Coconut Milk Vs. Almond Milk: What’s Better?

Last Updated: November 17, 2021

If you want an alternative to cow milk that is both delicious and nutritious, you should try coconut milk or almond milk.

These are sweet-tasting plant-based milk alternatives, which are also available in unsweetened form.

If you’ve recently turned vegan and are still exploring the vegan options, you might not know which is better in terms of taste, nutrition, ecology, and muscle gain.

Let me walk you through everything you need to know about coconut milk and almond milk, their advantages and disadvantages,ecological concerns, and the ideal option for muscle gain.

This will help you pick the one you’d prefer to have, whether in a protein shake, a smoothie, in your cereal, or coffee! One thing is for sure: it’s hard to pick one since they’re both so delicious!

Table of Contents

Coconut Milk

Advantages

Coconut milk is the liquid that comes out from the grated flesh of the brown coconut fruit. It has a sweet and creamy flavor, which is why it works great in desserts and snacks. You could drink it, add it to a beverage, or even cook with it.

It has many nutritional advantages, as it’s lactose-free, packed with vitamins, minerals and is high in fats and calories, which is great if you’re trying to put on some weight or for muscle gain.

Coconut milk is also a great source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), it increases your metabolism and reduces body fat, which is great to know if you’re into bodybuilding.

It is one of the best options for vegans, lactose-intolerant, or people following a dairy-free regime.

Disadvantages

The main property for coconut milk is that it is high in fat and calories. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, so it really depends on what you’re looking for.

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s better to drink almond milk rather than coconut milk. However, if you’re someone who is trying to bulk up and lose body fat, coconut milk is your best friend. Just remember that it won’t have as much calcium as almond milk.

It goes without saying that if you are allergic to coconut, don’t drink coconut milk as the side effects will be very unpleasant.

One last thing that you should know is that coconut milk can turn rancid quicker than almond milk due to the high oil content.

Almond Milk

Advantages

Almond milk has a nutty and sweet flavor, it works great in desserts, snacks, for cooking, for adding in a beverage or just for drinking.

The milk comes from soaking almonds in water and then grinding them.

If you’re trying to watch your weight or lose weight, it’s an ideal plant-based milk alternative, as it’s low in calories and fat.

Like any other plant-based milk it is also lactose-free and dairy-free.

So if you’re vegan and lactose intolerant, it will be the perfect choice of milk for you.

Almond milk also has higher calcium, potassium and sodium levels as compared to coconut milk.

Disadvantages

If you are allergic to nuts then almond milk is not for you. It could lead to swelling, diarrhea, vomiting, hives, and congested airways.

Another thing to note is that almond milk does not have as many vitamins and minerals as almond milk and is nutritionally less interesting than coconut milk.

You might also want to know that almond milk is not the best thing for the environment, as it necessitates lots of water.

Why should you prefer coconut milk over almond milk?

Choose coconut milk over almond milk if you want a plant-based milk alternative that is higher in fat and has more calories.

If you want to bulk up, are allergic to nuts or want a more creamy flavor you should go for coconut milk.

What’s more ecologically friendly?

Coconut milk is more ecologically friendly as compared to almond milk.

Almond milk requires more water use, so it has more impact on the environment. The same goes for oat or soy milk. The Almond Board of California estimated that you need 3.2 gallons of water to produce one California almond, which is a huge amount of water.
Over 80% of almonds are produced in California, which has had many droughts in the past few years.

We suggest choosing coconut milk instead of almond milk in order to make choices that are more friendly for the environment.

What’s better for muscle gain?

Coconut milk is better for muscle gain as it’s higher in fat and has more calories than almond milk. It has more benefits because of its high MCTs content, which increases your metabolism and reduces body fat.

If you want to gain muscles and lose body fat, coconut milk is perfect for you. You could add it to a protein shake or smoothie, for example, and drink it after a workout, so your muscles regenerate quicker and augment your muscle gain.

What’s Better, Coconut Milk Or Almond Milk?

It always depends on personal taste and preferences but if you ask me, coconut milk is my choice simply because it is creamier and is more nutritious overall as compared to almond milk. It is definitely the right choice if you are looking for something that helps gain muscle weight. Coconut milk is also the choice if you are looking for something that does not have a huge impact on the environment.

The clear winner for me is coconut milk, but you should try each of these two milks yourself and see what you prefer!

About the author

Jason Hughes

"Hey there, I'm Jason, and you've just landed on the most exhilarating spot on the web - my VL universe! Here's the deal: I'm wildly obsessed (in the best way possible!) with all things diet, strength training, fitness, health, and wellness. It's not just a passion; it's a lifestyle!

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