6 Best vegan food sources of probiotics

Yogurt is the most popular and easy to find source of probiotics. However, for people on a vegan diet, yogurt is not a viable probiotic choice. A vegan diet means eating only foods of plant origin, namely vegetables and fruits. So, can people who are on a vegan diet not eat and drink probiotics? Of course you can, probiotic food sources are not only from yogurt and some come from plants. There are several probiotics for vegans that are easy to get.

Probiotic food choices for vegans

1. Sauerkraut

source: Medical News Today

Sauerkraut is a European food which is a fermented product of cabbage. You can make sauerkraut by soaking finely chopped cabbage in salt water. The fermentation process of this cabbage is assisted by bacteria Lactobaciullus which converts sugar into lactic acid.

In addition, sauerkraut also contains fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, sodium, iron and manganese. To make it delicious to enjoy, you can add sauerkraut to a salad or sandwich.

2. Kimchi

source: MNN

Kimchi is a Korean dish made from fermented cabbage. Kimchi contains probiotics, vitamins, and antioxidants.

The manufacturing process is similar to sauerkraut, but also with spices and a few other vegetables. These probiotic foods have a sour and spicy taste that will whet your appetite.

3. Pickles

Source: Vero at Home

Pickles are a complementary food made from various vegetables that have gone through a fermentation process. Almost all vegetables can be processed into pickles, but there are some vegetables that are often used to prepare pickles. For example cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, radishes, and red peppers.

The pickles are fermented by soaking the cucumber in a salt solution, then the lactic acid bacteria that are naturally contained in cucumbers will help the fermentation process and produce a sour taste.

To add flavor, you can add cooking herbs or spices, such as garlic, bay leaf, pepper, and coriander seeds.

Although fermented vegetables are rich in several nutrients, pickles also contain a lot of sodium. To avoid the risks of a high-salt diet, such as high blood pressure and water retention, you should eat pickles in normal portions.

4. Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented tea made using a mixture of bacterial and fungal cultures, known as scoby.

Kombucha contains low levels of alcohol. However, some types of kombucha also contain alcohol that is high enough to be classified as beer.

5. Tempe

Who does not know this typical Indonesian food. Tempe is a fermented soybean meal. This fermentation process makes tempeh a probiotic for vegans that is easily available. Tempe also contains high protein and vitamin B12.