Table of Plenty high protein kefir review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Table of Plenty high protein kefir. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this protein-focused kefir.
You can (usually) find this kefir in Woolworths stores in Australia.
You might also be interested in reading our review of Table of Plenty’s standard kefir.
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 Table of Plenty high protein kefir
Being a high protein drink, this kefir does come with a longer ingredient list than the standard version (which only contains milk and cultures).
Specifically this high-protein version contains fresh milk, sugar, plant protein (from rice), natural vanilla flavour, prebiotic dietary fibre, live cultures and live probiotic cultures.
Compared to the standard version it contains added sugar which is suboptimal - however (as we will see below) this kefir still has less sugar than close competitors. And in contrast to the standard version, it includes added prebiotic fibre.
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Benefits of Table of Plenty high protein kefir
This kefir comes with various health benefits, particular related to its live cultures. For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against the standard Table of Plenty kefir and also compare it to The Collective Protein Kefir which is another high protein kefir.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live cultures (usually bacteria) which have been proven to give us health benefits.
This kefir has the same probiotic profile as the standard Table of Plenty kefir. It has been fermented with 10 different strains of live cultures and about half of these can be considered probiotic.
The live cultures it includes are:
Streptococcus thermophilus
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus
Lactobacillus helveticus
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis
Leuconostoc
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris LAK
Lactobacillus acidophilus
In comparison, The Colletive Protein Kefir has 13 stains of live cultures.
In terms of the amount of bacteria present, there’s over 37 billion colony forming units per 100g in both versions of Table of Plenty kefir. While The Colletive only has 10 billion per 100g.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Prebiotics
This kefir contains added prebiotic fibre which will will feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply.
They don’t specific what type of fibre though.
Other health measures
Fat: This kefir has moderate fat levels at 3.1% which is slightly above the standard Table of Plenty version which is 2.7% fat and significantly above The Collective (2.1%).
Protein: Its protein content is good at 5.1% - which is far above the standard Table of Plenty at 2.9%. However, this is much below The Collective which is 7.3% protein.
Sugar: The kefir is 5.8% sugar which is far more than the standard Table of Plenty version (2.2%). However, this level is below that of The Collective which is 6.4% sugar.
Calcium: Its calcium content is moderate at 100mg per 100g - which is under Table of Plenty at 120mg and only half that of The Collective (200mg).
Appearance
The appearance is very thick like cream. It also has a slight grey tinge because of the rice protein.
Texture
The texture is very thick - likely from the added plant protein and prebiotic fibre. It isn’t very lumpy like other kefir can be.
Flavour
The aroma is like a normal yoghurt - not too funky. And there’s a slight aroma of vanilla.
The taste is fairly subdued with nothing jumping out a lot. The vanilla comes through again and it has an earthy aftertaste from the plant protein. It isn’t very sour, funky or effervescent like other kefir.
Overall, the taste is a bit on the bland side and it seems a bit strange to combine milk with plant protein in my opinion.
Use
This kefir (with its non-offensive, non-inspiring taste) could be used in a lot of ways such as such as on cereal, in smoothies and drunk on its own. I wouldn’t use it in a dressing though.
Cost of Table of Plenty high protein kefir
We bought a 1L bottle from Woolworths for $10 - which makes it quite expensive, but by no means the most expensive out there.
Summary
Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Table of Plenty high protein kefir offers good probiotics and protein levels. Its use of plant protein in a milk kefir creates a fairly bland taste though.
Pros
10 stains of live cultures
good total number of live cultures (ie colony forming units)
good protein levels (even if less than competitors)
contains prebiotic fibre
Cons
taste is underwhelming and slightly strangely earthy from the plant protein
has added sugar
expensive (like a lot of kefir)
less calcium than competitors
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.
Our favourite gut health products in Australia
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
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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