Although it’s not officially summer yet, the May long weekend, which tends to mark the unofficial start of summer, is already behind us and we’re in full swing now!
One of our favourite things about spring is the re-opening of Farmer’s Markets, which makes us so excited!
Eating with the season is the best way to get the highest nutritional value from your food and we love checking out our local farmers markets for the freshest produce and sustainably raised meats. Foods that are rich in probiotics are usually an easy find at a farmers market –once you know what you are looking for and not only can they help you stretch a dollar but they also usually last longer than fresh fruits and vegetables.
Read on to learn about probiotics and what probiotic-rich foods you can find at your local farmers market.
Probiotics are so important for a healthy immune system, which is why they’re a key ingredient in our LIKE A MILLION BUCKS immunity pack. So what exactly are probiotics and how do they help maintain a healthy immune system? Probiotics are live microorganisms that help balance the good bacteria in your digestive tract and prevent an overgrowth of bad bacteria. By promoting good bacteria in the gut, Probiotics have been linked to many health benefits, including healthy immunity, good digestive health, and even weight loss, among other health benefits.
Although supplementation is a great way to ensure you’re getting proper probiotics, there’s also a variety of delicious foods that are high in probiotics. We’re excited to share a list of our favourite probiotic-rich foods that can be found at your local farmers market.
- PICKLES
Pickles are a great source of nutrients, are low in calories, and are a great food-source for the good bacteria in your digestive tract. A fun fact that most people don’t realize is that pickling is a way of preserving food and can be done using a variety of vegetables such as beans, cabbage, and beets. The most common vegetable though and likely the one that comes to mind is pickled cucumbers, better known as your classic “pickles”
- SAUERKRAUT
Sauerkraut, which means ‘sour cabbage’ in German, is a popular Eastern European dish and is made of fermented cabbage. The fermentation process enables a very long shelf life and also produces probiotics – a single cup is said to have 3 billion colony-forming units of bacteria to help maintain a balanced digestive tract and maintain good immunity.
- KOMBUCHA
Kombucha is a fermented black or green tea drink that’s been consumed for thousands of years and thought to originate in China or Japan. It’s often touted for its many health benefits, including its potential source of probiotics, which form during the fermentation process.
- CHEESE
If you were looking for a reason to whip up a charcuterie board we have some good news for you – certain cheeses actually contain probiotics! Cheeses that have been aged, but not heated afterwards such as, swiss, gouda, cheddar, provolone, edam, and gruyere all contain probiotics. Farmers markets are a great place to find good quality cheeses that haven’t undergone as much processing.
Let us know if you try any of these probiotic rich foods and how you incorporated them into your diet!
xxx The Evryday Team
