Nutritionists told which okroshka is more useful – on kvass or on kefir

Okroshka is a traditional summer dish of Russians, however, there is no exact interpretation among culinary specialists to fill it with kvass or kefir in the classic recipe. This gives rise to fans of different filling options to argue among themselves. Meanwhile, nutritionists have their own opinion on this matter.

As the head of the day hospital of the Clinic for Clinical Nutrition of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology”, nutritionist, cardiologist Tatyana Zaletova, told MK, of course, between kvass and kefir, a person will first of all choose what he likes best. But there are subtleties.

“This is our national dish, which is difficult for foreigners to understand, and the set of products in it is quite aggressive for the gastric mucosa. Therefore, if a person has problems with the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum), any okroshka can cause an exacerbation of this group of diseases.

If there are no such problems, and a person loves and tolerates this dish well, he has no other medical contraindications, then the food should bring pleasure,” the expert says.

“On what basis okroshka is prepared is only a matter of taste, although a lot depends on the state of health,” agrees Yulia Chekhonina, a nutritionist, senior researcher at the Department of Rehabilitation Dietetics of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology”.

“According to a number of amateurs, the taste of okroshka on kefir is better,” says Dr. Chekhonina. – Kefir is a sour product, it harmoniously complements the components of products in okroshka. And kvass always contains sugar.

And, therefore, if you look at the composition of traditional kefir with a fat content of 3.2%, then its calorie content is only 59 kcal per 100 grams, it has a lot of protein and 3 grams of fat. Kefir also contains vitamins B2 and B12 (13% of the daily value in 100 ml), and from 100 ml of the drink you will get 12% of the daily value of calcium and the same amount of phosphorus.

Kvass has a less diverse vitamin and mineral composition: 6% of the daily norm of vitamins B1 and B2 each. Therefore, we can say that kvass is significantly inferior to kefir in terms of vitamins and minerals, it does not contain protein and fat. And although kvass is less caloric (37 kcal), at the same time it contains twice as many carbohydrates as kefir, which also dictates restrictions. In case of violations of carbohydrate metabolism, diabetes mellitus, the addition of kvass to okroshka should be agreed with the attending physician. For those who control their diet, it is also better not to get carried away with okroshka on kvass.

At the same time, okroshka on kefir, adds Zaletova, implies an additional intake of fermented milk products, which means additional useful lactobacilli for the intestines. Whereas highly carbonated kvass can lead to narrowing of the gallbladder ducts and worsening of the outflow of bile, and from this point of view, kvass is less safe. “Plus, for people who control weight, reduce it or do not want to gain it, it is better to use kefir, because kvass is a more carbohydrate product. And if there are problems with the stomach, and a person cannot refuse okroshka in any way, in this case, less radishes should be added to it and kvass should still be used, but leave the drink open for some time so that gases come out of it. The radish from the okroshka set most strongly provokes the secretion of gastric juice and increases acidity.

And although the nutritionist calls the combination of products in okroshka “nuclear”, on the other hand, the dish contains a lot of greens, which are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. And radish, although it provokes acid secretion, is a product with a high content of dietary fiber and bacterial phytonutrients.

Nutritionists do not unanimously welcome sausage in okroshka and advise replacing it with boiled lean meat or poultry.

Yulia Chekhonina believes that this cold soup contains mainly healthy components, except for those cases when sausage is added instead of meat.

“The classic sausage has a lot of fat and cholesterol, which is undesirable for those who are losing weight or suffering from diseases of the heart and blood vessels. And if after eating okroshka you notice negative symptoms (heartburn, heaviness, bloating), you need to come to terms with the fact that this is not your product and do not force your body with it, ”advises Tatyana Zaletova.

“Since okroshka is a liquid dish, it helps to control the calorie intake. Liquid meals have a lower calorie content than dense ones, in the same volume. So okroshka can become a full-fledged component of a healthy diet, but requires caution for those who control the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.

What about those who are not friends with alcohol? After all, it is believed that it is present in both kefir and kvass.

“If you completely avoid alcohol, we recommend eating okroshka in the form of a salad,” says Tatyana Zaletova.

“There are negligibly few degrees in kefir and kvass, so there will be no problems for those who have excluded alcohol from their lives,” Chekhonina believes, “As an option: use curdled milk or yogurt.”

As for tan, Yulia Chekhonina does not recommend it as a small dressing for those who are prone to edema and suffer from high blood pressure: “This drink contains salt. If you have no contraindications, then you can make okroshka in the tanya. Summer is a hot period, we lose a lot of fluid, and tan can be the drink of choice for making okroshka for healthy people, since the salt in its composition will favorably affect the electrolyte balance, which is disturbed by increased sweating.”

Beetroot is essentially the same okroshka, the calorie content of such a soup will be lower, but there is less protein in beets. But the use of beets has a beneficial effect on blood formation and the nervous system, and contributes to the removal of excess fluid and the regulation of metabolic processes.