The Big Chill: We Try Frozen Kefir
June 6, 2011 by Jenn
I’ll be honest. Up until a week ago I knew kefir was a health food (read: something Whole Foods loves to stock), but I wasn’t exactly sure why it was great for the ol’ bod. And thanks to Google, within minutes I was primed on why kefir is a superfood. (Seriously, how did we live before the interwebs?) Here’s the gist.
What is Kefir and Why Is It Awesome?
- Good source of protein
- Good source of calcium
- Kefir means “good feeling” in Turkish (The Turkish know what’s up, right?)
- It’s been around for 2,000 years (Gotta give it to our ancestors!)
- It’s like yogurt, but 99 percent lactose-free for those of you who have to dodge the dairy
- It’s a good source of probiotics
See? Super-duper goodness. Because most of the kefir products are in a drink/smoothie-like form—and ya’ll know how we’d rather eat than drink our calories—I’d never really considered having it regularly.
That is until I learned that it comes in ice-cream flavor.
God bless the Lifeway people, they sent me a pint of Strawberry Frozen Kefir, and I instantly became a kefir devotee. Both tart and a little tangy, it tasted like real strawberries with cream, and with just 90 calories, one gram of fat and four grams of protein in half of a cup, let’s just say that the pint didn’t last long at FBG HQ. For about $5 a pint, it’s not the cheapest ice cream I’ve ever bought, but it’s certainly the healthiest.
Move over fro-yo and make room for fro-ke! (Okay that doesn’t have the same ring to it, but it’s just as tasty!) Have you tried kefir? What did you think of it? —Jenn
I always thought Kefir was slang for Weed
I am a huge fan of Lifeway Kefir products and have some every day. If I see this in my local market I will definitely try it out. I wish they’d also focus on a “lite” version, like no fat, no sugar or lower in sugar product, but for now Im mixing my lowfat flavors with non-fat plain if I can find it. LOVE Lifeway! Thank you for posting!
@ Ivori- HA!
Love your Kefir…sometimes difficult to find because the stores that cary run out often.
Where can I find your frozen product in SE Pennsylvania. I’ll drive to get it.
Gary:
The frozen kefir is very new and hasn’t hit shelves everywhere quite yet. If you’d like to email me at derekm (at) lifeway.net, I’d be happy to help you locate a retailer near you who will be carrying the product soon.
Spent a semester in Russia where non-frozen kefir (aka drinkable yogurt) is very popular… never did develop a liking for it, though I did save an unknowing English guy at a hostel in Moscow from pouring it into his tea (he thought it was milk!).
Might have to try the frozen kind!
Wow I totally need to try the frozen Kefir.. it sounds awesome, and I like the low fat aspect.. One thing, how is it on sugar? I will check my local stores for it! Thanks!
I checked their website and it saids one serving has 16g of sugar! Isn’t that a tad too much? Please respond
Hi Vivian,
It is a lot, but it is ice cream, and it is a treat. Everything in moderation is our motto!
–FBG Jenn
I just had some of the strawberry and I must say I’m hooked! I loved how tart and tangy it is and I like knowing that it’s also good for me! I think I have found a new dessert and since I’m 2 blocks away from Whole Foods I’m going to be eating up plenty of frozen kefir!