The Collective Protein Kefir review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of The Collective Protein Kefir. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this kefir.
For this review we have tested the original, unflavoured version.
You can find this kefir in Woolworths supermarkets and other food stores in Australia.
Is this a kefir or yoghurt?
Kefir is a fermented dairy drink which is made by adding kefir grains - 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 drink which is similar to yoghurt but more runny and sometimes a bit ‘funky’ tasting. Kefir also generally has a lot more bacterial diversity than yoghurt and a slight fizz from the yeast fermentation.
On the bottle of The Collective Protein Kefir they label it as an “active probiotic protein kefir yoghurt” - which leaves you wondering which one it actually is!
Given that it makes no mention of kefir grains on the bottle or website, and that it pours very thick and tastes like a yoghurt, I’m inclined to view it more as a yoghurt which is fermented with more strains of bacteria than usual. But it seems impossible to tell for sure whether it is technically a kefir or yoghurt.
In any case, we definitely know it’s a fermented dairy drink which contains probiotics!
Read more about the benefits of kefir and how it differs to yoghurt.
Ingredients of The Collective Protein Kefir
Unlike other kefirs (such as Table of Plenty), this kefir isn’t made from fresh milk - it is made from milk powders and milk solids. This makes it lack a sense of authenticity in my opinion.
The specific ingredients are: Water, Whole Milk Powder, Skim Milk Powder, Milk Solids, Stabiliser (Pectin), Live Cultures (Milk).
So there’s nothing strongly concerning about the ingredients, but it isn’t made in the traditional way with fresh milk.
Benefits of The Collective Protein Kefir
This kefir comes with various health benefits, especially related to its probiotic and protein content.
Live cultures
The main benefit of this kefir is the probiotics (ie live beneficial bacteria) it contains.
It includes 13 different strains of live cultures:
Bifidobacterium infantis
Bifidobacterium lactis
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
Lactobacillus fermentum
Lactobacillus paracasei
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides
Streptococcus thermophilus
In terms of the amount of bacteria present, there’s a minimum of 10 billion colony forming units per 100g. However, this is far below the 37 billion in Table of Plenty.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
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.
Protein
Unsurprisingly given its name, this kefir has a high protein content at 7.3%. This is more than double that of Table of Plenty.
Vitamins and minerals
This kefir is also a good source of:
calcium (which helps digestion)
magnesium (which supports bone health, muscle function and energy production)
phosphorus (which is important for bone and teeth health and energy metabolism)
vitamins B2 and B12 (which support immunity)
Appearance
It has the appearance of a thick yoghurt - not the liquid appearance typical of a kefir.
Texture
Unsurprisingly given the above, it has a very thick mouthfeel.
Flavour
The aroma is like a sour yoghurt with some funky notes coming through.
It has a fairly high level of sourness and otherwise tastes like a natural yoghurt. It doesn’t come across like it is made from milk powders (unlike Babushka’s kefir).
Overall, the taste is nice and clean - but more like a yoghurt than a kefir.
Use
This kefir would work well in smoothies, on cereal or with fruit - basically in any scenario you would normally use yoghurt.
Cost of The Collective Protein Kefir
You can buy a 700ml bottle from Woolworths for $6.
Summary
3.75 stars out of 5.
A kefir (or yoghurt?) made from milk powders with a nice taste and good bacterial diversity.
Pros
13 strains of live cultures
high in protein
good source of vitamins and minerals
Cons
made from milk powders, not fresh milk
low actual amount of probiotics (ie colony forming units) compared to some leading brands
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
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