Coconut aminos are great when you’re looking for a soy sauce substitute and reduce your sodium and calorie intake. They can add a robust flavor to your weekly meal prep, dinner, or top your salad with some flare. But what can you substitute for coconut aminos to get that same savory flavor?
What Are Coconut Aminos
Coconut aminos are made from the sap of coconut palm sap and sea salt. Surprisingly however, coconut aminos taste nothing like coconuts. Traditional soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans and roasted wheat in a similar process. The major downside of soy sauce is that it contains nearly 50% of the daily recommended value of salt. Soy sauce also contains two of the most common allergens, soy and wheat. If you’re watching sodium intake, coconut liquid aminos offer a lower sodium alternative with one-third the amount.
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7 Coconut Amino Substitutes
1. Soy Sauce
Just like coconut aminos are a substitute for soy sauce, you can use soy sauce in place of coconut aminos if that’s what you have available. Although soy sauce has additives and more sodium, when it comes to flavor, there is no better substitute.
2. Liquid Aminos
Liquid aminos are a great coconut amino substitute. Liquid aminos are concentrated liquid protein made from soybeans. They are gluten free and obviously very high in protein due to their amino acid content.
3. Tamari
Tamari is made from fermented soybeans, similar to soy sauce. Unlike soy sauce, Tamari does not have any grains or additives, therefore tamari is an excellent substitute for coconut aminos.
4. Worcestershire
Worcestershire gets its unique flavor from a combination of vinegar, molasses, anchovies, garlic, tamarind extract, chili pepper extract, sugar, and salt. Although it tastes different, Worcestershire has a strong umami taste, and is primarily used for beef as opposed to coconut aminos or soy which has a stronger saltier taste.
5. Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar tastes very different than aminos, with a distinct sweet and acidic flavor. As a true coconut amino alternative, you can mix balsamic with fish sauce and some beef broth to derive a closer match.
6. Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is a sweet, spicy, dark red sauce made from soybeans, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and various spices, widely used in southern Chinese cooking. Much thicker than soy sauce, 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce contains 35 calories 258mg of sodium, 7g of carbs, and 5g of sugar. Although it can be used as a coconut amino substitute, you should be mindful with the amount you’re using.
7. Fish Sauce
Although the unappetizing nature and origin of fish sauce may make this a no-go as a coconut amino substitute (fish sauce is fermented from fish), chances are you have had it at some point with your sushi or poke bowl.
Coconut Amino Substitutes: Takeaway
Coconut aminos are a great addition when you’re looking for a low sodium substitute for soy sauce, and still want that salty savory taste. But if you need a coconut amino substitute, don’t fret! Luckily, there are a variety of coconut amino replacement options for your weekly meal prep, such as liquid aminos, hoisin sauce, tamari, and Worcestershire.
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