Part 5- Digestive Health Series:
Probiotic Rich Foods
Now that we have explored the amazing and well-researched effects of probiotics in our digestion and overall health, it’s time to go on a Foodieland adventure in search of delicious and nutritious foods that also happen to be rich in probiotics. Add these yummy foods to your everyday, plant-centered diet to improve digestive health and nutrient absorption.
Yogurt
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Yogurt is a great source of probiotics. If you are a vegan, don’t fear! Coconut, almond, and soy yogurts also contain Active Probiotic Cultures. When purchasing yogurts look on the ingredient list for the words “Live Active Yogurt cultures” to ensure that the product you are buying will provide all the benefits of probiotic cultures.
My suggestion is that you ALWAYS purchase plain yogurt.If you are in good health and at a normal weight, and you have normal cholesterol levels and no heart conditions, go for a full-fat yogurt. Otherwise, I recommend choosing a low-fat, 1%, or 2% fat yogurt. Spice up your plain yogurt by adding fresh fruit, a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, or some unsalted, raw almonds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
BE WARNED: many yogurts that make probiotic health claims are high in added sugar, artificial flavoring, and food coloring, and stabilizers like gelatin and carrageenan (for example, Activia). STAY AWAY from these yogurt products. Eating yogurts high in sugar can lead to weight gain and high blood sugar. Artificial stabilizers are linked to intestinal inflammation.
Your yogurt’s nutrition label should look something like this:
| LOOK FOR: little to no added sugar (about 5 grams or less) and NO artificial sweetener, corn syrup, artificial flavorings, gelatin, carrageenan, or cornstarch. |
PLAIN COCONUT MILK YOGURT ALTERNATIVE
16OZ / 395 CALORIES PER SERVING, FULL FAT & DAIRY FREE
INGREDIENTS: coconut milk (coconut, water), organic coconut water, L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, & other live cultures
| LOOK FOR: Active Yogurt Cultures |
The brands of yogurt that I recommend:
- Stony Field (they carry regular dairy yogurt and O’Soy for vegans)
- Coconut Grove (vegan)
- Anita’s (vegan)
- Coyo (vegan)
- Blue Hill Yogurt
- Fage
- Chobani
- Siggi’s
- Smari
If you chose a vegan alternative (such as plain almond yogurt), just be mindful that most store brands contain added sugar, so there is no need for you to add additional sweetener to it. My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE vegan yogurts are Anita’s and Coyo!!
Kefir
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Kefir is a type of cultured and fermented milk beverage made from animal milk (goat, cow, ect.) or plant-based milk (cashew) and kefir grains. In addition to providing live probiotic cultures, Kefir is also a good source of calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and protein. Kefir is also a great alternative if you are lactose intolerant, since studies have shown that it is well-tolerated by lactose intolerant individuals. Forager offers a delicious, vegan, cashew kefir – is my absolute favorite kefir brand. You can find it at Whole Foods. As with yogurt, I recommended that you purchase plain kefir. To add some flavor to your kefir, throw it into your blender along with your favorite fruits (I like bananas + frozen strawberries) to make a delicious, creamy smoothie. You can also drink it plain or add a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup to a 6-8 oz cup of kefir.
Miso
Miso is a Japanese food seasoning made from fermented soybeans. Miso comes in a paste form and can be added to vegetable broth or other liquids to make a tasty soup base, dressing or marinade. Add 2 tablespoons of miso to 4-5 cups of veggie broth and throw in your favorite veggies (try mushroom, onion, carrot, bok choy, and tomato) to make a simple and delicious veggie soup. Stay tuned for a blog post on my favorite miso soup recipe, coming soon! I recommend that you purchase low-sodium, organic miso with no artificial additives.
Tempeh
Tempeh is a fermented soy-based product that is typically used as a vegan meat replacement. It has a crunchy and earthy texture that adds protein and heartiness to plant-centered dishes. You can find it at health food stores, Asian markets, vegan/vegetarian restaurants… AND you can also learn to make it at home, from scratch. Adding to its glory, tempeh is not highly processed and packs a ton of protein! Stay tuned for my tempeh recipe…
Kimchi
You can thank Korea for gifting the world with Kimchi. This pickled cabbage delight can be added to salads, pasta/noodle dishes, and soups to add crunch and spice. Kimchi is high in probiotics and low in calories. If you are adding Kimchi to your salad or noodles, be careful to not add too much additional salt or soy sauce. Kimchi contains most of the salt you’ll need to season your salads or noodles.
Raw Sauerkraut:
Sauerkraut is another fermented cabbage dish that is low in calories and high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron, and manganese. Use it as a topping or small side dish to bring texture and tartness to your meals.
Raw Buttermilk:
Buttermilk is rich in probiotics, and I’m guessing you’ll either have a “love it” or “hate it” attitude toward this one. A good friend of mine, for example, drinks buttermilk instead of milk in the mornings – apparently this is popular in Germany, where she lives. I tried drinking it once for breakfast when I visited her in Berlin; but to be honest, it was too sour for me. Buttermilk with turmeric is also a traditional Ayurvedic dish. My boyfriend really enjoyed this one as part of his breakfast during our recent visit to an Ayurvedic retreat center in Kerala (southern India). I have got to be honest though – I will not be adding buttermilk to my breakfast anytime soon, personally. However, here’s a way to add buttermilk to your diet without shocking your taste buds: Add ½ cup of buttermilk to fruit smoothies (add greens, too, for an extra vitamin boost). Buttermilk is well tolerated by lactose intolerant individuals. However, if your digestive system doesn’t respond well to dairy or you have skin inflammation, then buttermilk may not be the best probiotic-rich food for you. Keep in mind that cooking or baking buttermilk destroys most of its live probiotic cultures, so enjoy it chilled.
Fermented Cheeses: Fermented cheeses are another rich source of probiotics. Choose from the following cheeses: Cottage, Swiss, Parmesan, and Gouda. Blue Cheese. When eating cheese, always remember to be mindful of portions. One serving of cheese equals 4 dice (think of rolling dice, like in Yahtzee) or 1 ounce. Good news for vegans: many cashew-based cheeses are also probiotic-rich! My favorite vegan “cheeses” found in stores are the cashew-based Forager brand cheeses.
Kombucha:
Kombucha is a fermented black, green or herbal tea drink that contains live, probiotic cultures. Kombucha is fizzy, bubbly and has a fermented taste. Now that this fermented drink has become so trendy in the last few years, you can find it in a variety of flavors and blends. Some kombucha producers have added chia seeds to their brews to add texture and healthy fats to their products. You can find Kombucha at your health food store, in many super markets, and at your local teashop. Like with any drink, WATCH OUT for added sugar. Ideally, purchase Kombucha that has around 5 grams of sugar or less. Stay tuned for a post on my favorite Kombucha products and teashops!
Other Probiotic-Rich Products:
Nowadays, several brands of juices, smoothies, and nutrition bars are adding probiotic cultures to their products. Rule of thumb when purchasing products with probiotic claims: LOOK for “live culture” on the ingredients list and be mindful of added sugar content. If a product’s ingredients does not list any live cultures, you will not be getting the benefits of bioavailable probiotics (those which can thrive in your digestive tract) to your diet.
Thanks for joining me on this gut adventure. Like with any lifestyle change, it may take up to 2 months for you to feel the full benefits of adding probiotic-rich foods to your diet, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate changes. Mindful nutrition is about committing every day to doing your best and being kind to your mind, body and soul. Put in the extra work and commit to a mindful lifestyles, and YOU WILL SEE amazing changes in your health and energy!
Happy Eating… and let the good bacteria roll! Stay tuned for a future blog post on probiotic supplements and prebiotics.
Namaste …. Alice