
RAVE
So what’s KEFIR? Kefir is a cultured, fermented milk drink, kind of like a “drinkable yogurt”. Kefir is all the rage in the media and natural health community of late. It’s an excellent source of calcium, protein, and most of all, is extremely high in Probiotic bacteria. So it is considered very beneficial for general health, digestion and especially your Gut Health, a huge new topic of interest in the research community.
Kefir’s origins are from the mountainous regions that divide Asia and Europe. Kefir like yogurt is made from fermenting milk. It’s similar but unique and different from yogurt. Kefir is a more powerful probiotic than yogurt as it has way more kinds of probiotic bacteria. Probiotics as you know are very important for your digestive system and overall health, and your gut health. If you look at the label on TJ’s with a list of all the active bacteria cultures, and you will notice there are a lot more cultures listed (12) than are usually seen in yogurt, usually 3-5. I recognize the first three L. (L. stands for Lactobacillus) bacteria listed but I don’t recognize most of the other bacteria listed off the top of my head. The bottle says it contains 12 active (live) cultures. So there’s more kinds of diverse bacteria in kefir than in yogurt, more diverse probiotics going into your gut. Kefir is also supposed to be better tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant. I’m not lactose intolerant so I can’t say.
I wanted to try Kefir for a while so bought the bottle of Mango flavor I saw at TJs to try. Review? Taste-wise I found the Whole Milk KEFIR to be really quite tasty. This Mango version’s been sweetened (with natural cane sugar) as plain kefir I hear is pretty sour on its own. But I found the mango is not too sweet, you still get that tangy sourness a tiny bit. They also carry a Strawberry* flavor one which I would buy next time as I would like to try that flavor also. (UPDATE: I bought the Strawberry and it was also good) Normally Kefir is supposedly pretty sour and tart. If you didn’t grow up drinking “straight” pure Kefir, I am told it might take you some getting used to? The whole milk kefir drink was pretty thick, almost a smoothie. In fact, one could probably use this in Smoothies, I bet it would be great. (Update: I tried it making smoothies. Excellent for them!)
KEFIR SMOOTHIE RECIPE: In a blender, try 1 cup Kefir, 1 cup of ice, onebanana (could be frozen), a 1/2 cup of some fresh or frozen berries, tablespoon of chia seeds and/or flax seeds and a drizzle of honey ?
I’ve been using the kefir also pouring some over my morning bowl of oatmeal or cereal. Or over some fruit. Its seriously yummy. Even kids might like the Mango and Strawberry versions. So kefir is both super healthy and super tasty. A 32 oz bottle sells for about $3. If you like yogurt, this is something well worth trying. There is also a Plain Kefir (unsweetened) if you are inclined to try it “au natural” (very tart I hear). TJ’s even sells one made from Goat’s Milk (!) The Mango one is rich it’s made with whole milk. I would not drink this a full glass at a time, I take a small glass of it as a little will go a long way.
Drink a few ounces at first only, till your body gets used to all that extra probiotic healthy bacteria! Lest it work “too well”… If you know what I mean!
UPDATE: I bought the Strawberry* Kefir and realized that it says LOW FAT milk. The MANGO KEFIR says with WHOLE MILK. Whole milk is 4%. Low fat milk is 1-2%. So go for the strawberry if you want lower fat/calories.
Nutrition (per 1 cup): 200 Cal. and 4.5 g of sat. fat for the MANGO Whole Milk Kefir. VS 160 Cal. and 1.5 g sat. fat for STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir which interestingly also seems to have 1 more gram of Protein per cup serving? Plain Kefir=100 cals (1 cup) So if you want to save some calories get the STRAWBERRY Low Fat Kefir or PLAIN Low Fat Kefir (though the Mango was very tasty!) Honestly, I can’t see anyone drinking it a whole cup at a time straight though of any variety straight, this is a small glass thing, or mix with some ice and a dash of water….
Has anyone tried Plain Kefir version ? Is it really sour or tart? Let us know in the comments.
And if you are so inclined try out the Goat Milk Kefir and please report in the Comments section as well. I am curious about that one, too.
(update fall 2019: many bottles later. The whole milk mango kefir is def. not quite as thick as when I first tried it and reviewed it. They’ve changed it and now make it a bit thinner. I have found this product change again and again on some TJ products.. I think they get customer feedback and make change to the products based on the customer feedback. My gut feeling (get it?) tells me people may have complained it was too thick. Other readers have also stated what I’ve found that it’s not as thick as it used to be.)
Is it worth buying? Definitely! Try it. Your personal biome may thank you (but go slow at first, lest it do its magic too much!)


Strawberry Low Fat Kefir
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