KEFIR

Peeperpat
Peeperpat Posts: 18 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was looking into using KEFIR.

Can you add this to your protein smoothie? Do you have to add ingredients to make KEFIR or is it already pre-packaged and then just add to your smoothie?

Any information would be helpful!

Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    Kefir is a yogurt like fermented milk. It is quite tasty, at least I think so. If you are purchasing it at the store, it is ready to go. Just measure the amount you are using and log the calories. If you are thinking of making your own, a very easy process by the way, you need to find someone who has some kefir grains. You put milk in a glass jar with the grains (how much milk depends on how much grains you have but a tablespoon of grains will process 2.5 to 3 cups of milk over about 24 hours depending on temperature). Cover the top of the jar with something like paper towel using a rubber band to keep it on and leave it out of the sunlight for 12-24 hours (again depending on temperature, when it is warmer the process goes faster). Strain out the grains with either a stainless steel or plastic strainer (don't using a plain metal one as kefir is slightly acidic and will react to it). Put the grains in a new glass jar, add milk, and start the process again. The finished kefir should be put in a container (glass or plastic) in the fridge and used as you desire. I made kefir for a few years, but always ended up with way more than I needed as I am the only one in the house who drinks it.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Watch the store bought stuff. Read those labels.
    Some are over 200 calories for less than a cup, with a lot of fat.
    Make sure you can fit it in your daily caloric intake.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Peeperpat wrote: »
    Can you add this to your protein smoothie? Do you have to add ingredients to make KEFIR or is it already pre-packaged and then just add to your smoothie?

    yes you can buy it and mix it in, its a bit sharp and salty on its own.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    DH prefers goat kfir. It's not tasty in the winter, I guess the goats don't give as good of milk then.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    Kefir tastes like the fermented version of whatever milk you used to make it. Nothing more or less. It's extremely easy to make once you've nurtured your "grains" (the culture colony), into a sufficient amount to fully ferment your milk within 18-24 hours. I bought a teaspoon on eBay, and following online directions it grew over 2 weeks to enough to ferment 2-3 cups. The Kefir eat the sugar in milk, I'm lactose intolerant but have homemade Kefir every day, this also may reduce the calorie count of the milk, but I just use the actual milk count.

    Storebought Kefir is not the same thing, not as many probiotics either.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    http://www.culturesforhealth.com/kefir
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    Oh, and the protein content of kefir would be the same as whatever milk it was made with. We use our kefir daily in our fruit smoothies, you can see my diary for what we toss into it, we also add dry oatmeal which adds a bit of protein and liquid egg whites for an extra protein boost.

    I don't really call it a protein smoothie, I call it breakfast.
  • EatKleanGetLean
    EatKleanGetLean Posts: 10 Member
    edited March 2016
    Kefir is pretty amazing! Especially if you're looking to rebalance your gut health. It is packed with tons of probiotics that will help reduce gas & bloating. As well as improve food absorption. You may want to research certain strains that may be more beneficial to what you need. You can read the label of whichever brand of kefir you decide to try to see which probiotic strains and how many billions units they contain. Like others said it usually is fairly high in calories but you usually don't need more than 1/2 cup to 1 cup a day. Many people will experience a little bloating or discomfort when starting using this since it will help cleanse your gut.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    Kefir should be no higher in calories then the milk it was made with. If you're buying something store bought, chances are the probiotics were added after the processing, and that there are also other additives to make it "taste better".

    Homemade with reduced fat milk tastes like a light sour cream, thats it.
  • zenjen13
    zenjen13 Posts: 174 Member
    I make kefir at home all the time. I got my grains from a friend and there are usually people in the community who are willing to give you some of theirs as it reproduces rapidly and just gets consumed or thrown out. It's only high in calories if you buy store bought because it has a lot of added sugar. I use my homemade kefir in smoothies but also in cooking or baking where buttermilk would be used (although this will destroy the probiotics). My hubby likes to drink it plain with a pinch of salt but I don't enjoy it that way. Makes good popsicles for the kiddos in summer too.
  • EatKleanGetLean
    EatKleanGetLean Posts: 10 Member
    successgal1 wrote: »
    Kefir should be no higher in calories then the milk it was made with. If you're buying something store bought, chances are the probiotics were added after the processing, and that there are also other additives to make it "taste better".

    Homemade with reduced fat milk tastes like a light sour cream, thats it.

    Yeah you're right, looks like on average it is 120-150 calories per cup. Depends on if you get it flavored or plain.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    Peeperpat wrote: »
    I was looking into using KEFIR.

    Can you add this to your protein smoothie? Do you have to add ingredients to make KEFIR or is it already pre-packaged and then just add to your smoothie?

    Any information would be helpful!

    Just stopping by because this is my last name and it made me LOL
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    EatKleanGetLean wrote: »
    successgal1 wrote: »
    Kefir should be no higher in calories then the milk it was made with. If you're buying something store bought, chances are the probiotics were added after the processing, and that there are also other additives to make it "taste better".

    Homemade with reduced fat milk tastes like a light sour cream, thats it.

    Yeah you're right, looks like on average it is 120-150 calories per cup. Depends on if you get it flavored or plain.

    Skim milk is about 90 calories a cup. We use this for kefir most of the time. The fat in milk makes kefir creamier, but this is not a concern for me since we're just dumping it into the blendtec. Less creamy is actually better since the oatmeal we put in the smoothie adds bulk as it absorbs the kefir and fruit juices.

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