Probiotics Fermented Milk: Arla's Kefir vs. Arla's A38

Today we are unpacking two of the biggest Danish's healthy probiotic heavyweights in the fermented fridge: Kefir (Picture 1-3) and A38 (Picture 4-6).

Arla's Kefir Natural Yogurt Drink is fermented with a complex combination of diverse lactic acid bacteria strains plus beneficial yeasts, while A38 Natural Yogurt Drink is fermented with the traditional Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) bacteria cultures.

Arla's Cultura Kefir is better for broad gut health and nutrition with its complex combination of diverse lactic acid bacteria strains plus beneficial yeasts, while Arla A38 has higher protein and lower calories.

While both are probiotic fermented milks, A38 is a thicker, spoonable version for your breakfast bowl (although in our family, we drink it like we are drinking buttermilk), while Kefir is a fizzy, drinkable beverages.

What should you choose?

Choose both:

1. Rotate between these two for your family and children as daily milk drinks. Stir in a bit of honey right before you drink it. and voila, you have a delicious probiotics drinks. *

Don’t serve Yakult to your children as it contains a high amount of added sugar.

Do the Math: One tiny 80ml bottle of standard (red top) Yakult packs 9.5 to 10 grams of added sugar. That equals roughly 2.5 teaspoons of sugar in a very small serving.

2. Make smoothie alternating between the two.

3. Bake your bread rotating between these two.

Additional Information:

Gut Microbiome Diversity (Winner: Kefir): 

Arla Cultura Kefir is fermented with a complex symbiotic matrix of both diverse lactic acid bacteria and active yeasts. This dual-fermentation populates your gut with a wider variety of microflora than standard yogurts. A38 specifically targets the gut with its isolated, robust strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5®), which is great for targeted digestion but lacks kefir's overall strain variety.

Protein & Calories (Winner: A38): 

If you compare the standard 1.5% fat version of A38 against the 2.5% fat Kefir, A38 Naturel 1.5% gives you more protein and fewer calories per 100 grams.

Lactose Intolerance (Winner: Kefir): 

For many Chinese who are Lactose Intolerance, Arla Cultura Kefir Naturel is 100% lactose-free. Arla incorporates the lactase enzyme during production to pre-digest the milk sugars. (While A38 is naturally lower in lactose than regular milk due to its fermentation, it still contains standard milk sugars.)

* Do not mix the honey into the dairy ahead of time. If left together for many hours in a container, the concentrated honey will begin to degrade the live bacterial strains. Drizzle the honey on immediately before consuming.

Oh.. how fortunate we are in Denmark where these are available daily fresh and without processed additives from Netto and all Danish supermarkets at very cheap prices.

Please allow me to share a few lines to God. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Dear Lord Jesus, I have a wish. I wish that this will be affordably available in Singapore one day for my beloved Singaporeans. I know You are God and I know all things are possible with You. So I pray and entrust my wish to You, dear God. How great I am to know You personally, Lord. You are good all the time. And when bad things happen, You are still good all the time.

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Please allow me to share a few lines to my Chinese audience. Sorry for any inconvenience caused to non-Chinese readers.

益生菌，大家都知道对人体和胃的健康是多么的重要。

上帝啊，我感谢祢为我们创造了益生菌。我也感谢祢祝福Arla品牌。难得有这种负责任，好的公司。我们好幸福。

References:

https://www.arla.dk/.../artikler/bakteriekulturer-i-yoghurt/

Easy Danish Overnight Rising 20% Wholewheat Carrot Bread Rolls (Koldhaevede Fudkornsboller)

 

This is truly one of the best - easiest, healthiest and most delicious bread rolls I have ever tried, crispy crust on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside (you don't even need to knead the dough), and I would like to share it with you. All the parents and children at our children's school love them. Do try baking them :-)

This recipe is a recipe from Arla (see below video too). https://www.arla.dk/opskrifter/nemme-kernestykker-med-ske/

Makes 15 bread rolls

Ingredients:

1. 10g fresh yeast

2. 10g grove sea salt (2 tsp) (1,7% of flour weight)

3. 500ml cold distilled water (cooled boiled water) 

4. 300ml A38 natural yogurt (76% of flour weight)

5. 125g (400ml) rolled oats

6. 125g (200ml) Salling wholewheat flour (33% of total flour weight)

7. 60g (100ml) sunflower seeds

8. 100g (1 large carrot) grated, grated squash or grated apple

9. 500g Salling organic wheat flour

10. Optional: 200ml blending of seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds for sprinkling on top of the dough (approx. 60-180g as desired) (You can use rolled oats instead too)

Directions:

1. Place water, yogurt, yeast, grated fruit and/or vegetables, rolled oats, whole-grain flour, and sea salt in a bowl and mix well.

2. Add wheat flour and mix the dough thoroughly using a wooden spoon—the dough should be moist.

3. Sprinkle the seeds over the top of the dough. Cover the bowl (e.g., with a lid or a plastic bag) and place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.

4. Turn on the oven and place a roasting pan on the bottom rack to heat up.

5. Once the oven is hot: Dip a tablespoon in water and shape the desired number of rolls by placing mounds of the soft dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Immediately place the rolls in the oven (otherwise they will deflate) and pour approximately 1 dl of water into the hot roasting pan at the bottom of the oven. Close the oven door immediately to trap the steam inside.

7. Bake the rolls for 15–20 minutes at 250°C (fan-assisted); the steam makes them extra crispy, so ensure the oven door remains closed throughout the baking process. Transfer the hot rolls to a wire rack and let them cool.

8. Save the remaining dough for the next day, or bake another batch of rolls with the rest of the dough.

Video Demonstration by Arla:

https://youtu.be/ccr-D0o3des

Additional Information:

While white flour bread rolls are tasty, but they are pretty much empty calories void of much nutrients. Our kids can be quite picky at times, thus I wanted their snack/food to be packed with as much nutrients as possible, so that if they only eat the bread rolls and nothing else, I will still rest easy. 

These bread rolls contain protein and calcium from the A38 yogurt milk, beta carotene from the carrot. The carrot also gives the bread rolls the natural sweetness and helps the bread rolls stay moist. The sunflower seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds are all jammed packed with nutrients and good energy source. 

The dough should be quite wet and sticky, but it should hold its form and not runny. If your rolls flattens out, it means you have added too little flour. Adjust with more flour bit-by-bit. You can use grated apple, squash, etc. instead of carrot. I tend to use half a portion of carrot and apple. If you don't have the time to leave the dough to rise overnight, you can leave it in room temperature to rise for 3-4 hours and it will double in size within that time.

You do not need an electric mixer for this, as there is no kneading required. The dough is very forgiving and can be easily combined using a ladle or spoon. 

You can use water instead of distilled water. I am using distilled water because the Danish water is hard. Thus, for me using softer distilled water gives an evern better result.

I recommend using sea salt, as it gives a better result as table salt is usually enriched with iodine, which makes the bread rolls a tiny bit less chewy.

Although the beneficial probiotic bacteria in acidophilus fermented milk will die during baking, use it anyway because it:

1. Improves Texture & Crumb: The natural acidity in yogurt breaks down gluten strands slightly. This yields a much softer, more tender, and pillowy interior crumb.

2. Enhances Flavor: Even though the bacteria die, the lactic acid they produced before baking remains in the dough. This injects a complex, tangy, sourdough-like flavor into a quick yeast bread.

3. Extends Shelf Life: The increased acidity from the yogurt acts as a natural preservative. It slows down the staling process and keeps your bread fresh and mold-free for days longer.

4. Boosts Nutrition: Yogurt adds protein, calcium, and pre-digested nutrients to your dough. Furthermore, the dead probiotic cells themselves (known as paraprobiotics or heat-killed probiotics) can still interact positively with your immune system and gut lining.

Hope your children and teenagers will like these bread rolls as much as mine do :-)

Arla's recipe's ingredients are listed below just for my own record:

1. 500g plain wheat flour

2. 200ml (100g) wholewheat flour

3. 400ml (125g) oats

4. 10g fresh yeast

5. 500ml cold water

6. 300ml Arla's natural A38 yogurt

7. 100g carrots grated (approx. 1.5 carrots)

8. 1.5 tsp salt

9. 100ml sunflower seeds (approx. 60g)

References:

https://www.arla.dk/opskrifter/nemme-kernestykker-med-ske/

https://www.valdemarsro.dk/koldhaevede-boller/

https://madenimitliv.dk/2015/08/koldhaevede-boller/

Salling organic wheat flour available from Føtex supermarket

Salling wholewheat flour available from Føtex supermarket

A38 Natural Yogurt 0.4% fat

In a large bowl or electric mixer, add 10g of fresh yeast.

Add 10g sea salt.

Add 1 large carrot (grated) 100g.

Add 300ml of A38 natural yogurt and 500ml of distilled water (cooled boiled water)

Add 125g of rolled oats.

Add 50ml of flaxseeds (optional)

Add 200g of Graham flour or Olands wholewheat flour.

Add 500g of flour.

Add 60g (1 dl) sunflowers seeds.

Now it's done :-) The dough should be quite wet and sticky, but hold its form and not runny.

Sprinkle 200ml of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, chia seeds and/or flax seeds as desired on top of the dough, cover and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Cover and place overnight in the fridge.

It has grown into double its size in the morning.

Place in the oven and pour a glass of water into the empty baking tray. 

Bake for 20 minutes until the buns turn golden.

The buns are done :-)

Chinese Multigrain Egg Fried Rice (八宝蛋炒饭)

 

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

- 500g cooked multigrain rice (chilled in the fridge overnight) consisting of half brown rice and half multigrain consisting a mixture of:

            1. Yellow Quinoa 

            2. Red Quinoa

            3. Black Quinoa

            4. Millet

            5. Yellow Millet

            6. Red Lentils

            7.  Spelt Kernels

            8. Wheat Kernels

            9. Brown Rice

            10. Black Rice

- 5 eggs

- 5 cloves garlic minced

- 2 TBS canola cooking oil

- 1 TBS soy sauce

- 1 stalk of spring onion chopped

- 1 large carrot diced (I like to use my mini food processor for this to very small size, but you can dice by hands) 

- A handful of frozen peas

- A handful of frozen corns

- A handful of Mukimame 

- Salt & pepper to taste

- Optional: 250g minced pork marinated with 1 TBS soy sauce and 1 TBS sesame oil

Instructions:

1. If using minced pork, marinade the minced pork with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.

2. Heat wok or a large skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke slightly. 

3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl it around. Crack eggs and add eggs in. Let them sit for a few seconds until the bottom sets, then quickly scramble them into soft, fluffy pieces. Remove the eggs while they are still slightly runny and set aside.

4. Heat wok/skillet and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil again.

5. Fry marinated minced pork until golden and set aside.

6. Heat wok/skillet and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil again.

7. Add minced garlic and half of the chopped green onions and fry until fragrant about 30 seconds.

8. Add the cooked multigrain rice and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the grains are heated through and start to "dance" or pop lightly in the pan.

9. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, salt and pepper and stir, toss and mix well to ensure every grain is coated uniformly.

10. Add peas, corns and Mukimame and stir and mix well.

11. Add back the fried eggs and fried minced pork, stir and mix well.

12. Turn off the fire, add diced carrots, stir and mix well.

13. Garnish with the remaining chopped spring onion

Additional info:

This is a hit with J and very delicious, try it 🙂 It was also a big hit at the Bible study group today ❤️❤️ 

You can buy mukimame from Netto or Føtex Supermarket.

Dice carrots by hand or by mini-food processor.

Heat wok under medium fire (no. 7-8 on my stove) and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.

Crack 5 eggs and fry them. Let them sit for a few seconds until the bottom sets, then quickly scramble them into soft, fluffy pieces. 

Remove the eggs and set aside.

Heat wok again under medium fire (no. 7-8 on my stove) and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.

Add the cooked multigrain rice and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the grains are heated through and start to "dance" or pop lightly in the pan.

9. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, salt and pepper and stir, toss and mix well to ensure every grain is coated uniformly.

Add Mukimame and stir and mix well.

Add peas and stir and mix well.

Add corns and stir and mix well.

Add back the fried eggs and fried minced pork, stir and mix well.

 Turn off the fire, add diced carrots, stir and mix well.

Dish and serve :-)

Homemade Milk-Egg Enriched Oatmeal Porridge 🥣

 

Serves 8

In general, 1 part rolled oats, 2 parts milk

Ingredients:

1. 400ml rolled oats

2. 700ml fresh milk (I like to use full-cream fresh milk (sødmælk)) *

3. 8 eggs + 100ml milk *

4. 0.5g salt or 1 turn of the salt shaker🧂

* Total: 700ml fresh milk + 100ml fresh milk with the eggs = 800ml

Directions:

1. In a pot, add 400ml of rolled oats, 700ml of fresh milk and one turn of salt.

2. Bring to light boil under constant stirring on high heat (takes about 2-5 mins).

3. Cover and simmer under low heat (no. 4 on my stove) for 10 mins or until the rolled oats are cooked like porridge.

4. Now it’s done and is delicious eaten plain if you prefer not to add egg 🙂

5. To add egg, turn down the heat to low (no. 2.5 on my stove of 9). Then in a separate bowl, add 8 eggs and 100ml of milk, beat and mix well.

6. Gradually add the egg mixture to the oatmeal porridge under constant stirring to mix well. The heat of the hot porridge under simmering heat will cook the eggs. If you wish to cook it faster, turn up the heat to a max of medium (no. 4 on my stove) 

7. Done 🙂 You can cook and stir a little longer to let the liquid evaporate if you wish a thicker consistency:-) If you wish to thin it, adjust with a bit more milk.

Additional Information:

Every family has their own way of making oatmeal porridge. This is the way I make it for our family :--). Eat it on its own or with top with some berries🫐, sunflower seeds, strawberry sauce🍓or a bit of honey🍯

I also use this as base ingredients for our smoothie.

Some general ratios:

In general, use 1 part rolled oats to 2 parts fresh milk.

And mix 1 egg with approx. 1 tablespoon fresh milk.

I have to squeeze in as much protein as possible into C’s diet as she is a very picky eater.

It forces me to think creatively and use a lot of time to make home-cooked food. But in the process, I have discovered many wonderful and tasty recipes through trial and error.

God doesn’t waste any of our pain and suffering. Through this difficulty, God helped me to dive hard in, in search of food that our picky daughter could eat and grow up well.

It uses a lot of my time in these experiments. This is the one of reasons why I have chosen to be a stay home mom.

Oatmeal porridge cooked with fresh milk enhanced with eggs for vitamin B and vitamin D (the latter is much needed for bone growth and development) and a dash of salt.

You can sweeten with it honey or eat it without any sweetener.

This time round, i added more eggs -  3 eggs in this small pot of oatmeal. To prevent caking and to get a nice smooth egg custard texture, first beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add a bit of milk, about 50 - 100 ml milk to the egg mixture, then stir into the pot in a tiny stream under low fire. Only add in the egg mixture at the last stage of cooking the oatmeal porridge, basically after the porridge is cooked.

Use low to medium heat (highest no. 4.5 out of 9 on my stove).

To make it even more tasty by giving it an added layer of texture and bite, sprinkle a tablespoon of raw oats into the porridge and mix well after you have off the fire and about to serve 🙂

Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding a bit of milk if needed.

If your child can accept it, add a bit of sunflower seeds. If they are picky like mine, you can a dash of muesli or chocolate chips of homemade strawberry sauce 🙂

There you go, you now have a delicious super-nutritious slow-burning energy oatmeal packed with natural calcium, vitamins B especially vitamin B12, vitamin D, minerals and loads of protein and fiber for your growing children.

And if you have a super picky eater like mine, don’t give up. Pray to Jesus. He understands and He will help you. He will dry your tears and give you the strength to continue being a mom.

Rolled oats

In a pot, turn heat to low-medium (no. 4 on my stove) and add 400ml of rolled oats.

Add 700ml of fresh milk. I like to use full-cream fresh milk for the richness, flavor and taste.

Add a pinch of salt 0.5g or 1 turn of the salt shaker.

Stir and mix well.

Cover and let it simmer and cook for 20 mins until cooked. Stir occasionally.

Noe it is done :-) You can eat it on its own like that, and it tastes super. You can also add eggs to enhance the nutritional value. If so, continue as follows:

In a separate bowl, crack 8 eggs and add 100ml of fresh milk.

Mix well.

Add egg mixture.

Stir and mix well.

Now it is done :-) Look how rich and creamy it is :-) You can eat it on its own now.

You can add some raw rolled oats in for a layer of taste and texture (optional).

You can also sweeten it with honey as desired.

Store it in an air-tight glass container and can keep in fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 6 months.

You can sprinkle some raw rolled oats on top of the container too for layer and texture of taste, and it also helps to prevent a film from forming on the oat porridge (if you mind having this film).

Serve with a dash of homemade strawberry sauce (shape it into a heart :-)) or

Oatmeal porridge with homemade strawberry sauce sweetened with honey and top it with some berries and nuts for breakfast🍓Bon Appetit :-)