The One Food You MUST Have in Your {Healthy} House

If you follow me on social media you already know that one of my favorite foods is raw, fermented sauerkraut. Not only is it packed with vitamin C and cancer fighting antioxidants, but kraut is also loaded with probiotics – the key to improving your health, both inside your belly and out!

In case you’ve missed the memo on probiotics, here’s the quick and dirty: Most of us grew up eating the Standard American Diet, commonly referred to as SAD. This way of eating includes tons of preservatives, refined sugars and chemicals which over time destroy the ecology of the gut inhibiting good health. In order to restore balance in our bodies we must replace the beneficial bacteria killed off by our SAD food choices (and likely overuse of antibiotics but more on that later!). Consuming probiotics, especially through real food, is one of the easiest, most effective ways to do this.

Did you know that one jar of raw fermented sauerkraut is equal to eight bottles of probiotics?!! {tweet that!}

So that brings us to the question: where do I find this stuff?! And more so, how the heck do I eat it?!

As with most health foods, there are a lot of sugar coated options out there so you’ve got to be careful.  Head to the refrigeration section of your local health food store and look for fermented sauerkraut labeled RAW. Or, ask the nearest employee where the raw, fermented veggies are. There are tons of different types including cabbage, carrots and kimchi but make sure to check the ingredients. They should include salt, vegetables and water but NO VINEGAR (and must be refrigerated). Some of my favorite brands include Real Pickles, Farmhouse Culture, Ozuke and Hawthorne Valley Farms but be sure to follow me on Instagram as they’re always changing.

As for eating it, I personally love the taste and eat it straight from the jar or bag – at least a few forkfuls a day. But I get it, kraut isn’t for everyone. Luckily you can incorporate it into meals by:

• mixing it directly into salads (think mild vinegar flavor, just like salad dressing!)
• adding it to sandwiches (if you like pickles in your sandwiches you will LOVE kraut!)
• incorporating it into dips like hummus for veggies or crackers
• mixing it with mashed avocado (this makes the flavor super mild)

Be sure to hop on over to Facebook or snap a pic and let me know @robynyoukilis with the hashtag #yourhealthiestyou: What’s your experience with raw, fermented veggies? Do you have any favorite brands? And most importantly, have you noticed a difference in your health? Maybe less bloating in your belly? 😉

I can’t wait for everyone to get their kraut on!