Anyone out there knowledgable about Kefir? I have heard some stuff about it and it is similar to yogurt. What is it and is it good on a diet?

Hmm... I tried it once when I studied abroad in Budapest and thought it was pretty gross!!
But that was a few years ago -- I know that my tastes have changed.
I don't know how good it would be from a dietary standpoint.

You might want to repost this question in the nutritian or food-related forum so that you get a better response from those who know more about food.

KEFIR ISN'T THAT AN ARAB CHEESE??, IM PRETTY SURE IT IS, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING MADE FROM YOGURT THATS PRETTY DARN GOOD TRY LEBANEH, YOU CAN GET IT IN MOST MIDDLE EASTERN GROCERY STORES ITS MADE OUT OF YOGURT AND YOU CAN GET IT ROLLED INTO BALLS PACKED IN OIL OR PACKED LIKE YOGURT IN A TUB, THE BALLS ARE ALMOST GOLF BALL SIZED (MAYBE A LIL LESS) AND 60 CALS EACH AND THE TUB IS NOT TOO BAD EITHER

If I get the one with the oil i try not to take oil with it, its easy because the balls are thicker and if i get any oil it is in small trace amounts, I eat this with a nice tomato salad or pita or various items its very yummy and has a good sour taste for a cheese comprable to feta.... plus you usually have like a cup or more oil left when you are done that you can make salads with etc....

laughing cow has lite cheeses 35 cal per piece which are yummy (i like the swiss style)
and there are baby bell light cheeses at 50 cal a piece (the little round ones) which are also super good

and by the way yogurt cheeses i think are excellent for a diet, they are usually low cal and come in various forms and flavors plus most yogurts have acidophilus in them (live cultures) that are good for digestion and female vaginal health (ie help alleviate yeast infections)

not sure if it is a totally Russian Food. But in russia it is not a cheese. It is actially simular to Buttermilk structure. It's made with milk, and I do not think it is terribly bad on calories, but all depends on what kind of milk is used in the process. It is sipposed to have a non sweet taste. Yet people can opt for putting sugar into it. My dad likes it with either sugar or strawberries. Gosh now I long for Russian Made original Kefir.

I've seen kefir similar to buttermilk, it's drinkable. Supposed to have lots of enzymes and micro-organisms that are benefitial to your digestive system.

On another note... you can make your own Labaneh at home, all it is is strained yoghurt. Put no fat plain(natural, non-stirred) yoghurt in a coffee filter and leave it outside the fridge to strain for a few hours, untill it has a consistency like soft cream cheese. Stick it back in the fridge to cool a bit before eating.

It's kind of a yoghurty drink. The ones sold in grocery stores (even Whole Foods or Trader Joes) have a lot of sugar in them. Read the labels to see what you are getting.

Mel

everything you ever wanted to know about Kefir is here:



http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

I love kefir! Actually I drink the Lifeway low-fat and not the homemade kind the Chersky and Turks have made for centuries. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome and reflux disease and it helps me with that more than any pills. I sound like some kind of miracle cure commercial but for me it must calm my insides. One of my grandpas like to drink sour milk for his stomach issues -- this was raw milk from his dairy farm, not homogenized and pasteurized.

I was drinking it in '85 (dunno the brand, I saw it in a health food store) because with working and going to college, I didn't always have time to eat right or else sometimes my stomach was being a pain in the butt so I drank that to put something on my stomach.

Labneh is tasty! I can't find it anywhere around me (I probably could if I went further in towards Chicago). My old boyfriend made his own and he added things to the oil like cracked peppercorns or a garlic clove. I don't care much for the kind in the tub, it has a weird, almost grainy texture.