store-bought kefir

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Quick intro: I've been lurking on the list for a few weeks and finding the

discussions to be inspiring. I've known about CRON for several years, have

read Walford's book, but have not had the willpower to follow any kind of

diet.

After the big kefir debates, I decided that while I wasn't ready to make my

own (my Manhattan kitchen doesn't allow for much creativity beyond

microwaving) I found a couple of brands that sell prepared kefir. So

yesterday I got myself a liter of Helios' rapsberry kefir with FOS.

http://www.heliosnutrition.com/KEFIR.html. I found it to be tart but tasty,

but it definitely has more sugar than the homemade variety. I'm just taking

it one step at a time.

I haven't seen any discussion on non-homemade kefir, so here are some

nutritional facts per the label. Sorry if this has been covered already.

One cup of the liquid has, according to the label:

4g fat

15mg cholesterol

85mg sodium

2g fiber

23g sugar !

8g protein

9% Vitamin A

30% calcium

22% Vitamin D

Ingredients: cultured organic reduced fat milk, organic evaporated cane

juice, organic non-fat dry milk, inulin/FOS (fructooligosaccharies - which

they say comes from chicory), natural flavors (?), beet juice (for color),

live active kefir cultures, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3

Now that I know it's not horrible tasting, I will probably get the plain

version next time, which no doubt has less sugar. Thanks in general to a

great group!

Jo

> -----Original Message-----

> From: titanmeister

>

> wrote:

> " I believe taste issues surrounding Kefir are somewhat exaggerated.

> Since the Lactose has been fermented, Kefir will not be naturally

> sweet. I suspect raw plain yogurt is likewise un-appealing. "

>

> I agree totally. Kefir does taste very similar to plain yogurt. But

> when refrigerated, sweetened with sucralose and with the addition of

> berries or other fruit, I find it to be delicious and filling. It's

> a great way to get your daily calcium and, as you point out, the cost

> savings over yogurt and store purchased kefir is significant.