Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Sisson. I’m 63 years young. I live and work in Malibu, California. In a past life I was a professional marathoner and triathlete. Now my life goal is to help 100 million people get healthy. I started this blog in 2006 to empower people to take full responsibility for their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we’ve assumed to be true about health and wellness...
Bacteria outnumber cells in our body at a ratio of ten to one! Since the average human body has about 37 trillion cells, we literally carry around an astounding number of bacteria. Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that keep digestion working, skin healthy, and the immune system in check; they even benefit mood and mental health in positive ways. Bad bacteria will proliferate unchecked when good bacteria isn’t there to counter it, so eating a diet rich in probiotic foods is vital for gut health and overall wellness.
These 14 recipes all contain good bacteria. They’re so tasty—you won’t even feel like you’re eating a gut-boosting, therapeutic food!
Perhaps the most obvious answer for probiotic-rich food, sauerkraut is about as simple as it gets. Just a few ingredients and some time to ferment will yield a deliciously sour side dish that can be paired with just about anything. Bonus: it’s an excellent topper for salads.
Eating salads filled with leafy greens and a rainbow of vegetables and fruits is a fabulous way to take in plenty of vitamins and minerals. Adding a dressing that feeds the good bacteria in the gut can take your superfood salads to the next level.
If you’re not into eating plain sauerkraut, then adding it to a soup is the perfect way to tone down its distinctive flavor while getting other nutrients, too!
This fermented beverage uses green tea combined with other flavors of choice to produce a fizzy, probiotic-rich drink that for many is as pleasant as sipping on a favorite brew or ice cold tea. The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it to taste preferences, or change it up each time you make it!
Dill pickles are one of those ubiquitous foods that pair well with main dishes, side dishes, or as finger foods on their own. I’ve personally been known to snack on them year-round, and totally ate a jar a day while pregnant.
Want to take your kombucha to the next level? Lavender, often used in aromatherapy, is totally edible too. The flavor is sweet but not overpowering, and the soothing aroma can double as a vacation in a cup.
Fermenting your salsa is a creative way to get probiotics into your diet by replacing it with fresh salsa. Plus, you can mix up the flavors, add more or less spice, and otherwise customize this tangy, gut-friendly salsa.
Another fermented beverage, kvass has similar benefits to kombucha and kefir, but is a great way to use beets. You can flavor this beverage with other herbs or spices.
Not into cabbage? You can pretty much ferment any vegetable—and even some fruits—and it’s just as easy to eat the rainbow when they’re loaded up with probiotics as it is when they’re fresh.
While this recipe does use probiotic powder as the source of good bacteria, this is an easily accessible, gut-healthy recipe for people who don’t want to ferment their own vegetables but who still want the benefits of homemade, probiotic goodness.
Thanks again to Aimee McNew of PaleoHacks.com for today’s post. Comments, questions about ab workouts or any other facet of Primal fitness? Share your thoughts below, and have a great week, everyone.
Wow, great list. Nice to know I’m not the only weirdo who adds sauerkraut to soup. Toss in a few leftover spareribs (or whatever you have on hand) and you have a quick nutritious lunch or a light dinner.
Not if you don’t get it too hot. I usually make this soup with leftovers and homemade stock so it just needs to be reheated a little. It’s intended to be eaten WARM, not hot. You heat it gently then remove from the heat and add the sauerkraut last. If you get the soup too hot you’ll need to let it cool before adding the kraut.
Wow, lots of great ideas here! My go-to’s are sauerkraut, ACV and kombucha. Used to make my own sauerkraut and kombucha but lately have been taking the lazy way out and buying. Drinking komucha as I write this:)
Sauerkraut coleslaw is a great option. Kraut mixed with mayo + your favorite slaw ingredients, maybe some grated carrot, parsley, peppers, minced onion, etc.
The combination of the sour kraut and the creamy mayo is fantastic. And addictive.
I pair homemade kimchi and coconut yogurt. Any random cut up veggies but especially juicier nightshades and cucumbers pair up very well in this mix. Want to make it really interesting? Mash up an avocado that is spiced with curry, red chilli, and garam masala.
If you chop the veggies and kimchi in this mixture finely, you have an excellent taco topping to pair with cheese and meat. Delicious and very keto.
This is a very helpful post. Would love to see a similar post for “beginners” to animal offal. I know I need to be eating organ meats as a next step to nutritional excellence but I currently have no real craving for them.
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Wow, great list. Nice to know I’m not the only weirdo who adds sauerkraut to soup. Toss in a few leftover spareribs (or whatever you have on hand) and you have a quick nutritious lunch or a light dinner.
Doesn’t the heat of the soup kill off the probiotic bacteria?
Not if you don’t get it too hot. I usually make this soup with leftovers and homemade stock so it just needs to be reheated a little. It’s intended to be eaten WARM, not hot. You heat it gently then remove from the heat and add the sauerkraut last. If you get the soup too hot you’ll need to let it cool before adding the kraut.
I am loving all these wonderful choices. It is good to have variations and so many options. It makes eating healthy more pleasurable.
Wow, lots of great ideas here! My go-to’s are sauerkraut, ACV and kombucha. Used to make my own sauerkraut and kombucha but lately have been taking the lazy way out and buying. Drinking komucha as I write this:)
Sauerkraut coleslaw is a great option. Kraut mixed with mayo + your favorite slaw ingredients, maybe some grated carrot, parsley, peppers, minced onion, etc.
The combination of the sour kraut and the creamy mayo is fantastic. And addictive.
Don’t forget tepache, a simple fermented pineapple drink. I made it for the first time a few weeks ago and it blew my mind. Used this recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcoYLVFCKg
I pair homemade kimchi and coconut yogurt. Any random cut up veggies but especially juicier nightshades and cucumbers pair up very well in this mix. Want to make it really interesting? Mash up an avocado that is spiced with curry, red chilli, and garam masala.
If you chop the veggies and kimchi in this mixture finely, you have an excellent taco topping to pair with cheese and meat. Delicious and very keto.
This is a very helpful post. Would love to see a similar post for “beginners” to animal offal. I know I need to be eating organ meats as a next step to nutritional excellence but I currently have no real craving for them.
#LoveYourMicrobiota
@Kayassehmedicalclinic