9 Fermented Foods To Add To Your Grocery List

Have fermented foods made their way into your diet yet?  If not, it could be a good thing to add to your grocery list this week, especially if you’re someone with GI (gastrointestinal) issues. 

Why Fermented Foods

The process of fermentation adds probiotics and prebiotics to the food which when eaten can modify your gut microbiome leading to a possible reduction in digestive symptoms.  Almost anyone can benefit from fermented foods, but other good candidates for regular fermentation in their diet include individuals who travel, those with high stress levels, after taking antibiotics for a sickness, or those with mental health issues.

If you’re curious to learn more about the incredible gut-brain connection check out our previous post.

Below are nine fermented foods for you to try out:

1. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. To find a product that has gut health benefits the trick is to read the ingredients.  You want to find one that hasn’t been fermented with vinegar.  Instead, look for one like Bubbies that is only cabbage, salt, water.  Most of the time these sauerkraut versions will be located in the refrigerated section.  If you are someone who suffers with IBS, including sauerkraut in your diet may be helpful in reducing the severity of your symptoms.
2. Yogurt is next up on our list.  This may be one of the easier fermented products to add into your diet because there are many options within a typical grocery store to select. Read the ingredients to select a yogurt with live and active cultures as this indicates the probiotic content. To better support gut health, we recommend a lower sugar or no added sugar variety.
3. Kefir is actually the most researched fermented food, yet many have never heard of it.  It’s usually located in the same area as yogurt.  Kefir resembles a drinkable yogurt and is made of fermented milk.  It’s tart and tangy in flavor and provides protein, calcium, and Vitamin D.  We recommend the unsweetened variety, by Lifeway, to cut back on added sugars in your diet.  Do you suffer from constipation? Preliminary research shows that Kefir may help.  In addition, the fermentation process makes it a well-tolerated dairy product among those who are lactose intolerant.
4. Kimchi is a Korean, fermented vegetable dish including cabbage, radish, and a variety of spices including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, and ginger.  Its flavor is typically a combination of spicy and sour.  For those looking to reduce inflammation, Kimchi may help.  Research has found Kimchi to have anti-inflammatory benefits that help support immune health.
5. Kombucha is an increasingly popular beverage choice made of fermented tea, usually black tea but sometimes green tea and sugar.  There are many different brands and flavors of Kombucha so it is hard to describe the flavor.  Many of the health benefits of Kombucha are due to the polyphenol content within the tea.  This is an anti-inflammatory property helpful for reducing inflammation and chronic disease.
6. Tempeh is made of fermented boiled and de-hulled soybeans.  Lightlife is a popular brand available in most grocery stores.  It has a chewy texture and mushroom-like flavor. Similar to tofu, tempeh takes the place of meat in many vegetarian and vegan dishes and can soak up the flavors of sauces and spices extremely well.
7. Miso is fermented soybean paste, commonly found in Japanese cuisine. You can find miso at your local grocery store/local Asian grocery store. A popular brand is Hikari’s white miso paste.  There are many varieties of miso including white, yellow and red. Red miso paste is the the most pungent and has been fermented the longest. One study found that those who regularly consumed miso soup reported less occurrences of acid reflux.
8. Pickles are fermented cucumbers, but much like the sauerkraut above you’ll want to read the ingredients to find pickles that are naturally fermented.  Bubbies makes naturally fermented dill pickles and these are located in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
9. Sourdough Bread, perhaps the star of quarantine, is a bread that uses a longer fermentation process.  If you’ve never made it, you begin by making a sourdough ‘starter’ first which takes an average of seven days and involves replenishing the microbes daily.  Then you’ll create the dough similar to typical bread making.  For those with IBS, sourdough may be a better tolerated bread choice due to the lower FODMAP content.

Adding functional foods into your diet allows you one way to optimize your digestive health.  Start by adding one to your diet each week and slowly change it out to try all nine over time.