Coconut Water for the Win?

A Bite-Size Read for Your Health & Waistline

Photo by Derek Story on Unsplash

You’re grocery shopping, checking items off your list but in the search for that one brand and flavor of sparkling water you notice another drink that’s taking over the shelves…coconut water. Not just one brand, but multiple brands of boxed and bottled, flavored and plain, organic and not, pressed, filtered, all the varieties one could imagine fill the shelves.

Coconut water has garnered a lot of attention and has grown in popularity over the past few years. As with every new, hit, wonder drink we’re left with questions of whether it’s healthful, which kind is best, how to tell the difference, etc. Well, here you go!

Natural coconut water is slightly sweet and has a subtle flavor. It’s more nutty than coconutty, and it’s found inside young, green coconuts. They are typically six to seven months old, and by the time a coconut is matured at 10 to 12 months the water inside the coconut turns into the white meat we see inside. You typically get about a ½ to 1 cup of coconut water from each young coconut.

In terms of nutrition, one cup of coconut water usually has about 60 calories, 15 grams of carbs, little to no fat, eight grams of sugar, as well as important vitamins and minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Minerals are critical for hydration plus proper…