opening vita coco kids drinks pack
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Coco-nuts about Vita Coco Kids

*Ad – gifted for review

I used to think that I’d only ever give my child water or milk. Milk was going well until we moved to lactose free, and now N won’t drink ‘milk’ at home. He’ll have it on cereals sporadically (grr to the massive cartons while get opened and then only a little bit used before it goes off). At nursery he will drink whatever milk substitute is given – but won’t drink the equivalent at home.

He will thankfully drink water still – generally when we’re out and about he’s happy to have that, but at home he always wants squash. I try and keep it to mealtimes, but he’ll help himself to it if I’m not around, so at least I can get away with making it really weak.

But he loves treat drinks when we’re out in town and he gets the chance to have something a bit different. Straws, smoothies, and flavoured waters go down well, but I think it’s more the novelty of a different pack format that he likes. So when we had the chance to try out the new Vita Coco Kids drinks, I was interested to see what they were like.

I’ve tried coconut water in the past, plain and flavoured. I love the coconut water straight out of the coconut (school fetes and the coconut shy of my childhood!), but have never been that keen on the taste of the standard drinks that are now available.

http://youtu.be/rfPfBv2Q6Y4

Of course, any interesting looking boxes that come through the post, N’s there trying to help me open them, and this box was no different. Nothing like a beautifully put together sample box either.

vita coco kids samples

We had the tropical mango and pineapple flavour, and the classic apple and blackcurrant. The benefits of these drinks are numerous and put the drink ahead of other children’s chilled juice drinks:

  • almost half the sugar and calories of leading children’s chilled drinks
  • no artifical colours, preservatives, flavourings or sweeteners
  • electrolytes to maintain hydration
vita coco kids drinks

N was straight in wanting to try the first flavour.

And the result was a definite thumbs up. He did let me try it too, and although I wouldn’t usually choose a ‘tropical’ flavour, I was really impressed with this. Not too strong a flavour, I could taste the coconut but it wasn’t bland as the pineapple and mango went really well with it. Definitely a hit with both of us.

N told me I could try the blackcurrant and apple one. This one I wasn’t as keen on. Less of the coconut water came through, but it was a bit more of a ‘squash’ like flavour. It was ok, but not as great a taste as the first we tried. N agreed and said his favourite was the mango and pineapple one.

I kept them in the fridge as drinks always seem to taste better when cool, and N had the second pineapple and mango one with his tea the next evening. I thought the other blackcurrant and apple one was safe and would last until the weekend, but I opened the fridge a couple of days later to find that he’d removed the straw from the last carton, poked the hole out, and had taken a surreptitious sip before leaving it in the fridge. He really is cheeky and will help himself to any food given half a chance. When I asked if he’d done it, he just said ‘yes, I liked it’ and that was it.

What about the design?  Well, N liked the design, telling me about the monkey and parrot.  The tetrapack cartons are recyclable in my area, and N loves having a straw, so the packaging type is a success with us too.

Drinking coconut water

We’ll definitely be buying some of the pineapple and mango packs when we find them in store. I looked in our Sainsbury’s the other week and couldn’t find them, so will keep a watch out in Tesco. He won’t be able to have them at nursery, but I can see them going down well when we’re out and about for picnics.

Vita Coco Kids drinks come in multipacks of 4, and are available at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s Tesco, Holland and Barrett, plus health stores and independents, for an rrp of £2.99.

If you head over to the Vita Coco Kids club page, there are activities to download.

Have you ever tried coconut water? What do your children like to drink?

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15 Comments

  1. I’m all for anything that makes children take in more liquid. We haven’t introduced sugary drinks yet, but half the sugar of other juice drinks is a bonus! Thanks for sharing on #britmumsreview

    1. I also like that these aren’t cartoon/tv characters. Hard nowadays to avoid children’s items without them. Thanks for stopping by

  2. I love how they packaged them up all tropical like to send to you – how fun!
    We’re still on milk and water here, the kids are only 18 months and I’m trying to keep them off sugary drinks until they let me clean their teeth properly!
    I’ll definitely keep an eye out for these though for when the inevitable time comes that they want to try something different.

    1. Thankfully N’s not too bad about having me clean his teeth, as long as he has a go first. He won’t drink ‘milk’ now (not surprised as apart from the lactofree one, the non-dairy versions are vile!), so water does get a bit boring. Maybe I should try squeezing some lemon or lime in there?

    1. It’s quite an interesting flavour, but I’m won over now. Maybe I’ll try some of the other types of coconut water again.

      Thanks for hosting and sharing my post.

  3. It’s interesting you say “more of a squash like flavour” as I think that is EXACTLY why that was our favourite flavour. In my healthier days I think I would have loved the Mango and Pineapple like you, but my sugar addiction saw me opting more for the other.

    Love your review and thank you so much for visiting mine.

    Like we both say the packaging really was SUPERB – so MUCH better than a jiffy envelope.

    Liska xx

    1. You are funny with your sugar love. I’m terrible as unless a drink feels like it’s coating your teeth, I can never really recognise a really sweet taste.

      Jiffy bags without complements slips are just so depressing! It’s lovely to read other reviews about the same products.

      Thanks for stopping by Liska

    1. I’ve struggled to find them so far in store, but must get some. Have some vouchers, and looks like they’re on offer too at the moment, so could get a good bargain!

    1. I’m not usually a fan, but maybe after trying these I’ll try more of it again. Nice to have something different to offer

  4. Thanks for this review Emma, I have seen these when we have been out and about, but never tried them. Thomas tried coconut water when we were on holiday, so perhaps we will give these a go! They sound like they would be worth a try and the low sugar promise is a definite hit with me!

    1. It’s strange, because I’m not that keen on the coconut waters I’ve tried before, but these just seem to have the right flavours.

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