Yogurt is highly encouraged on the SIBO diets. It can be a great way to get nutrients as well as helpful probiotics. But if you are new to SIBO, you may be seeing “24-hour” written in front of yogurt and might asking why 24-hours?
The short answer is that you want to make sure your yogurt is SIBO-safe and doe not contain any milk sugars know as lactose. SIBO bacteria can feed off of the lactose and cause symptoms as the population grows.
The long answer is 24-hour yogurt is yogurt that has been fermented for 24 hours. When you make yogurt, you usually pasteurize the milk or heat it to simmer to kill any bacteria in the milk. Then you let the yogurt cool back down to room temperature. Then you add cultures (bacteria) and place the milk in a yogurt maker, oven, or dehydrator and set the temperature between 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. Then you let the milk ferment at that temperature for 24 hours or longer. While the milk will turn into yogurt a few hours into the fermentation, the 24 hours enables the bacteria to break down all of the lactose in the milk. The long duration allows more bacteria to grow and consume all of the lactose so the remaining yogurt is sugar-free.
Most yogurt found in the grocery store is only fermented for a few hours so it still contains lactose and can feed SIBO bacteria unless it is labeled as lactose-free.
Another super easy way to get sugar-free yogurt is to buy lactose-free yogurt in the store. Here you are relying on the manufacturer to do the work for you but if you tolerate 24-hour yogurt you should not have any problems with commercialized lactose-free yogurt.
Some Tips and Ticks
- Unless you are using an oven or large dehydrator making a batch larger than 1/2 gallon can be too much to fit at one time.
- If you like thicker yogurt, strain your 24-hour yogurt and you can vary the thickness from a greek style to a Siggi’s Icelandic Skyr to a cream cheese.
- If you need to gain weight, use whole milk and add 1-2 cups of heavy cream. Be sure the cream doesn’t have any added gums or thickeners.
- If you go all in and want to use a dehydrator I recommend the Excalibur 9 Tray dehydrator (affiliate link and the exact dehydrator I had). They have several different kinds now with automatic shutoffs and 24-48 hour timers. You don’t have to spend that much money to get a dehydrator though. But I like the large space and removable trays. I could fit a whole gallon of yogurt in this one.
24-Hour Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon milk
- 1 container (150g or 5.3 oz) plain, no sugar add yogurt (store bought)
Instructions
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Pour the milk into a large soup pot.
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Heat over medium heat until it simmers. Be sure to stir so it does not burn.
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Pour the yogurt into a heat-safe bowl to let it cool to room temperature.
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Stir in the yogurt. (I usually pull out 2 cups of milk then stir the yogurt into this so it is easier to mix in. Then pour back into the milk.)
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Whisk until the yogurt is mixed in.
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Place the bowl of milk with the yogurt added into a dehydrator at 105 degrees Fahrenheit for 24-32 hours. You may have to set your dehydrator twice to get a long enough time.
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Alternately, place the milk and yogurt mixture into a yogurt maker and set to ferment for at least 24 hours. Again, you may have to set it multiple times to get the full 24 hours.
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Alternately, place the milk and yogurt mixture in your oven with a lightbulb that generates a little bit of heat. (Remove the oven light bulb and use a 60 watt bulb. This method is harder with light bulb regulations in the USA.) Turn on the light and the heat generated by the light will reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If the oven gets too hot, prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Be sure to monitor the temperature every few hours.
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Once the yogurt is fermented, refridgerate until use. It should last a week, if stored properly.
Yogurt Parfaits
Now, to get to the good stuff. Parfaits. Yogurt Parfaits are a super easy and fast way (once the yogurt is made) to get in good nutrients with some good tasty treats as well. Fresh or frozen berries, fresh seasonal fruit and nuts or nut butters are a delicious way to enjoy yogurt. If you tolerate honey you can sweeten it up with a drizzle.
Our family favorite right now is frozen berries lightly thawed with pecans but you can make all sorts of variations from almond banana to strawberry shortcake. The possibilities are endless which is quite nice when a SIBO diet feels restrictive. We love yogurt parfaits for afternoon snack to get in a third meal before our supper later on, but you can eat them at any meal or even for dessert.
(Please remember that Phase 1 of the Bi-Phasic Diet restricts yogurt and all other dairy. This is only to help allow for more die-off without repopulation of bacteria to lessen severe symptoms faster.)
Almond Banana Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup 24-hour or lactose-free yogurt
- 1 whole banana (make sure it is ripe with small speckles)
- 2 Tbs crushed almonds
Instructions
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Peel the banana and discard the peel.
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Chop the banana into small pieces.
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Place half of the banana into a bowl or cup.
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Top with yogurt.
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Add the remaining banana and sprinkle with the crushed almonds.
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Enjoy!
Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup 24-hour or lactose-free yogurt
- 1/2 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1-2 Tbs honey (if desired)
- 1/4 cup crushed macadamia nuts
Instructions
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Place the yogurt into a bowl or cup.
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Add the strawberries (make sure they are thawed if using frozen).
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Top with honey if desired.
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Add the crushed macadamia nuts.
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Enjoy!
Frozen Berry Parfait
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup 24-hour or lactose-free yogurt
- 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or boysenberries)
- 10 pecans
- 2 Tbs honey (if desired)
Instructions
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Thaw the berries in the microwave until they are as soft as you'd like them to be. We do about 30-45 seconds.
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Place some of the berries in the bottom of a glass or bowl.
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Add the yogurt.
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Add the remaining berries.
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(If you tolerate honey and would like it sweet you can drizzle as much as 2 tablespoons worth on top.)
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Crush the pecans and sprinkle on top of the berries.
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Enjoy!