Kehoe’s Kitchen New Pouches & Turmeric Cauli-Rice

I’ve been using personally, alongside prescribing Kehoe’s Kitchen products within my client’s dietary plans at The JCN Clinic for many years. I first became aware of their brand when looking for alternative cheese options, which ultimately lead to their dairy free cheese range becoming a staple in my own fridge and recipe creations calling for plant-based cheese options. Fast forward to today and Kehoe’s Kitchen range has expanded to incorporate their 4 new ferment pouches including Cauli-Rice, now excitingly found on Woolworths supermarket shelves. This is a breath of fresh air for many who, as much as we like a health food store rummage, really appreciate an easy ‘grab and go’ when time poor.

What excites me is that these 4 new Kehoe’s pouch ferments offer accessible fermentable foods for the everyday shopper. So many of our clients at JCN are challenged with getting their hands on these types of products when juggling work, school picks ups and sports days on weekends. The accessibility of these pouches means more people can benefit from quality ferments. These new pouches are also a more affordable option offering non-certified organic options to customers, enabling Kehoe’s to produce these products year-round with produce sourced from organic and non-organic farms.

For those of you who will ask, Kehoe’s has put a lot of passionate care and research into the pouches that enable them to deliver a sustainable option for the supermarket space with the hurdles of the year that has been COVID. You will still see their signature glass jars (that I know I use religiously in my pantry once finished with them) with their other well-known products.

Why are fermented foods good for us?

Ferments are quite well known these days in the wellness space, but why are they actually good for us and what should we be looking for? True ferments are given time to culture under the right conditions of growth for the live cultures to develop. First and foremost, look for products like Kehoe’s that clearly outline this on their product labelling and website. You also want to ensure that ferments have been kept at a stable refrigerated temperature to ensure optimal shelf life.

Fermented foods are an abundant source or probiotic rich fuel for our microbiome. During natural fermentation beneficial bacterial thrive, most commonly lactobacillus species that have the ability to regulate environmental pH in our gut. Lactobacillus species also produce vital SCFA (short chain fatty acids) that help support our gut health in a multitude of ways inclusive of down regulation inflammation and providing fuel for healthy colon cells, alongside a multitude of systemic benefits.

The benefits of Kehoe’s Turmeric Cauli-Rice

Turmeric Cauli-rice is a wonderful alternative to those looking for lower starch options when navigating gut protocols requiring a reduction of fermentable carbohydrates. Commonly those with gut based bacterial or yeast overgrowth find symptomatic relief when switching to a lower starch option such as cauli-rice.  Of further interest in relation to sensitive digestive systems is the fermentation of cauli- rice. This fermentation process changes the structure of the carbohydrates through enzymatic degradation making them easier to digest (1). This may potentially make cauliflower tolerable to those who may struggle with this vegetable that is avoided with low FODMAP diets.  Therefore, Kehoe’s Kitchen Turmeric Cauli-Rice may be an option for some who tend to avoid cauliflower due to issues with FODMAPS, however please note that every person’s tolerance will differ so please trial with guidance.

Nutritionally, cauliflower is part of the brassica family of vegetables. Brassica vegetables are well studied in relation to their high sulphur content delivering potent beneficial bioactive compounds. These bioactive compounds play a pivotal role in supporting liver detoxification (through the sulphation detoxification pathway) and provide building blocks to our major antioxidant, glutathione.

Kehoe’s Kitchen Turmeric Cauli-Rice also contains the benefits of  turmeric which has been well studied for its anti inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial activity.

Cauli-rice is also of course a lovely alternative for those looking for a whole food variation from white rice. It substitutes effortlessly in traditional favourites like curries and fried rice, while also making these dishes a lighter option. As it’s ready to go, you can also use Kehoe’s Turmeric Cauli-Rice as an easy macro bowl option during busy workdays as a lunch base with some protein, complex carbs and even a nice generous teaspoon of some Kehoe’s Red Kimchi or Beetroot & Ginger Sauerkraut to boot.

Lastly, when buying Kehoe’s Kitchen products, you are also supporting Australian business, which personally I love. Kehoe’s is based in Brisbane and supports local Australian farmers. They also source their added spices, packaging and all supplies within Australia.  For me, and I am sure many of you this is becoming a point of sale that has significant importance. I am certainly happy to sing the praise of Kehoe’s Kitchen and their product will continue to be a welcomed addition in my kitchen.

Jessica Cox

Jessica Cox is a qualified practicing Nutritionist with a Bachelor Health Science (Nutrition) and over 15 years of clinical experience. She is the founder and director JCN Clinic, published author and established recipe developer. Jessica is well respected within health and wellness space for her no fad approach and use of evidence-based nutrition.