The Truth About
Foods That Contain Probiotics

Are there really foods that contain probiotics? If so, what's the big deal? Why are probiotic foods so essential?


These are important questions that you may be asking yourself, and the answers may surprise you.

When most people think of taking on a probiotic diet, they probably immediately think of yogurt! That's fair enough because organic natural yogurt is certainly one of the foods that contain probiotics, but there are plenty more.

Before we get into listing some of the best probiotic foods, let's just get the basics out of the way about what a probiotic actually is and why it's so important that you include them in your diet.

Probiotics are live microorganisms. In fact, they are bacteria. That may surprise you if you only think of bacteria in the negative sense.

We tell our children to wash their hands before they eat because we don't want them to get germs or bacteria from their hands in their mouth.

We are careful during food prep so that we don't contaminate our food with bacteria from raw meat, etc.

We cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze so we don't pass bacteria around.

These are all important actions, but now I'm telling you that we want to eat bacteria! Am I mad? That's debatable, but not because I recommend a probiotic diet! :)


There are all kinds of bacteria in the world. Some are damaging to the human body while others are beneficial to the human body. The strains of bacteria that are beneficial (often called good or friendly bacteria) are referred to as probiotics. Pro = promoting Biotic = life

Probiotic foods are almost always foods that have been fermented, which causes the breakdown of sugar and carbs in food, making them easier for the body to digest, and also providing us with this beneficial bacteria that takes up residence in our intestines and aids in digesting other foods, too.

Below are the some of the best and most common foods that contain probiotics for your reference.

Common Foods That Contain Probiotics

• Yogurt - I'm not referring to the typical well-known brands on the grocery store shelves. Although they may claim to be probiotic foods, they are almost all filled with sugar, fruit, and additives. 
  
  Look for fresh, organic yogurt, with no sugar added and that has live cultures that are still active and live at the time of consumption. 
  
  
• Kefir - This is milk that has been fermented with kefir grains that break down the lactose. People who have trouble with regular milk due to lactose intolerance can usually enjoy kefir with no trouble and added benefit.
  
  
• Cheese - Some types of cottage cheese and other soft cheeses can be considered for a probiotic diet. You'll have to check each of them on their own individual merits.
  
  
• Buttermilk - Buttermilk is another dairy product that usually contains a good amount of natural probiotics as long as it hasn't been mistreated.
  
  Keep in mind that if a probiotic food has been pasteurized or homogenized after it's been cultured, the heat treatment will have killed off the beneficial bacteria.
  
  
• Natto - Japanese fermented soy beans
  
  
• Miso and Miso Soup - another Japanese fermented seasoning and food that contains probiotics
  
  
• Kimchi - Korean pickled cabbage that also contains a number of spices, etc. 
  
  
• Tempeh - Indonesians version of fermented soybeans that makes a great probiotic food.
  
  
• Saurkraut - Saurkraut is one of my favorite foods that contain probiotics. Basically, saurkraut is simply shredded cabbage, salt, and sometimes a little water that's left to ferment for a week or two. I normally don't make my own, but I'm planning to experiment with that project soon. :)
  
  
• Kombucha - Kombucha is tea that is fermented and has a long history in Asia as being a healthy drink full of live active beneficial bacteria.
  

Well, that's it for this list of foods that contain probiotics. Some of them you may love, while others may not be very appetizing to you. 


If you find it difficult to eat enough probiotic food to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in your system, there are always probiotic supplements. I supplement my probiotic diet with Florafood and some of the other best probiotics available on the market. 

When it comes to friendly bacteria, your body really can't get enough!

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