Aldi Beautiful kefir review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Aldi Beautiful kefir. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this value kefir. We’ll also compare some health factors against other popular kefir.
This kefir is available in Aldi stores in the UK.
You might also be interested in reading our article on the best probiotics in the UK if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
About kefir
Kefir is a fermented dairy drink which is traditionally made by adding kefir grains - which are full of different strains of bacteria and yeast - to milk. (There’s also non-dairy kefir, but we won’t get into that here.)
The result is a tangy dairy drink which is similar to yoghurt but more runny. It also has a lot more bacterial diversity than yoghurt does which makes it better for our gut.
Because of this diversity and increased microbial activity, kefir can sometimes taste a bit more ‘funky’ than yoghurt.
Kefir can be had on its own or you can add it to cereal, smoothies or dressings to increase your probiotic intake.
And because of the strong fermentation of the milk sugars, it is better for people with some degree of lactose intolerance.
However, many commercial kefir are not made in the traditional way and do not offer all these benefits. So it’s important to be aware of how your kefir is made and what it really offers.
Read more about the benefits of kefir and how it differs to yoghurt.
About Aldi Beautiful kefir
You might have noticed from the label and name that Aldi is up to their usual tricks by making the branding of this kefir a copycat of the popular Biotiful kefir brand.
But what’s really strange is that this kefir is actually made by Biotiful - the very brand Aldi are mimicking! However, both brands are keeping very quiet about this collaboration.
One thing worth noting though is that this kefir is not a direct relabelling of Biotiful’s own, normal kefir. You can tell this by looking at the different nutrition information of the two. This Aldi kefir is a lower fat version compared to Biotiful’s normal kefir.
In summary, it’s a different kefir made by Biotiful sold under the Beautiful brand. I hope this all makes sense to somebody.
Ingredients of Aldi Beautiful kefir
It has very simple, natural ingredients, just low fat cow’s milk and live cultures.
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Benefits of Aldi Beautiful kefir
This kefir comes with various health benefits related to its live cultures and nutrients. For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against Yeo Valley kefir which is a popular kefir.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
Aldi Beautiful kefir only includes one type of live culture, the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. This is not normal for a kefir.
Considering kefir is traditionally made with kefir grains containing a multitude of live cultures, you might be wondering whether this is actually a kefir at all. Unfortunately ‘kefir’ is a loose term thrown around a lot for marketing purposes. In my opinion, this is more a drinking yoghurt than a kefir.
In comparison, Yeo Valley kefir includes 14 strains of live cultures but they don’t specify what strains are included so we don’t know how many are probiotic.
In terms of the actual amount of bacteria present (usually expressed as colony forming units), both brands don’t give any specific information on this. Aldi Beautiful kefir just states there are ‘billions of live cultures’.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Other health measures
Aldi Beautiful kefir’s health measures are a mixed bag when compared to Yeo Valley.
Protein: This kefir has moderate protein levels at 3.4%. Yeo Valley is higher at 4%.
Sugar: Its sugar content is moderate at 4.1%, which is much below Yeo Valley at 5.7%.
Fat: It has low fat levels at 1.5%, which is less than Yeo Valley (1.9%).
Calcium: Its calcium content is moderate at 115mg per 100ml - which is less than Yeo Valley’s level of 126mg.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it appears like a slightly yellow-tinged milk with some bubbles on the surface.
Texture
The texture is low to moderately thick for a kefir. It doesn’t have lumps or much effervescence which you often find in traditional kefir.
Flavour
The aroma is just like yoghurt without any funky notes kefir can have.
Similarly, the taste is just like a yoghurty milk. And there’s sort of watery aspect and lack of depth which might be due to the low fat milk used. The acidity is at a low to moderate level. And it doesn’t have the complex funky taste which traditional kefir does.
Overall, the taste is fine and certainly approachable. But again the question arises, is this really a kefir?? It doesn’t have the texture, aroma or taste of traditional kefir - which should not be surprising given it’s fermented with only one strain of live culture.
Use
Given the simple taste this kefir would be very versatile. You could have it on its own or add it to cereal or smoothies.
And it could also perhaps be used as a dressing, but the low acidity might be an issue.
Cost of Aldi Beautiful kefir
You can buy a 750ml bottle from Aldi for £2.29.
Summary
Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Aldi Beautiful kefir is not made in the traditional way with a wide variety of live cultures so it is better thought of as a drinking yoghurt with a simple, clean taste.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients
low in fat
cheaper than others
Cons
the taste is clean and approachable but it lacks depth
doesn’t have the texture, aroma or taste of a traditional kefir
only one strain of live culture used (therefore is it really a kefir??)
needs more information on the actual number of bacteria present (ie colony forming unit count)
Now read about the best kefirs in the UK!
Other health benefits of kefir
Along with the specific benefits of this kefir mentioned above, kefir in general is good for our health in the following ways.
Vitamins and minerals
Kefir is a source of various vitamins and minerals including:
calcium
B vitamins (B12 and riboflavin)
magnesium
potassium
phosphorous
These vitamins collectively support bone health, energy production, muscle function, immune function and cardiovascular health.
Probiotics
These are the beneficial living microbes you are ingesting when you drink kefir. And kefir in general usually has a lot more different strains of probiotics than yoghurt or kombucha does.
Probiotics offer many health benefits including:
better digestive health
better immune function
reduced inflammation
reduced allergies
better nutrient absorption
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially beneficial things probiotics produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Reduced lactose
Because of the strong fermentation of milk sugars by a diverse range of bacteria and yeasts, kefir is better for people with some degree of lactose intolerance compared to milk or yoghurt.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Your reviewer
This hands-on review was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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