Probiotic Rich Foods For a Healthier Gut [INFOGRAPHIC]
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Discover the best probiotics to include in your diet for a healthy gut. We even have a probiotic-rich recipe!
RELATED: Your Probiotic is Missing a Key Ingredient
In this article:
- Probiotic Foods for Digestive Issues
- Why Eat High Probiotic Foods
- Probiotic Foods List
- Organic Super Greens
- Why You Can’t Rely on Food Alone
- Probiotic-Rich Recipe
Best Probiotic Foods to Boost Your Digestion
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What Are Probiotics and Probiotic Foods? Probiotics are live microorganisms eaten or taken as supplements to support gut flora. We can consume probiotics in fermented foods or as a probiotic supplement. While we are not yet sure why probiotic rich foods are effective, research has been trying to find out why for decades. Although, we do know that they are beneficial to our digestive health and overall health. But not all foods that contain probiotics are beneficial. It is important to be aware that not all probiotics can survive in the stomach. However, there are plenty that can! For instance, Lactobacillus.
Do All Fermented Foods Contain Probiotics? To put it simply, no. Not all fermented foods are probiotic rich foods. While fermented foods naturally contain probiotics, it cannot be said for all fermented foods.
Prebiotics should also play a vital role when you are adjusting your diet to get your digestion at optimal health. Prebiotics lay the foundation for your overall digestive health. Therefore, just as probiotics, prebiotics are just as important to consume in your balanced diet. When you are thinking about which probiotic foods or supplements to buy, consider prebiotics supplements too.
Probiotic Foods for Digestive Issues
If feeling good is a priority to you, then taking care of your microbiome is the best place to start!
What Is a Microbiome? A community of microorganisms—both good and bad. Eating a healthy diet and receiving the benefits of probiotics is essential for the overall wellness of your microbiome. Luckily, in addition to taking a probiotic supplement, there are plenty of probiotic rich foods to add to your diet.
Why Eat High Probiotic Foods
Good probiotic foods contain digestive enzymes to assist your gut in balancing your body. When the gut is in balance, its existing microorganisms keep everything in check. Lifestyle choices such as diet, stress, and poor sleep can all impact gut balance, leading to microbiome issues. Probiotics help your gut stay balanced by providing good organisms that can control the bad organisms hiding in the gut. Eating natural probiotic foods is one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re filling your microbiome with good organisms.
Probiotic Foods List
The first thing that often comes to mind with probiotic-rich foods is fermented food, but there is plenty more than kimchi and sauerkraut—though these are two of the best sources! Here is a list of probiotic-foods to add to your shopping cart:
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Kefir (coconut kefir is available for those who don’t eat dairy)
- Tempeh
- Kombucha
- Pickled cucumber
- Miso
- Natto
- Yogurt from goat’s or sheep’s milk (preferably grass-fed and organic)
- Kvass
- Apple cider vinegar
- Brine-cured olives (without sodium benzoate)
You can add fermented vegetables, like kimchi or sauerkraut, on top of a Buddha bowl. For example, try a bowl of brown rice with garbanzo beans, dark, leafy greens, kimchi, and sesame seeds. Another great, easy way to start each morning with a probiotic boost is by sipping on an apple cider tonic with a splash of lemon juice and water.
For further probiotic rich foods, check out WebMD for their probiotic food list.
But why are some of these foods off this probiotic food list important? Continue reading to find out why.
Kefir is a type of fermented probiotic drink. Kefir is made by adding kefir grains to milk. Kefir grains are active cultures of lactic acid. Commonly, either cow or goat milk. Drinking kefir can help with digestive issues, protecting against infection, and bone health. While yogurt is a popular probiotic choice, kefir grains contain 40 strains of good bacteria. Meanwhile, yogurt contains just 2 strains of good bacteria. You can see why kefir is gaining in popularity!
Sauerkraut is rich in fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals. It is a great source of vitamins C, B, and K, as well as antioxidants. Before adding sauerkraut into your diet, you should make sure to read the label first. The best sauerkraut is one that contains active cultures.
Yogurt is often the first food that springs to mind when we think of food to contain probiotics – and for good reason! It is a great source of probiotics. However, to make sure that you are getting a good dose of those beneficial good bacteria, purchase unsweetened yogurt. You should also make sure that the yogurt you are consuming contains active cultures.
Tempeh is fermented soy. Although, Tempeh comes in an almost cake-like form. Tempeh is great when added to salads or rice dishes.
Kimchi is a Korean staple. If you like hot foods, Kimchi is the probiotic food for you! Kimchi gets its color and flavor from its chili powder content. Think of it as hot sauce, but in textured, food form.
Miso is a great source of active cultures. However, you need to be careful when heating it through. Heat is detrimental to probiotics as the active cultures can easily be destroyed in high temperatures.
Kombucha is a flavorful tangy and fizzy tea drink. Kombucha ferments by the active cultures and yeast combination. While Kombucha is a type of probiotic rich foods, it is also low in sugar.
Organic Super Greens
BIOHM Super Greens make it even easier to consume probiotics. It contains 31 organic plant extracts, including spirulina, wheat grass, Echinacea root, reishi mushroom, and more that work together to benefit the gut. Add a scoop to your morning smoothie for a trifecta of probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes!
Why You Can’t Rely on Food Alone
While our probiotic food list is jam-packed with great foods, food alone isn’t enough. When the gut is out of whack, it’s not only bad bacteria that can cause microbiome issues, but bad fungi, too. The BIOHM Probiotic supplement contains good bacteria and fungi to achieve total gut balance. While you may be able to consume beneficial bacteria from your food, the body needs good fungi, too. You also need digestive enzymes to help break down digestive plaque so the probiotics can actually reach the bad bacteria and fungi.
What is a Digestive Plaque? It shields bad bacteria and fungi, trapping them in the gut. The BIOHM probiotic contains digestive enzymes for this reason—to break down digestive plaque and allow the probiotics to effectively do their job.
RELATED: Super Greens Banana Donut with Yogurt Icing
Probiotic-Rich Recipe
Cauliflower Rice Kimchi Bowl
Let’s put our probiotic food list to work! We have created a delicious recipe that includes some items off our very own probiotic food list. Try this tasty Cauliflower Rice Kimchi Bowl recipe found on Love & Lemons blog. It’s loaded with probiotics and other gut-healing ingredients, your gut will be thanking you! With cauliflower and super greens like kale, this natural probiotics recipe is rich in antioxidants and high in fiber, feeding friendly gut bugs and supporting healthy growth of good bacteria. Don’t forget to add protein to keep Candida levels in check and help support gut mucosal cell turnover and repair.
What is Candida? A yeast-like fungus that can cause thrush or yeast infections on the mouth, reproductive organs, or intestines.
Continue reading to find out what you need for your very own probiotic food list to go shopping with!
Ingredients
For coconut sauce:
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Pinch of sea salt
For the Bowls:
- 1 small head of cauliflower, riced
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- ½ clove garlic, minced
- 7ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ tamari
- 6 leaves of curly kale, stemmed and torn
- 12 to 14 ounces baked tofu, reheated (can be replaced with your choice of protein!)
- 1 avocado, diced
- Sprinkle of sesame seeds
- Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
- Sea salt
Instructions
To make the coconut sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, miso paste, lime juice or rice vinegar, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large, nonstick skillet, heat and drizzle olive oil over low heat. Add the riced cauliflower, scallions, garlic, and a few pinches of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes to take the raw flavor off the cauliflower.
- Remove from the heat and stir in ½ of the coconut sauce.
To make the rice bowls:
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- Portion the cauliflower rice into 4 bowls.
- Heat skillet pan to medium heat with a few splashes of olive oil. Add mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in the rice vinegar and a few splashes of tamari. Add the mushrooms to the cauliflower bowls.
- In a clean skillet, add a tiny bit of water and then, kale. Cook over medium heat, covered for 1 minute or until slightly wilted.
- Finish assembling the bowls by drizzling more coconut sauce over each portion of cauliflower. Add the kale, tofu (or other protein), avocado, and kimchi to the bowls, along with sesame seeds.
- Serve with any remaining sauce.
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Find out more about BIOHM Super Greens in this video from BIOHM Health:
By following healthy recipes at home, not only can you incorporate the best probiotic rich foods into your meals, but you can also make sure that your food is fresh and safe. Don’t forget to use our probiotic food list as a guide when you next go shopping! Fill your shopping cart with our probiotic food list items for nourishing meals. Pair your probiotic rich foods with BIOHM probiotic, and you’ll undoubtedly achieve total gut balance. With 30 billion live active cultures in each capsule and the ability to survive stomach acid, it can help you create the right environment in your gut better than food alone
Are you including fermented foods or probiotic-rich foods into your diet? Share your favorite recipe in the comments section below!
Up Next:
- How Stress Impacts Your Gut Health
- What You Need to Know About SIBO & Gut Health
- Super Greens Smoothie Bowl
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 18, 2018, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.