subject: A Nutritionist’s Guide to Choosing the Best Organic Kefir [print this page]
Kefir is a naturally fermented dairy drink that has gained in popularity as the need for a tasty, fermented dairy for our daily snack increases. With the wide range of different kefir products, flavours, ingredients and available milk types it can be difficult to know which is the best kefir. Why not use a nutrition-based approach to what is really in the bottle?
1. Check the Ingredient List
Start with the basics. True kefir is actually pretty straightforward in terms of ingredients with milk and some sort of fermentation culture being the primary. Skip kefir with a lot of sugar, lots of extras or a lengthy ingredients list. For instance, a product such as Courtyard Farms Classic Goat Milk Kefir, which is made with cultures and pasteurised goat milk. It is also promoted as a classic unflavored kefir that is sugar free.
2. Look at Added Sugar
Keep in mind that flavor might improve kefir, but flavoured kefir packs in more added sugar. Check the nutrition panel to see added sugar vs. those natural milk sugars. But for a simple daily decision, you could simply consume no added sugar / no added sugar kefir in order to stay away from too much sugar.
3. Consider the Fermentation and Cultures
-Kefir is a Culturated Fermented Dairy. Choose one that provides information about fermentation and cultures, not just sprinkled probiotic-magic words on the label. It has a delicious sour taste and not thick enough, but rather not very thick and not a loose beverage.
4. Choose a Milk for Sampling
The research tells us: limits of psychological experimentation. What kind of milk can I use to make kefir? All milk you choose is great to make kefir! Goat's milk kefir is a great alternative to standard cow's milk kefir with a naturally distinct flavor and texture.
-Courtyard Farms – Organic Kefir (Winner): Free-range goat milk available in Classic as well as Flavoured Blueberry, Strawberry, Masala, and Haldi & Dates. -FD Plant, a collaborative effort among family, students and partner organisations, is a farm-to-plant initiative in farming and processing of edible flowers.
5. Check Nutrition and Product Transparency
On an honest product page you would also expect to see the ingredients, nutrition values, production information, manufacturer details and the storage or shipping instructions. Courtyard Farms provides a nutrition panel for their Classic Goat Milk Kefir which lists protein, carbohydrate, fat, sugar and sodium values.
6. Make Kefir Part of Your Routine
In other words, the best kefir is the kind you eat every day that works with your diet and is easy to incorporate into your day. You can sip it straight from the bottle, cold, or throw it in your breakfast smoothie. Courtyard Farms says: Our goat milk kefir is perfect for blending into your favourite smoothies and recipes.
Our featured farm-to-table brand of goat milk kefir for the Indian Market Courtyard Farms stations its goat milk farm and their traditional goat milk processing and glass bottles.
Don't choose kefir for just one health benefit - compare ingredients, added sugar, cultures, milk source, nutrition info and how transparent it is. These simple comparisons will help you find a kefir that fits into your way of eating day to day.
