Probiotic Foods: List of Foods Containing Probiotics

Probiotic foods are foods that contain live active microorganisms essential to the function of the digestive tract. These probiotic microorganisms break down of the essential nutrients in foods so the body can better absorb and use them in the body. There are many delicious foods that contain these essential probiotic organisms.

Finding the Common Probiotics

Yogurt is one of the most common foods that can be easily obtained from nearly any grocery store or super market. Make sure to read the container to see if the yogurt you are buying contains live active cultures. Some yogurts do not and therefore offer no probiotic benefits.

Buttermilk is another dairy food that is loaded with beneficial probiotic bacteria. While many people like the sharp flavor and thick texture of buttermilk, there are just as many that care for neither. For those folks who find straight buttermilk unpalatable, you might want to try adding some to strongly flavored fruit smoothie type drinks in order to get the excellent probiotic benefits of buttermilk.

Probiotics Are an Oriental Staple

Tempeh is another fermented soy food that is very rich in probiotics. Since it has a chewy texture similar to that of meat it is used vegetarian and vegan people in place of animal flesh. Since tempeh uses whole soybeans that are allowed to ferment to form the probiotic nutrients, tempeh is also rich in protein and B12, which is often lacking in many vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

Miso is a seasoning that has been being made in Japan for many thousands of years. Fermenting various types of beans and/or grains produces miso. It is used for making soups, flavoring sauces, and making flavored spreads to add to bread or crackers. Popular types of miso include Shiromiso, or white miso, Kuromiso, or black miso, Akamiso, or red miso .

Probiotics for Fun and Health

Believe it or not, Sauerkraut is loaded with probiotic bacterium. This might be one of those favorite stand-bys during football season to go with those hot dogs in your household, or when grilling out or camping. Sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage. Another form of fermented cabbage is called Kim Chi, and is a Korean version of sauerkraut. It has a much stronger smell and is usually a bit on the spicy side.

Brewer's yeast is a by-product of the beer making process and is a very rich source of probiotic cultures as well as being heavy on the B vitamins. Brewer's yeast is excellent for the vegetarian/vegan diet due to the usual lack of foods containing B vitamins, such as meat, fish, and dairy products. Adding a little bit of brewer's yeast to drinks and food will help boost the probiotic content.