Vegan probiotic coconut yogurt is taking center stage, with cult-favorite Coconut Cult at the helm. But the brand isn’t the only player in the game.

The probiotic coconut yogurt hysteria is hard to resist. We’ve all come to terms with vegan yogurt – there are plenty of varieties on grocery store shelves – but now a more appealing element is part of the mix: probiotics. Technically, probiotic-enhanced yogurt is well, the very definition of yogurt, but in these new probiotic coconut yogurt concoctions, producers are putting in a heap of beneficial bacteria, ultimately changing the flavor profile of the yogurt itself. The result is a lightly sour, tangy vegan yogurt that not only delights the taste buds but also works wonders on the digestive system (in other words: you’ll notice). It’s a fad with staying power.

Coconut Cult has been particularly successful this past year, doubling and even tripling, its sales from one month to the next. The company’s Probiotic Coconut Yogurt comes in three flavors: original, coconut cream, and mango cream. Each blend is based in coconut meat and 19 different human strain probiotics.

I have been seeing Coconut Cult jars (literally exploding) all over my favorite health blogger’s Instastories, so when I first saw its jars in stores in NYC for the first time (Dean & Deluca, in my case), I jumped with joy. I fell hard for the hype and wanted a taste. But just as the cashier rang up the glass jar full of promised bowel regularity, she looked at me with a surprised statement-turned-question, “27 dollars?” I politely bowed out of the establishment, my Coconut Cult yogurt dream left unfulfilled and disheartened by the price tag. Is it really worth that much?

Later, when researching more into the product, I realized that I went about it all wrong. Coconut Cult yogurts aren’t to be treated so passively, like a one-time snack that I finish in one sitting. Instead, they should be treated like supplements, of which I consume only two tablespoons at a time. That stretches the painfully-spent $27 across some 16 servings. What do I get in return? Oh, you know, just the casual 50 billion probiotics per serving. It’s a luxury purchase, but at least I can get more life out of it than I initially thought. And, if I treat it like a, well, treat, then I make the purchase only when I’m feeling especially “off” in terms of my regularity.

But that didn’t stop me from looking for Coconut Cult alternatives. I quickly learned that the company isn’t the only brand keeping toilets busy across the nation. The following three probiotic coconut yogurt companies are also making delicious, conscious products that are worth the buck.

3 (More) Probiotic Coconut Yogurt Brands

1. New Earth Superfoods

New Earth Superfoods’ Super Probiotic Coconut Yogurt is non-dairy “living” kefir culture yogurt that offers 200 billion probiotics in every eight ounces. The company is proud to not use any pill and powder probiotics, which it says are largely killed off by stomach acids and don’t survive storage. Prices range from $10 for eight ounces to $28 for 32 ounces. New Earth Superfoods probiotic coconut yogurt is available at select storefronts in California but can be ordered online and shipped to anywhere in the U.S.

2. Coco Rico

Coco Rico coconut yogurts are made from coconuts harvested from the Philippine jungle. The so-called “French Style Coconut Yogurt” is infused with certified vegan probiotics and come in a variety of flavors, including young coconut, vanilla bean, lime, and lemon. A 15.5-ounce jar of Coco Rico hovers just above $20.

3. CocoYo

GTS Living Foods’ CocoYo Living Coconut Yogurt is infused with billions of probiotics, or 25 billion CFUs per one-half cup at the time of bottling. The great thing about CocoYo for me is that they can be purchased for under $10. I found a jar of CocoYo yogurt for just $7. In the realm of regular yogurt, even that is expensive, but relative to other probiotic coconut yogurts on this list, it sure is a steal! The price point has a reason: its probiotics profile isn’t as impressive as that of the other brands. But like the other brands, the ingredients list is super simple: coconut meat, coconut water, and probiotics.

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Read on to discover why you should be more discerning about your yogurt choices and learn how to make your very own vegan yogurt in the comfort of your home.

Yogurt is widely considered a health food and a tool in facilitating weight loss. However, if we are being thoughtful about the yogurt we nab off grocery store shelves, we’d learn that yogurt, Greek-style yogurt included, is often over processed and full of preservatives, colorants, and other chemicals that do more harm than good.

Conventional milk used to make yogurt is hurting your health. First there’s the calcium myth, an invention of the food industry, that has led you to believe that strong bones are a direct result of milk consumption. Sure, in the short-term bones do get stronger; however, long term effects aren’t so peachy. Read: osteoporosis. In a Harvard-conducted study over 12 years, participants who drank milk three-times per day broke more bones than those who rarely drank milk. Dairy milk increases bone density, but it increases the risk of osteoporosis by eroding bone-making cells.

Meanwhile, there is all this talk about probiotics. Now, healthy bacteria is a natural byproduct of raw milk. Raw yogurt, however, is not something you can find in your regular grocery store, so the yogurt you are most likely eating has been pasteurized and processed to the point where any natural probiotics have been eradicated. So yogurt’s nutritional profile is lost through pasteurization.

And then there are reports of GMOs in yogurt, and GMOs, as we know, are detrimental to your health in more ways than one.

So, instead of eating yogurt that, after being homogenized, pasteurized and processed is virtually devoid of natural nutrition, make your own vegan yogurt instead.

Homemade Vegan Yogurt

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 3 cups spring or distilled water
• Dash of salt
• 1 probiotic capsule
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Directions

Soak almonds and seeds in water overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the almonds and seeds and place them into a blender along with the water and salt. Blend until broken down and smooth. Use a cheese cloth to separate the fibers from the liquid, reserving the liquid in a bowl. Open the probiotic capsule and stir the powder into the nut “milk” with a wooden or plastic spoon (not metal).

Cover the bowl with a cloth and place in a dark, warm area in the house. Let it sit for at least 24 hours. When you remove the cloth, give the mixture a stir and taste it. You want it to be sour. If it isn’t sour yet, let it sit longer. Once ready, stir in chia seeds and continue to stir until they grow in size. Let them assimilate for 30 minutes, stir, and then transfer to the fridge to cool and thicken more.

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Image: floridecires

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