Spiced Cranberry Kefir Smoothie

Sip the flavors of the season with a gut-healthy, protein-rich smoothie, and try our Spiced Cranberry Kefir Smoothie. Made with silky smooth Lifeway Kefir, this recipe is rich in live and active probiotics to support your gut health, and it contains a complete source of protein thanks to our lowfat plain kefir used in the base of the smoothie. With notes of warming cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, this Spiced Cranberry Kefir Smoothie has a burst of sweetness from a frozen banana, and a refreshing tartness from cranberries.

The beautiful pink color comes from the cranberries in the recipe, and you can also add in additional red berries like strawberries or raspberries to increase the fruity flavor and the pink color. Want to make this smoothie even more unique to your favorite flavors? Use a different flavor of our kefir instead of our lowfat plain. We have endless options to choose from that all work beautifully in smoothies for every season of the year.

To top our smoothies, we added additional cranberries and a cinnamon stick. Feel free to add nuts and seeds or granola as other options, or try unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes to mimic the look of fresh snow. Either way, this recipe is one you can count on to support your gut thanks to Lifeway Kefir’s probiotics, the natural prebiotic fiber found in the banana, and the gut-supportive antioxidants found in cranberries. From our kitchen to yours, we wish you a gut-healthy holiday season!

The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:

Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.

Lifeway Kefir is packed with a variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese,a creamy, high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and a healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.