Hun-Cal-CoYo...Wait What?!

So...I'm 6 years into this gluten and lactose free lifestyle.  I have tried a lot of different things, some good, some horrendous. However, when I stumble across something good, I like to share.

Lactose-free yogurt: I tried some different versions and they all tasted too much like rice, tofu or even worse: sour cream and sugar.  Plus they were def not hun-cal (a.k.a. one hundred calorie yogurt) Uh, no thank you.

Then I moved to Australia...
You see, Australia is the land of the free and the home for the crave-ing (ba dum tsss), for the lactose intolerant.  They have so many options for milk, cheese, cream cheese, cream, and the list goes on. These are things I've dreamt about for 5 years, and suddenly they made their way from the store, into my mouth. And let me tell you, it's easy to gain weight because of it, or so I'm told.

After a year of enjoying fruit from the forbidden tree, my husband and I decided it was time to cut back and take better care of our bodies.  This has been enormously difficult for me because, hello, cheese.

Back to the matter at hand: I was out shopping, as per usual, and I started to get hangry, also per usual. We were shopping along a roadside market, so unless I wanted to go in and order lunch at 10:30am, I needed a street vendor. There was a little smoothie shack which I figured would be perfect to tide me over until lunch.

When I approached the window, after waiting in a never-ending-line, I found out that the only vegan smoothies they had, were made with coconut yogurt. Ew! I was obviously irritated, but I had already waited in line all that time and I needed something.  I ordered the least disgusting thing I could find and you know what...it was amazing!

The texture was so creamy, unlike any vegan smoothie I'd ever had before!  I went back to ask what she used but they had closed the shack.  So, the next time I went to the store, I went straight to the dairy-free refrigerated section and looked at all the brands.  They were literally all $7 so I just guessed and bought Nakula Harvest Coconut Milk Yoghurt (I'm a sucker for good marketing and it's so pretty) and I have not been able to put it down.

It is so creamy and smooth and doesn't have any overbearing overtones of coconut or tang. It almost tastes like whipped cream, but heavier.  I've literally added it to everything: my shake in the morning, my snack time mango, and as my dessert (add passionfruit and you'll die happy).

Now, it tastes good, but remember the golden rule: what tastes good is never good for you.  Except, it actually is! Well, at least if you're active.  See, it has a lot of fat (11.9g/100g), that's how it gets its creamy texture. BUT...it's good fat. I swear.

This excerpt is from this article on livestrong.com:

Much of the saturated fat in coconut yogurt is in the form of medium-chain triglycerides, which can help control weight, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and boost immunity, according to a 2013 article in "Nutrition Review."

See? What'd I tell ya? Not today, 'Athero-whatever.'

On a carb front, it's quite low (9.7g/100g), as the average person should aim for carbs to make up 45-65% of their daily calorie intake (according to the Mayo Clinic).

The sugar count is low too, but whether it's naturally occurring is another story.  The back of the tub says that dextrose is added, but since that naturally occurs in coconut anyway, I'll take that as a win.  With a 3.9% sugar rate, I'm not going to split hairs.

I've tried a few brands that have lower carbs, lower saturated fat, etc. but none beats the Nakula in taste.  The suggested serve is 100g, but you'd be hard pressed to finish that in one sitting, given the amount of fat in it.  You feel quite full after about 3 spoonfuls, or 50g. 

I hope this convinces you to try CoYo (which if you haven't figured out yet means Coconut Yogurt), whether you get Nakula or not.  It's an Australian brand and it doesn't look like they serve the USA...yet! Either way, try the coconut yogurt!  

You're welcome in advance!