Coles kefir review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Coles kefir. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this Coles own-brand kefir.
For this review we have tested the vanilla version.
You can find this kefir in Coles stores in Australia.
You might also be interested in reading our review of the best Coles brand yoghurts.
About kefir
Kefir is a fermented dairy drink which is 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.
Read more about the benefits of kefir and how it differs to yoghurt.
Ingredients of Coles kefir
This kefir doesn’t include anything nasty (aside from too much sugar), but it does include a few ingredients which you wouldn’t find in a traditionally made kefir.
The specific ingredients are pasteurised milk, skim milk powder, clarified pineapple concentrate, vanilla extract, pectin, natural flavour and live cultures (milk).
The first thing to note is that they do use some milk powder - presumably to keep costs down primarily, but also maybe to increase the protein content.
They also use pineapple concentrate (read: sugar), vanilla extract and natural flavours for taste.
And pectin, which is a plant‑based fibre (from fruit peels, usually citrus or apple), is added as a stabiliser and thickener.
So I think it’s fair to say this isn’t a traditional, authentic kefir.
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Benefits of Coles 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 Table of Plenty kefir - which is a premium kefir also available in Coles.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live cultures (usually bacteria) which have been proven to give us health benefits.
Unfortunately Coles doesn’t specify the exact strains of live cultures they include so we don’t know how many can be considered probiotic.
They simply state there are ‘12 strains of live cultures’ and specify the genera these strains come from.
These genera are:
Bifidobacterium
Lactobacillus
Lactococcus
Leuconostoc
Streptococcus
In comparison, Table of Plenty includes 10 strains of live cultures and around half of these can be considered probiotic.
In terms of the amount of bacteria present, there’s 8.5 billion colony forming units per 100g in Coles kefir - which is around a quarter of that of Table of Plenty (37 billion).
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Other health measures
Coles kefir presents a very mixed bag in terms of its health measures.
Protein: Its protein content is surprisingly good at 6.1% - which is double that of Table of Plenty at 2.9%. Coles kefir even has more protein than some kefir which market themselves as being high in protein such as Table of Plenty’s high protein kefir version.
Sugar: This product is very high in sugar for a kefir with 9.9% sugar. This is quadruple that of Table of Plenty (2.2%).
Fat: This kefir has moderate fat levels at 3.6% which is again above Table of Plenty (2.7%).
Calcium: Its calcium content is very good at 160mg per 100g - which is more than Table of Plenty at 120mg.
Appearance
It appears more like a thickened yoghurt as it holds an irregular shape in the glass. It also has the black specks you would expect from the vanilla extract.
Texture
The texture is very thick and is just runny enough to drink. It slowly slides out of the glass in one gloop. And you have to squeeze the bottle when pouring sometimes just to get it to come out. This is not usual for a kefir.
It also isn’t lumpy like traditional kefir usually is.
All this makes me think the production process is perhaps more like yoghurt than kefir.
Flavour
The aroma is mostly like pineapple to me (thanks to the added concentrate) and a little vanilla.
The taste is quite sweet and again too much of pineapple. Otherwise it has a rather bland yoghurt flavour with low acidity. It isn’t very sour, funky or effervescent like other kefir.
Overall, the taste is fine enough if you don’t mind the sweetness, but it doesn’t taste like a kefir and isn’t anything to write home about.
Use
This kefir could be used on cereal or had on its own. But perhaps it would be best in a smoothie if you wanted to add some sweetness.
I wouldn’t use it in a dressing though.
Cost of Coles kefir
We bought a 720g bottle from Coles for $5.95. This equates to around $8.20 per kg.
Considering you can buy the much superior Table of Plenty for $8.90 for 1L, Coles kefir doesn’t present good value.
Summary
Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Coles kefir tastes and appears much more like a yoghurt than a kefir. Its health metrics are very mixed and it has more ingredients than you would find in a traditional kefir.
Pros
12 stains of live cultures (but we don’t know how many are probiotic)
good protein levels
good calcium levels
Cons
has a few non-traditional additives like pineapple concentrate, pectin and natural flavours
taste is approachable enough but too much of pineapple and not like kefir
high in sugar
value is questionable
low actual amount of live cultures (ie colony forming units)
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 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.
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FixBIOME is a natural and very evidence-based supplement which is specifically designed to get your gut back into good shape. Perfect for those who need a gut reset
Read more about the best gut health products in Australia.
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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