Coconut Water
Coconut water is the clear juice found inside young green coconuts. It is also known as the liquid endosperm inside of coconuts. It hardens as coconuts age, which is why it is usually produced from younger fruits. Coconut water has a sweet, nutty, and sometimes even salty flavor. It is a popular drink in many countries, including Costa Rica, India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cote d’Ivoire, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, northern Peru, Caribbean islands, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Mexico. It is often served fresh and cold, sometimes even from the original coconut. Interestingly, coconut water was used to give emergency plasma transfusions during World War II (source).
How is Coconut Water Made?
Coconut water is produced from fresh coconuts that are harvested from trees while they are still young and green. Then, a hole is bored into the coconut to provide access to the inside which contains both pulp and liquid. The liquid is then simply poured out and bottled. Sometimes, additives such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are used to preserve freshness.
Coconut Water Concentrate
Coconut water beverages that are made with coconut water concentrate are different than those that are 100% pure coconut water due to their water content. When a drink is made from concentrate, it is diluted with water. This will reduce the number of nutrients in the drink, including the number of carbohydrates per serving. The drinks listed above that are made from concentrate are suitable for the keto diet, but keep in mind the number of beneficial micronutrients will also be reduced.
Health Benefits of Coconut Water
While coconut water will not fit into the keto diet, it is still a healthy drink that offers many health benefits. It is high in good nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It also offers antioxidants, which can support healthy immune function and reduce inflammation.
Coconut Water vs. Coconut Milk
Many may assume coconut water and coconut milk are very similar, but that is far from the truth. Although they come from the same fruit, they are very different in texture, flavor, function, and nutrient composition.
As explained above, coconut water is naturally extracted from coconuts. Meanwhile, coconut milk is a coconut a processed coconut byproduct. It comes from the meat of mature coconuts that is grated, boiled in water, and strained. Depending on the amount of water, coconut milk can be thick or thin, but overall has a thicker texture and more robust flavor.
Coconut milk is also more nutrient-dense than coconut water, averaging at about 552 calories in a 1 cup serving.
Nutritional Content of Coconut Water
Coconut water can be purchased in its natural, unsweetened form as well as sweetened, flavored, or sparkling forms which can affect its suitability for the keto diet. In this section, we’ll go over each of these varieties and their nutritional content. We’ll talk more about what makes coconut water not suitable for keto, describe its benefits, explain the difference between coconut water and coconut milk, and discuss some alternatives that you can use to substitute coconut water.
ZICO Natural 100% Coconut Water
Ingredients:
- Coconut water
Nutritional Information:
In a 1 cup serving of Zico Natural 100% Coconut Water, there is:
- Calories: 45
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 65 g
- Carbs: 11 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water
Ingredients:
- Organic coconut water
Nutritional Information:
In a 1 cup serving of Harmless Harvest organic coconut water, there is:
- Calories: 60
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 36 g
- Carbs: 15 g
- Sugar: 13 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Vita Coco Coconut Water, Pure
Ingredients:
- Coconut water
- Sugar
- Vitamin C
Nutritional Information:
In a 1 cup serving of Vita Coco coconut water, pure, there is:
- Calories: 45
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 35 g
- Carbs: 11 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Vita Coco Coconut Water, Peach & Mango
Ingredients:
- Coconut water
- Mango puree
- Peach puree
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Nutritional Information:
In a 1 cup serving of Vita Coco Coconut Water, Peach & Mango, there is:
- Calories: 60
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 40 g
- Carbs: 15 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Creative Roots Orange Pineapple Flavored Kids Coconut Water
Ingredients:
- Water
- Coconut water concentrate
- Citric acid
- Stevia leaf extract
- Natural flavor
- Rosemary extract
Nutritional Information:
In an 8.5 oz serving of Creative Roots Orange Pineapple Flavored Kids Coconut Water, there is:
- Calories: 15
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 35 g
- Carbs: 3 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Vita Coco Sparkling Water, Pineapple Passionfruit
Ingredients:
- Water
- Water concentrate
- Citric acid
- Stevia leaf extract
- Natural flavor
- Rosemary extract
Nutritional Information:
In a 12 oz serving of Vita Coco Sparkling Water, Pineapple Passionfruit, there is:
- Calories: 25
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 85 g
- Carbs: 5 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Review of Coconut Water Nutrition
The above nutrition information shows that there are differences between different brands and forms of coconut water. Key features of keto foods include being high in fat and low in carbs. Therefore, standard coconut water, unsweetened or sweetened are not suitable for the kept diet due to its high sugar and low-fat content. Keep in mind, carbohydrate content is affected by fiber and concentration, as you’ll see with the last two brands above.
Alternatives to Coconut Water
Equinox Harvest Birch Water
Birch water comes from the sap in birch trees. Traditionally found in Chinese and Northern European countries, this sweet water is a good, low carbohydrate substitute for coconut water. Because of its low carbohydrate content, it is suitable for the keto diet. It also potentially packs in some other health benefits from its high manganese and vitamin C content.
Ingredients:
Nutritional Information:
- Birch tree water
In a 1 cup serving of Equinox Harvest Birch Water, there is:
- Calories: 8
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 0.5 g
- Carbs: 2 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
DRINKMAPLE Organic Maple Water
Similar to birch water, maple water is also the sap extracted from trees. Maple water is rich in a variety of healthy vitamins and minerals. It also contains a low to moderate amount of carbs, and are much lower in carbohydrates than coconut water. It is suitable for the keto diet as well as most other diets.
Ingredients:
- Organic maple water
Nutritional Information:
In a 1 cup serving of DRINKMAPLE Organic Maple Water, there is:
- Calories: 25
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
- Sodium: 0 g
- Carbs: 6 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Conclusion
All up, coconut water is a moderate to high carbohydrate, low-fat food that is not a good choice for the keto diet. Drinking coconut water is likely to set keto-dieters over daily carbohydrate goals. However, coconut water beverages that are made with condensed coconut water can sometimes suit the keto diet, so make sure to check the label and ingredients. Keep in mind that coconut water and coconut milk are not the same things, and coconut milk is more nutrient-dense than coconut milk. You can substitute coconut water with keto-friendly drinks such as birch water or maple water.
Related Questions
Is coconut water sugar-free?
Yes, natural coconut water does not contain any added sugar. It does contain natural sugar in the form of fructose that is found in all fruits, though.
Is coconut water vegan?
Yes, coconut water is completely vegan and animal-friendly.
Is coconut water high in fat?
No, coconut water is not high in fat. It is often assumed that every part of the coconut is high in fat because it is a high fat fruit, however, coconut water is just the liquid inside of the nut, therefore it contains very little to no fat.