First of all, you may be asking.. "what is kefir anyway?" That is an excellent question - I can best explain it as a super probiotic-packed yogurt-like beverage.. which is not really that great of a description, so I instead will turn to the experts themselves, as transcribed on the back of the bottle:
Kefir is the smooth, tart, and refreshing cousin of yogurt, and its roots can be traced back more than 2000 years. Originating in the Caucasus Mountains of Europe where people live well past 100 years, the word kefir is though to have been derived from the Turkish word "keif" for "good feelings", probably due to the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.
It appears from perusing their website that Lifeway has multiple products made from kefir, but I was only able to find the smoothie drink in the health food section of my grocery store (I was given vouchers for free products and had to pick them out myself, since it wouldn't be that practical to send dairy products through the mail in 90*+ weather - or any weather, really).
I ended up picking out four different flavors - strawberry banana, mango, vanilla, and chocolate (chocolate not pictured above). I ended up enjoying them quite a bit! The consistency was on par with other yogurt drinks (I remember having my fair share of drinkable yogurts when I was younger); thick but easily drinkable. The taste was quite good - tasted just like a yogurt in the matching flavor of the drink, though it was a little sharper and had a little zing. My favorite was by far strawberry banana (which has since become a staple on my grocery shopping list actually - it's delicious!) though vanilla was quite nice also. I never got a chance to try mango actually - my mom must have liked it because she finished it off without me :) I will say I was disappointed with the chocolate - the chocolate flavoring didn't blend very well with the tartness of the kefir I don't think, and it didn't taste the greatest. But I've never loved chocolate yogurt anyway, so it's possible someone who did would feel differently.
Nutrition-wise it was pretty good - 140 calories for a cup, with 11 grams of protein. A glass is pretty filling so it makes for a good snack, and I love that it is high in protein - ever since I started eating better about a year ago I have made it a point to have a high-protein diet to keep from being hungry, so this fits into my dietary needs nicely.
Overall I was fairly pleased with Lifeway Kefir smoothies! Like I said, these days I always make sure there is a bottle of strawberry banana in the fridge :) Would definitely be interested in trying out some of their other products if they ever make it into my grocery store!
To check out Lifeway be sure to visit their website and Facebook!
Have a fantastic day!♥
~These products were provided for an honest review by me from Influenster~
Strawberry banana is my favorite The mango was good too. This is a nice alternative to a cup of yogurt for a quick lunch or snack.
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