I avoid all coconut products: coconuts, coconut meat, coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut yogurt, coconut oil and even coconut water and coconut sugar!

Coconut meat & derivatives: Coconuts, coconut meat, coconut flour, shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut yogurt and coconut oil are packed with saturated fats. Whole Food Plant-Based luminaries like McDougall, Esselstyn, Ornish and Barnard recommend avoiding all these products due to their high saturated fat content. For details, we may browse through Saturated Fats in Coconuts.

Coconut water: I used to consume coconut water during hikes, and sometimes at home. Through Dr Greger's videos on exercise and electrolytes, I learnt that plain water is sufficient for exercise related rehydration. Later, I learnt that Dr Esselstyn recommends staying away from coconut water because it has 8% saturated fats by calorie — not a large source of saturated fats but Dr Esselstyn is strict with total saturated fat intake! For details, we may browse through Coconut Water.

Coconut sugar: Sap collected from the flower buds of coconut palms is heated to evaporate its water content, leaving behind a crystallized sugar. Such sugars are considered Added Sugars. For details, we may browse through Coconut Sugar | Coconut Palm Sugar.

Low Fat Guideline: I strive to follow a LOW FAT diet with target fat percentage approximately 10%. With that goal in mind, I prefer to consume flax & chia which have an excellent Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio.

Coconuts are a cherished food for many of us! But coconuts are discouraged by WFPB luminaries! What to do?

• "I am a Mangalorean so traditionally we use a lot of coconut in our cooking...1 way of reducing the quantity of coconut consumption in the cooking is by grinding Silken tofu with maybe 1 tbsp or 2 of coconut blend it and u will get the desired coconut flavor and consistency that u need for ur south indian gravy dishes" — Sharmila Vedam [PCRM Food For Life Coach]
• "I grind a tiny amount of coconut (for flavor) with roasted daliya [taste and texture is same as coconut based gravy. I tried to omit out coconut entirely by adding coconut flavor/essence. But no matter which essence I buy, the only flavor I get is that of Kopra (dry coconut)." — Padma
• "A surprising substitute I stumbled upon recently. Fig leaves have a hint of coconut in their flavor. More young coconut flavor than mature coconut. I used it to wrap food I was steaming as I’d run out but I have a small fig tree in the garden. I used it in a dessert." — Uma
• "Celery (plus hemp or cashews) is a great substitute for coconut. I use it all the time in koottu, chutneys, and pachadis (various sauce like dishes in s.Indian cuisine). Will try out sambar and share if it turns out good. For sambar, coconut is not necessary if fresh masala is made, so have not tried celery there as yet." — Ambika
• "For south indian ‘morekuzhambu’ soaked raw peanuts also work. I add roasted methi seeds while blending which usually masks the flavor of coconut substitutes i use. I would slowly reduce the coconut and substitute with alternate stuff until you strike the right taste for you." — Ambika
• "I have found that just a few cashews make a good substitute for coconut. I usually do about 1-2 cashews per cup of vegetables. It’s great for Thai curries as well as a kurma. Or a traditional South Indian biryani with coconut." — Uma
• Two posts in this Whole Food Plant-Based support group on Facebook discuss coconut substitutes:
  1. "Most of the recipes from Mangalore contain coconut. I have reduced the amount of coconut but I still feel I need it in traditional foods. Has anyone found a good substitute for coconut in gravies?" (Post 1 in Plant Based Desi (Facebook))
  2. "Made mallu “stew” for idlis tonite. A hack for coconut milk - used almond milk and added few drops of coconut extract." (Post 2 in Plant Based Desi (Facebook))