Discover: Kefir

Feb 11, 2025 by Chef David

By Chef David

Kefir is a creamy probiotic beverage, with a slightly tangy taste, made from fermenting milk with kefir grains. Kefir is believed to have originated 2000 years ago in the Northern Caucasus region in Russia. Its name “keif,” translates to “good feeling.” It is low in lactose and can help improve your body’s ability to digest lactose. Kefir is a good source of calcium and protein and contains probiotics which can help with gut health and aid in the digestive processes.

Lifeway Kefir, certified kosher by the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC), is a simple tasty drink whose health benefits may surprise you.

Health Benefits of Kefir

Kefir contains 12 live and active probiotic cultures, approximately 20 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of live and active kefir cultures per cup.  These live microorganisms (probiotics) help correct any imbalance or a deficit of beneficial microbes in your microbiome or add to the populations already living there. A healthy microbiome can improve overall health.

Since it is made from milk, kefir contains the same vitamins and minerals, found in milk. Kefir is rich in bone-building nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, iron, B12, riboflavin, and vitamin K. One study found that people with osteoporosis who drank kefir milk daily showed improvements in their bone mineral density.

It’s Not Yogurt

Kefir is drinkable, with a consistency between milk and yogurt, and contains fewer calories and sugar than yogurt. (The flavor profile is like a tangier yogurt.) Both are fermented but contain different bacteria – kefir contains Lactobacillus kefiri while yogurt contains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Yogurt only contains bacteria, while kefir has bacteria and yeast.

Kefir generally contains three times more probiotics than yogurt. Most kefir contains 12 various types of probiotics, typically measuring around 20 billion CFU, while yogurt contains around 5 probiotic species and only contains approximately 6 billion CFU.

Lifeway Kefir

Lifeway makes a wide variety of Kefir’s including low-fat (the most popular has 1% milk fat and comes in 15 flavors), no-fat, and whole milk (traditional). It is up to 99 percent lactose-free, high in protein, calcium, and vitamin D, each cup of kefir contains 12 live active cultures.

One cup of flavored (we tried strawberry and vanilla and enjoyed every sip) low-fat kefir contains 140 calories with 10 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, and 18 grams of sugar (8 added).  The ingredients include pasteurized low-fat milk, cane sugar, pectin, vitamin A, palmitate, vitamin D3, and cultures. It provides 20% RDA of Vitamin D, 30% calcium, and 8% potassium.

Another Russian Classic – Farmer Cheese

Farmer Cheese is a popular in Russia food. Lifeway farmer cheese is made of plain kefir,  giving it 12 live and active probiotics, and is 99% lactose-free. Visually it resembles cottage cheese, but with larger curds, and less liquid. It is high in calcium, protein, and is gluten-free. the fermentation process makes it easier to digest than regular cottage cheese.

Healthy Choice

For people cutting down on sodium, farmer cheese is a good choice (45 mg of sodium in farmer cheese compared with 400 mg in cottage cheese). The texture and flavor profile was similar, a little denser, but with the same mouthfeel.

Half a cup (4oz) of farmer cheese has 160 calories, 8 grams of fat, 45 mg of sodium, 3 grams of sugar, 13 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fiber.  It gives you 15% calcium RDA and 4% potassium.

You can try substituting farmer cheese for cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in recipes. It provides an easy way to reduce the sodium content without changing the flavor. [When heated the live and active probiotic cultures in kefir and farmer cheese die]. Try adding it to a pasta dish, spread it on toast or it use as a pizza topper instead of mozzarella.

History of Lifeway: Founded in 1986 when Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky, immigrants from the former Soviet Union began making Kefir in the basement of their Skokie, IL home. Two years later, they took the company public. In 2002, Michael Smolyansky’s daughter, Julie, took the helm of Lifeway Foods assuming the role of President and CEO.  Lifeway is committed to providing the best in nutritious, probiotic-rich foods that support health and well-being. They are working to make the world a better place focused on helping people and the planet. Use the location tracker to find a store where Lifeway is sold.

A Pleasant Surprise

You can substitute kefir for milk in smoothies and get the benefit of probiotics and lactose-free. Similarly, try swapping farmer cheese for cottage cheese. We used it in blintzes. it’s a great way for lactose-intolerant to get calcium and protein without sacrificing taste. We were pleased with the versatility of Lifeway farmer cheese, and the nutritional benefits of and flavor of kefir.

Healthy never tasted so good.