Milk kefir is a great addition to your probiotic drinks like Yakult. It is also great for digestion and all around gut health.
I actually started with water kefir before I discovered Milk Kefir. When we first had it, the kids had a blast because they thought it was yogurt. Kefir is really similar to yogurt, in that it is a cultured milk, meaning it has live and active probiotic bacteria cultures in the milk to promote gut function. It is packed with vitamins, minerals and SO MUCH PROTEIN, containing 16 g of protein per 1 cup of Kefir milk.
Kefir has a big amount of calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D, and is known to be incredibly beneficial for digestion and gut health. Not only that, but the protein in Kefir is much more bio available than protein from animal sources, which means that it is more easily digested and accessed by the body.
What’s even more amazing about this milk product is that it is safe for people who are lactose-intolerant or who are sensitive to dairy. The live bacteria actually eat the lactose (the sugar) in the milk, so our bodies don’t ever have to deal with it. And if that isn’t good enough for those really sensitive to dairy, it tastes great too! I may sound a bit biased here but I think Milk Kefir is better than yogurt because it has this effervescent flavor to it, a bit more fizz like soda!
Long-story short, Kefir is great for digestion, and even greater as a post-workout protein source. Now…Kefir can be easily grown in any type of milk from a small sample, which you can buy online. There are also local Facebook groups that share them. I got my initial kefir starter culture from OLX. All you have to do really is buy the grains first!
Here’s how make milk kefir step by step.
- Prepare a cup of milk and put it in a clean mason jar.
- Add a tablespoon of grains to the milk and cover with a breathable cloth. Leave in the counter and come back for it in about 24 hours. I usually make it every morning so I have a fresh batch of milk kefir for breakfast.
- You will see that your milk has turned into something like cream or buttermilk. Strain the kefir grains and then you can make another batch!
- If you want to take a break from making the milk kefir, you can do so by putting your fresh batch in the refrigerator. Putting it in a cold place slows down the fermentation process.
Tips and tricks.
You can generally use any kind of milk but it is essential to avoid Ultra Pasteurized Milk or UHT (Ultra High Temperature Treatment) mostly because the food (sugar) which the milk kefir grains live on, is already dead.
Use plastics or wooden utensils when handling the grains -plastic strainer and wooden spoon. The grains doesn’t like metal or iron.
You can add sugar or honey, experiment with fruit flavors (our favorite is strawberry), and make froyos, and ice cream.
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PS: Look at this yummy Kefir Cheese! Do you think I should make another post on how to make the kefir cheese?
