Any one else have kids that say “ow grouse” when you try to feed them something healthy? Over the years I have had to come up with some cleaver ways to get them to eat things and even like them. One such way is to mix Kefir into a smoothie. Kefir is an amazing yogurt type drink. It is full of beneficial probiotics that help create a health gut. Huffington post published an article listing 12 benefits of adding Kefir to your diet. Check it out here.
One of the main reasons I wanted to add this to the families diet is because of the “tummy aches” the kids were always complaining about. Kefir by itself is a little bitter so it was hard to convince the kids to drink it. Once I added it to a smoothie with a bunch of fruit the kids starting requesting it. Dave and I have tried making our own kefir, see here. It was fun at first then it got overwhelming. Kefir grains are like a pet. They need to be cared for everyday. I know homemade Kefir has more beneficial probiotics than store bought but sometimes it comes down to time and energy. When we first started drinking Kefir it was hard to find in stores. Now it seems to be everywhere. I love the Lifeway brand, it is creamy and smooth.
How to make your own Kefir
If you are interested in making your own Kefir check out Culturedfoodlife. Donna Schwenk has been making Kefir for 14+years. She has a lot of yummy recipes and inspiration. I purchased my Kefir grains from her. They came healthy and ready to use.
Another fun way to add probiotics to your diet is to use kefir when you make ranch dressing. See our Kefir Ranch Dressing post here.
- 1 banana
- ½ cup Kefir
- 4-5 frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon vanilla pudding mix or 1 tablespoon protein powder
- Pour Kefir into a blender, add banana and frozen strawberries. Blend until smooth. Add vanilla pudding mix or protein powder. Blend again until powder is mixed in. Serve immediately.