Last week I made an appearance the Dr. Oz show to talk about disguising probiotics in food recipes to mask the sour taste. You can watch the segment here on DrOz.com.
What are Probiotics?
The most viable definition of probiotics are that they are live yeasts and bacterias that aid in keeping your digestive system healthy and functioning properly. They can lower the amount of poor bacteria in your system that can cause infections, and replace any healthy bacteria lost after taking antibiotics. Don’t forget that antibiotics kill all bacteria both “good” and “bad”. Probiotics also support in maintaining the balance of healthy and poor bacteria in your gut.
Similar to lunch, dinner should be mostly veggies. You can also add a probiotic source, such as sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, or a fermented drink, like ginger brew. Some of our favorite ginger brews on the market are Reed’s Ginger, Bruce Cost, and Maine Root.
Below are two recipes that were featured on Dr. Oz showing how to disguise the taste of probiotics for those who aren’t necessarily fans of sour tasting probiotics like kefir, fermented foods, or taking pills.
Kefir Caesar Salad Dressing
ingredients
3/4 cups plain Kefir
Dairy Kefir by Lifeway is great. Also non-dairy by So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir and Lactose Free by Green Valley Organics
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
freshly ground pepper
pinch of sea salt
- In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Let sit for a bit before using for the flavors to come together.
- Serve over romaine leaves and your favorite assortment of salad veggies.
Sweet Potato Tacos & Sauerkraut Guacamole
taco ingredients
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
2 cups small diced sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup shredded lettuce
4 soft corn tortillas
4 tablespoons cilantro leaves
- In a large skillet heat the oil and cook the sweet potatoes until lightly browned and starting to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Sprinkle with the seasoning, stir in the beans and cook 2 more minutes, until heated through.
- To assemble – heat the tortillas in a dry pan, remove to a plate and top each with 1/4 cup of the lettuce, divide the sweet potato – bean mix among the 4 tortillas and then sprinkle with the cilantro.
guacamole ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped sauerkraut
2 tsp chopped cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
- In a small bowl mash avocados.
- Add salt and lemon juice mixing well together.
- Mix in sauerkraut to combine well.
- Serve with sweet potato tacos or chips.
