Product review: CO YO (coconut milk yoghurt)
There was a guy called “El tío Johnny” (uncle Johnny) who had a TV show back home when I was a little girl. Towards the end of every episode he drank a tall glass of milk bottoms-up. I always loved milk so it’s not like I needed the encouragement but I’m sure he helped lots of parents to get their children to drink milk.
Fast forward a couple of decades, when gastritis came to my life. Dairy became an issue but I didn’t want to quit, so I started using lactose-free dairy products, as suggested by one of the multiple doctors I saw. I learned how most people stop producing lactase, the enzyme that deals with lactose, as they grow up, and I heard all sorts of arguments supporting milk consumption (it’s the most nutritious food, helps lose fat) and against it (we’re not supposed to drink the stuff because we’re not calves). It was all very confusing to say the least and I wasn’t ready to stop consuming it.
Over time I’ve found that my body can tolerate better goat’s milk products (particularly the yummy stuff sold at the Eveleigh Markets), followed by organic cow’s milk products. But tolerate is not good enough, is it? I had my dark period of drinking soy milk (the processed stuff full of nasty ingredients and the homemade from ground beans), oat milk, rice milk, quinoa milk, you name it. The best non-dairy substitute for me was homemade almond milk, but it meant more work than just opening a tetrapak.
I’ve been experimenting a bit with coconut milk, I’ve had it with coffee and Paleo granola, we’ve used it with berries to make ice cream at home, and all has been good, but somehow I didn’t think about yoghurt until I saw CO YO at Dr Earth.
CO YO Coconut Milk Yoghurt is dairy free, sugar-free, gluten-free, lactose free and soy free. It comes in mango, mixed berry (blueberry & blackberry), passionfruit and natural flavours. It’s made from organic coconut milk, starch (tapioca and pectin 440), Xylitol (sweetener) and a bunch of cultures. Not ideal but not that bad, much better than regular “candy” yoghurt.
Alvaro and I tried the natural flavour, first on its own and then with Paleo People granola. It was awesome both ways. Great taste, great consistency, heavenly creaminess. It was very satiating too.
I don’t eat yoghurt regularly anymore but I’ll definitely buy it again whenever I find myself craving a creamy treat.
Here’s the nutritional information for the natural yoghurt (comes in 250g and 400g tubes):
| per 100g | |
| Energy | 691kj |
| Protein | 1.5g |
| Fat, total | 12.9 |
| Fat, saturated | 12.9 |
| Carbohydrates, total | 4.5g |
| Carbohydrates, sugar | 0g |
| Sodium | 5g |
There’s also CO YO ice cream, which comes in natural and chocolate flavours. Unfortunately it’s not a very healthy choice because it contains milk protein, dextrose monohydrate and sucrose. Here’s the nutritional information for the natural ice cream:
| per 100g | |
| Energy | 1210kj |
| Protein | 2.4g |
| Fat, total | 24.6 |
| Fat, saturated | 21.8 |
| Carbohydrates, total | 12.6g |
| Carbohydrates, sugar | 12.3g |
| Sodium | 7g |
Coyo
coyo.com.au
If you need nutrition advice, click here to check out our range of available services.
21 Comments
Herbarium
Wow, coconut yogurt sounds interesting! I am going to have to find some to try.
Henry
Hi yes high in saturated fat but all medium chain fatty acids. Good research tool on the health benefits of coconut is http://www.coconutresearchcentre.org
lateraleating
Coconuts are amazing!
Miss Glutton
I hope you’re aware of the fat content (particularly saturated fat) of coconut milk.
lateraleating
Of course I am. And I know enough about nutrition to not be concerned about it.
Chloe
hi, love your blog, long time reader – i’m paleo too! 🙂 could you post the nutritional value of the yogurt and ice cream please? it’s not on the website and i prob won’t get to thomas dux in the next few days… thanks so much xxx
lateraleating
Hi Chloe, thanks for your comment, great to see the Paleo community growing! 🙂
Unfortunately I got rid of the container, but will post the info if/when I buy some more.
Chloe
thanks so much! i’ll comment back here with the details if i get some before you have a chance. thanks again for such a great blog – it is fantastic to follow a fellow paleo foodie xxx
lateraleating
Hey Chloe, I just updated the post with the nutritional info. Yoghurt is fine, as for the ice cream I’d rather make my own.
JasmyneTea
That’s really interesting! Glad to see more products out there for people with intolerances or on alternative diets 🙂
lateraleating
Yeah, it’s great to know there are options for everyone. It’s just a matter of scanning the shops aisles once in a while.
sugarpuffi
wow that looks like some thick, thick, yummy yoghurt!
betty
id love to try this – love the coconut water so i can only assume i’d love this yogurt as well
Henry
Just a quick point CO YO Coconut Milk Ice Cream does not have any dairy protein in it now it is Dairy Free Henry
lateraleating
I saw the list of ingredients in one tub at Doctor Earth. Maybe it’s an old one and the new ones don’t have milk protein anymore?
Henry
No sugar, only agave and coconut nectar
lateraleating
Well, apparently the tubs in the shelves have an old formula (dextrose monohydrate and sucrose). BTW, both of them, as well as agave and coconut nectar are sugar.
Whatallergy.com
I love this yogurt and their ice cream. Has anyone tried the ice cream? I can’t seem to find it anymore. It does freeze up almost solid in the freezer so you have to take it out ages before you need it but it’s delicious. Especially the raw chocolate flavour.
lateraleating
I haven’t tried the ice cream, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it. The fact that it freezes tells you they use no or less additives, which is good 🙂
Susannah
Eeek I’ve been eating the ice-cream thinking it’s a low(isn) sugar treat…didn’t realise until I read your post about the cultures…I might think twice before eating a whole tub haha!
lateraleating
Mmm… there’s no cultures in the ice cream, but in the yoghurt. You need bacteria to make yoghurt.