These vegan probiotic foods are a natural way to improve gut health and add diversity to your microbiome. Preventative health begins in the gut!
When most people think of probiotic foods, they automatically assume that it’s just milk-based yogurt that contains these beneficial microbes. But there are plenty of other dairy-free foods that contain these healthy bacteria as well, which you should consider adding to your diet on a regular basis. Here are the top 10 vegan probiotic foods that you should buy every week.
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This post lists 10 easy to find vegan probiotic foods that will nourish your gut.
What are Probiotic Foods?
Natural Probiotic Foods are fermented foods that boost gut health by increasing the diversity of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Living cultures in these foods have many significant health benefits and are essential to modern diets.
The gut is the center of our immune system and plays a vital role in our health. The gut houses trillions of bacteria that can either help your body or damage it.
To keep this delicate balance healthy, it’s essential to include foods high in probiotics in your diet.
It is easy to keep the balance of good bacteria in your gut. All you need to do is add natural probiotics into your diet on a regular basis.
Here are some of the best vegan foods with probiotics to enjoy!
1. Kombucha
Kombucha is a fermented tea drink rich in probiotics.
It is made by fermenting tea with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast).
Kombucha contains probiotics, which are excellent for improving the digestive system. The fermentation process makes the kombucha more acidic, which allows it to provide nutrients and beneficial bacteria to your digestive tract.
Also, kombucha is rich in B vitamins such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), biotin (vitamin B7) and thiamine (vitamin B1). These can help your body convert food into energy so you don’t feel tired after meals.
2. Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a fermented food and is one of the most probiotic-rich foods. It’s made from cabbage soaked in brine (salt water) and then left to ferment.
An ideal natural source of probiotics, sauerkraut contains live and active cultures called Lactobacillus Plantarum, which help with digestion.
Sauerkraut also contains lactic acid bacteria, which help lower cholesterol levels in your body by breaking down bile acids formed during digestion.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
You can find probiotics in apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar assists in regulating blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, boosting weight reduction, and improving insulin sensitivity. All good things to keep you healthy and ward off illnesses!
It also contains acetic acid (vinegar’s main component). Some holistic practitioners believe that acetic acid helps regulate the pH of the blood, thereby improving many functions.
Not only will you get live cultures in ACV, you may have a list of other health improvements as well. ACV treats GERD, heartburn, obesity, and supports hormone functions.
To enhance your results, sip on a little amount each day or use it as a salad dressing.
4. Kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented cabbage. Kimchi is fermented with salt, lactic acid, and other ingredients like garlic or ginger.
Kimchi contains many live active cultures (probiotic bacteria), which help repopulate your gut with good bacteria, so it doesn’t get overrun by bad guys like Candida yeast overgrowth.
Eating kimchi regularly can reduce inflammation throughout your body and boost immunity, but you don’t need to eat tons of it for these benefits—a serving size is just one cup.
5. Dairy-free Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk product. It’s made by adding kefir grains to cow, goat, or sheep milk and allowing the mixture to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. The result is a tangy, slightly fizzy drink that contains beneficial bacteria (probiotics).
Yogurt drinks and kefir can be found in most grocery stores, and some farms make raw milk kefir, which has a different profile of bacteria, yeast, and enzymes. Diversity is key to a healthy gut! Be sure to try lots of different varieties of natural probiotic foods and switch them up often.
Water kefir is also very easy to make yourself! You can source grains to start your own kefir culture at home. These can be flavored with fruits. My favorite is muscadine water kefir!
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6. Tempeh
Tempeh is a fermented soybean product that originates from Indonesia. It’s made by cooking and fermenting whole soybeans, which are then pressed into blocks.
Not to mention, Tempeh is a good source of probiotic supplements because the fermentation process creates beneficial bacteria that help promote gut health. Even better, tempeh has a similar taste and texture to tofu, but it contains higher levels of protein and fiber than tofu (about 15 grams per serving).
In addition to being high in protein, tempeh is also rich in vitamins B6 and K2 and minerals like iron. That is like taking a multivitamin!
7. Miso Soup
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made from fermented soy. The fermentation process makes miso soup a good source of probiotics that benefit your health.
Miso also contains protein, B vitamins, and iron—and it’s easy to make at home.
8. Yogurt
This popular choice of foods contain probiotics, and needs no explanation! There are a lot of different dairy-free yogurt options, and choosing several varieties creates more diversity in your gut. Diversity is the goal!
9. Sourdough Bread
The active cultures in sourdough bread digest some of the gluten, which can improve digestion. Not to mention, it tastes great!
You can find sourdough breads in almost every bakery and grocery store. However, it is quite simple to make at home. Lisa at Farmhouse on Boone shows exactly how to do it. She also has many other fermented food recipes to try!
10. Pickles
Nope, not hamburger slices! Real fermented vegetable pickles!
Make your own, or find vegetable pickles at the grocery store. A great snack with live cultures that you won’t mind having with all kinds of meals!
In Conclusion
If you’d like to add more probiotic-rich foods to your diet, start with these ten options that are easy to find at grocery stores.
Importantly, these probiotic foods have proven effective in treating and preventing various medical illnesses, especially those affecting gut health. We consume many gut-disrupting foods, and health begins in the gut.
I have this book!! It is so easy to make your own probiotic foods at home. Why not give it a go?
Keep your gut microbiome in tip-top shape by adding natural probiotics from several sources daily. More importantly, a healthy diet will feed the good guys in your gut, so be sure to consume nutrient-dense foods at every meal, too!
This post was all about really good and natural vegan probiotic foods to eat every day!
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Knowing your food and taking responsibility for how it is produced is the best way to make a positive ecological impact. Starting a small garden can do so much for your peace of mind as well as the planet!
You are reducing waste and resources while relying less on conventional agriculture and its use of pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate.
Most importantly, you will be eating the healthiest way possible!
Find out how to be more self-sufficient by gardening for sustainability.
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