Fermented foods are becoming increasingly popular due to their high probiotic content, but where do we start with our little ones? How much do they need? When can we introduce these foods? And do we need a probiotic supplement to accompany them? Let’s dive in!

Fermenting is a traditional food preservation method that helped to keep food from the summer available throughout the colder months. Popular fermented foods that are becoming more and more available are kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and yoghurt.

There are two ways that you can make your own fermented foods:

• A wild ferment: This uses vegetables or fruit, flavours, a brine from salt. Wild ferments can take longer to ferment as the lactobacillus takes a while to come to life.

• A controlled ferment: This uses a culture starter to help kick-start the fermentation process. Using a culture starter speeds up the process of fermentation but also means the fermented food includes a more diverse number of specific bacteria than those that just occur naturally in a wild ferment. I love the culture starters from Kultured Wellness.

So what are the benefits for ourselves and our little ones?

The amount and diversity of beneficial bacteria living in a baby’s digestive tract greatly impacts the strength of their digestion and their overall wellbeing. We know that our child’s gut also houses 80% of their immune system and according to Kultured Wellness, the gut also contains the second biggest nervous system that connects directly to the brain.

The benefits of fermented foods are not just the probiotics that support their gut bacteria and health. The sour flavour of fermented foods are also beneficial. Offering children a variety of foods helps to broaden their palates, but "sour" is an important flavour that isn't usually given to little ones in western cultures. Traditionally fermented foods are a wonderful way to introduce sour flavours. When babies are introduced to fermented foods from a young age it’s easy for them to acquire a taste for this unique flavour profile.

In fact, these sour flavours in fermented foods can actually lessen a child’s desire to over-consume sweet foods. So if you have a sweet toothed child, try and incorporate some fermented foods (just start with a teaspoon of sauerkraut brine) into their diet.

For ourselves in the postpartum period, probiotics play an important role not only for our own health but also our baby’s health if we are able to and choose to breatsfeed.

While the first important transfer of beneficial bacteria occurs in the birth canal during a vaginal birth, breastfeeding continues to inoculate an infant. What a mother eats can significantly impact both the quantity and quality of beneficial bacteria in her breast milk. It’s been shown that consuming probiotics while breastfeeding, either through supplementation or probiotic-rich foods, can more than double the levels of immunoprotective compounds in a mother’s milk.

The beneficial microbes that a baby receives through breastfeeding helps to strengthen their immunity, improve digestion, and lower their risk of allergies, asthma, thrush and eczema.

So how do we start with our little ones and ourselves?

Once baby has begun solids foods, they will benefit from the inclusion of small amounts of fermented foods right away. Probiotic-rich foods should be introduced slowly, starting with very small amounts so a child’s system has time to adjust. And the same goes for you too!

You can dip a spoon or finger in the brine (juice of sauerkraut) or other fermented vegetables and let the baby taste it. Even the juice has beneficial qualities. For older babies and toddlers, you can offer small amounts of fermented foods alongside foods your child is already familiar with. It’s best to not make a big deal of the new foods by drawing attention to the new foods. Doing so may make children more hesitant and less likely to accept the new offering.

Do we need a probiotic supplement alongside fermented foods?

My approach is always going to focus on food first, and when it comes to probiotics, this is no different. Particularly if we are using the Kultured Wellness starters as these provide such a diverse range of bacteria for our gut microbiome.

Some children, however, may require extra support for their gut health and this is dependent on their birth, the milk they have in the first six months of life and their overall health. Probiotics are especially beneficial for babies who were/are formula-fed, who had a caesarean section birth, who have been given antibiotics, or experience constipation, colic, acid reflux, gas or other tummy troubles.

But the quality of probiotics counts! I recommend contacting your preferred healthcare practitioner before offering your baby any supplements, including probiotics.

In Nourished Child, my 8-week program we take a deep dive into ferments and in the 1:1 bonus coaching call the parents receive, we can discuss if supplementation is necessary.