Fermented Foods to help you Thrive in 2025
Talking sauerkraut at the farmers markets is, by far, the most enjoyable time of the week for us. So many people from all walks of life are tuning into the urgent need to improve health by making better food choices and by ditching the highly processed junk. Our conversations are often personal… getting into topics like which ingredients are on/off their list (either due to personal choice or because they’ve been advised by their healthcare provider) and in what direction do their individual (and family) flavor preferences lead. We have a lot of varieties to choose from; helping folks customize their kraut selection is both fun and rewarding.
One of our fundamental goals in business (and in life) is to promote an eating plan that is focused on nutritional variety. This objective is manifested in our seasonal work where fresh local ingredients are traditionally preserved for enjoyment later. Unique combinations of vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices create unrivaled flavor profiles - we have something for just about everyone. Our commitment to regenerative cultivation and the use of wild fermentative cultures helps to ensure a naturally diversified ecology in all of our krauts. Science is making good progress, but sorting out specific microbial species and their ideal environment for conveying reliable health benefits will take time. In the near term, successful fermentation is achieved when microbial diversity is favored and when these various groups are allowed to work in teams, as nature intended. Patience and diversity drive the magic. The chemical and biological outcomes produced by combining seasonal ingredients with naturally occurring wild cultures results in the most authentic bold and briny flavors.
Flavor and health benefits aside, helping people make practical modifications to their diet so as to incorporate fermented foods, like sauerkraut, seems to dominate our conversations. Thinking back, there was one question that always came up at every market: “How do I eat this?” So yes, we’re recognizing that changes in our diet are needed, but the “how to” is less clear. We’ve learned so much since we started this endeavor. To help you THRIVE in ‘25 we’ve put together some ideas and learnings; ways to think differently about everyday meals but without a lot of extra work. Adding kraut is easy because we’ve done all of the processing for you. All of our krauts are ready to eat right out of the jar. Our ideas center on adapting what’s already on hand in your kitchen - taking current “go-to” foods from bland to flavorful and from blah to nourishingly complex.
Our TOP 5 TIPS for adding fermented foods to your meal plan in 2025:
Rethink breakfast! Top your eggs with kraut, add kraut to avocado toast, stack kraut on your favorite bagel (while cutting down to 1/2 instead of whole bagel), layer frittatas with kraut, add life to your huevos rancheros. SAUERKRAUT is an EASY way to start your day off with low glycemic fermented flavors that you enjoy.
Embrace quick and healthy snacks! For example: cottage cheese + kraut = protein + vegetables/fiber + gut-loving microbes. A high fiber, low sugar, low glycemic snack. Win! Win! Win!
Salads are still King (& Queen)! Raw, leafy, and loaded with fiber, your salad will get even better when you top it with a unique kraut variety. Sauerkraut builds complexity by adding flavor, bioavailable nutrients, fiber, gut-loving microbes and enzymes. No more boring salads.
The best condiments are fermented! We’re talking BIG flavor and BIG health benefits. Whether you’re making a sandwich, topping a baked potato or making a quick snack, using sauerkraut in place of the highly processed condiments means eating foods that will truly love you back.
There’s no shame in eating our krauts right out of the jar! Many folks have told us this. Two enthusiastic thumbs-up from me! We’ve done all the work so you don’t have to… the growing, the fermenting and fully preserving these gut-loving foods. So yes, just open the lid and dive right in!
What’s the deal with LOW GLYCEMIC FOODS? More on this coming soon in a separate post but an important question. Here’s what you need to know, in brief…
Scientific evidence doesn’t support popular claims that low glycemic foods are a path to weight loss. That said, low glycemic foods, like fermented sauerkraut, are naturally high in fiber which helps to slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream reducing insulin spikes. The glycemic index of (GI) of sauerkraut is 15, which classifies it as a low GI food. The glycemic load (GL) of sauerkraut is equal to 0.8, which classifies it as a low GL food. Total calories in one cup of sauerkraut is about 36 with total sugar of 3.4g (differs somewhat based on actual ingredients of each variety).
So… sauerkraut is high in fiber, low in sugar and low in total calories. Incorporate a tablespoon or two of kraut daily into a diet plan focused on nutritional diversity to add BIG FLAVOR, a range of beneficial microbes, more bioavailable nutrients and enzymes, and lots of fiber. This is the way.
About the food photos:
Artisan wholegrain toast topped with hummus, feta, and Kres Eastern Roots Sauerkraut (kimchi style).
Leafy green salad with feta, pecans, fresh blueberries and Kres Touch of Pink Sauerkraut.
Sliced apple with fresh ground peanut butter and topped with Kres Fiery Sauerkraut (hot sauce style).
Artisan wholegrain toast topped a spinach egg bake and topped with Kres Red Sauerkraut.
Classic Reuben sandwich with Kres Sauerruben Sauerkraut.
Toasted bagel and eggs topped with Kres Golden Turmeric Sauerkraut and micro greens.*
Huevos Rancheros topped with Kres Spicy Salsa Sauerkraut
Cottage cheese topped with Kres Red Sauerkraut and microgreens - the best fast break snack I know of.
Keto-Reuben made with roasted cauliflower instead of bread and stacked with traditional reuben ingredients like corned beef, Swiss, Thousand Island Dressing and Kres Sauerruben Sauerkraut.
Bratwurst and vegan carrot dogs topped with a diverse array of Kres Sauerkrauts including: Dilly, Carrot & Caraway and Apple Huniper Berry & Garlic. Mix up the kraut varieties for different flavor and nutritional profiles.
Hummus topped with Kres Sweet Ginger Sauerkraut and microgreens.
Fish Tacos with grapefruit, avocado and topped with Kres Fennel & Green Apple Sauerkraut
* Our body has a difficult time digesting curcumin (turmeric). Too much passes right through. However, the health benefits are so broad that taking steps to improve absorption makes good sense - especially as it relates to gaining more anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Black pepper is one important dietary pairing that significantly improves absorption, the other is fat. We’ve already added black pepper at the onset of fermentation so you simply need to add a fat of your choice when enjoying our turmeric krauts (Golden and Spicy Turmeric). You can go super healthy, like eggs, or super fast, like cream cheese. The addition of a dietary fat helps your body increase absorption of curcumin - big win!
There are so many ways to enjoy sauerkraut. Check out our recipe page for more ideas. Also, stay tuned to our blog; looking ahead, this is where all new recipes will be shared.
Kraut on!
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