Does Strainge Beast Hard Kombucha Work With My Diet?

Published on September 10th 2021 by SNBC

Strainge Beast Hard kombucha: it’s a tasty, tangy, wildly effervescent forbidden fruit. You want that delicious, refreshing swig. (It wants you, too, you health-conscious fox.) But…you don’t want your diet to go completely off the rails.

Fortunately, we’re here to drop some knowledge that will bring the party back to your plans: Hard kombucha does fit into most diets, including gluten-free, vegan, and keto.

In this post, we’ll take a look at how hard kombucha fits into various diets and whether you can get strainge without going against your dietary guidelines. We’ll also share a few of our favorite recipes and pairings—all diet-friendly, of course. Everyone’s invited to this party.

First Things First – What is Hard Kombucha?

Hard kombucha, like regular kombucha, starts with tea leaves and water.

Through the alchemy of fermentation, bacteria and yeast turn that tea water into a bright, bubbly drink with a refreshing bite, a unique flavor, and a trace amount of alcohol.

Here’s where things get really interesting. To brew Strainge Beast hard kombucha, we put the mixture through one more step: a second round of fermentation designed to create alcohol, deepen the flavors, and create a drink that’s wildly unique.

The result is a distinctive hard drink that pairs perfectly with everything from hot summer days to fancy dinners, and has a shelf life of about 150 days from the canning date.

Hard Kombucha on a Keto Diet

The Verdict: Yes

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. People on the keto diet reduce their daily carbohydrate intake and replace it with high-quality fat sources. Reducing carb intake leads to a metabolic state known as ketosis, which spurs the body to burn fat (rather than carbohydrates) for energy.

For followers of the keto diet, fizzy drinks like soda are usually a no-go. Fortunately, hard kombucha doesn’t fall into that category—with a few caveats.

If you’re eating keto, you can definitely enjoy hard kombucha, so long as you pay attention to the amount of carbs and sugar in each can. To stay within the guidelines of the diet, stick to a low-carb hard kombucha, and be aware that some drinks contain more sugar than others.

For an example of a keto-friendly hard kombucha, check out Strainge Beast’s Watermelon, Sea Salt, Lime & Mint. Each delicious can has 5 grams of carbs and 4 grams of sugar, so you can enjoy it without ditching your diet.

Keto Meals to pair with Hard Kombucha

Kick your keto meals up a notch with a pairing! During the summer, we love this fresh mint and melon fruit salad.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups of melon (like honeydew or cantaloupe), cut into cubes
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

Directions

Whisk the lemon juice and honey together in a large bowl.
Add melon to the bowl and toss to coat.
Serve chilled with a side of Strainge Beast Watermelon, Sea Salt, Lime & Mint.

Gluten-Free Diets and Hard Kombucha

The Verdict: Yes

Is hard kombucha gluten-free? Unlike other fizzy hard drinks which contain gluten, hard kombucha is naturally gluten-free. It’s also certified organic.

In fact, unless a hard kombucha brewer adds gluten-containing ingredients, or the drink is manufactured with equipment that also manufactures gluten, kombucha is completely safe and approved for people following a gluten-free diet.

To make sure we’re only delivering the best brew around, the quality control team here at Strainge Beast continually tests and confirms the gluten-free status of our hard kombucha.

Gluten-Free Meals to Pair With Hard Kombucha

Gluten-free meals tend to be light and refreshing, which makes them a perfect pairing for hard kombucha. If you’re looking for a tasty meal to cook up this summer, we recommend Mediterranean chicken paired with a Strainge Beast Passion Fruit & Blood Orange Hard Kombucha.

Here’s our favorite recipe:

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
3 tbsp of good-quality olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 to 1 tsp Harissa powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sumac
Chopped parsley for garnish
Roughly chopped fresh vegetables, like green beans, squash, or broccoli

Rice

1 cup long grain white rice
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp fine sea salt or your favorite kosher salt
1 tbsp butter (optional)
A pinch of saffron threads
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Directions

Cook the Rice: In a medium saucepan, add the water, salt, butter, and rice. Add the saffron, cardamom, and allspice into the water, stirring to combine. Cook rice according to package directions. When rice is finished cooking, remove from heat, fluff with fork, and cover.
Make the Chicken: While the rice is cooking, add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with seasonings and cook over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
To Serve: Place a scoop of rice in the center of a plate and top it with two pieces of chicken. Garnish with parsley and add your choice of fresh vegetables. Serve warm with a chilled Strainge Beast hard kombucha.

Vegan Diets and Hard Kombucha

The Verdict: Yes (as long as you choose the right one)

If you’re a vegan and wondering if you can enjoy hard kombucha, the answer is it depends. (Thankfully, all flavors of Strainge Beast Hard Kombucha are vegan-friendly!)

Whether or not all kombucha is vegan-friendly depends how you define yourself as vegan. For example, some vegans choose not to eat honey. Some hard kombucha, however, contains honey as an ingredient, so you’ll want to take a second glance at labels.

That said, all of Strainge Beast’s hard kombucha products are vegan-friendly, so you can enjoy them without worrying.

Vegan Meals to Pair with Hard Kombucha

Get excited–this delicious Greek goddess bowl pairs perfectly with a Strainge Beast Organic Ginger Lemon Hibiscus. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

¾ cup cooked brown rice
1 cup of baby spinach
½ cup of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup cubed smoked or marinated tofu
¼ cubed avocado
⅓ cup roughly chopped cucumber
⅓ cup roughly grated carrot
2 tbsp toasted pecan halves
1-2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp Goddess Dressing

Directions

Warm the brown rice and tofu in a shallow saucepan over medium heat.
Add a bed of brown rice and tofu to the bottom of a bowl. Garnish with a handful of spinach, chickpeas, cucumber, carrot, avocado, pecans, and dried cranberries.
Drizzle with goddess dressing and serve immediately with a side of Strainge Beast hard kombucha.

Hard Kombucha on a Paleo Diet

The Verdict: Maybe

If you’re following a paleo diet, you’ll get mixed answers on whether you can consume hard kombucha.

Since hard kombucha contains sugar, it cannot be considered part of a paleo diet.

That said, most paleo experts suggest that hard kombucha could be paleo-friendly because of its numerous positive attributes.

Click here to see what the Paleo Foundation has to say on the topic.

Hard Kombucha on a Whole30 Diet

The Verdict: Maybe

Hard Kombucha can only be considered part of Whole30 if sugar hasn’t been added to the drink after the fermentation process. Most Whole30 experts agree that if sugar is listed as an ingredient, hard kombucha can’t be a part of that diet.

You Can Enjoy Hard Kombucha on Most Diets

While there are a few places in the dietary sphere where hard kombucha falls into a bit of a grey area, most diets play well with Strainge Beast. (Good news for you!) Whether you’re hosting a party or just whipping up a light dinner for one, Strainge Beast hard kombucha brings a combination of effervescence, refreshing botanicals, and creative fermentation to the table—without derailing your diet.

Ready to get Strainge? Find it near you.