Gut-friendly Christmas recipes
Support your gut through the indulgent festive season with our nourishing recipes, all picked for their use of gut-healthy ingredients such as miso, sauerkraut, oats and sourdough
Our digestive system really takes a hit at Christmas. With all the alcohol and rich food, it's no wonder so many of us suffer from indigestion during the festive period. This year, why not go for gut-supportive ingredients like miso, sauerkraut, oats and yogurt? These contain beneficial bacteria and probiotics, helping your gut and digestive system to function.
To help you and your gut feel better this Christmas, we've picked 12 festive recipes which include gut-supportive ingredients. Enjoy sourdough bread sauce, homemade nut roast, red cabbage kimchi and more.
Have a look at all our joyfully delicious Christmas recipes, as well as recipes for kicking off celebrations on Christmas Eve. Next find out how to eat 30 plants a week.
Gut-friendly Christmas recipes
Sticky miso roast sprouts
There are so many ways to make the most of sprouts while they're in season –here, they're slicked with miso and zingy lime and roasted until golden and caramelised. Fermented foods, including miso, are thought to help a range of health issues, including digestion and gut health.
Shredded Brussels sprouts salad
Looking for ways to use up your leftover Brussels sprouts? Check out this fresh and crunchy salad with crispy pancetta and toasted walnuts. Brassica vegetables like sprouts are rich in sulphur, which supports gut health.
Spiced pickled shallots
Fermented foods, like pickles, contain good bacteria which help support your gut microbiome. For a thoughtful gut-friendly gift, make our spiced pickled shallots.
Check out our recipes for pickled beetroot and pickled cherries.
Leftover turkey ramen noodles
Turn that leftover Christmas turkey into a cosy bowl of ramen, complete with ginger-spiked broth, thick noodles and fresh coriander. Ginger soothes digestive discomfort and relieves nausea.
Christmas cheeseboard
This glorious spread is perfect for festive parties. It's full of complementary flavours and textures and looks really impressive – plus, it's super easy to prep. Be sure to include fresh figs, as these are especially high in fibre so promote a healthy digestive system. Some cheeses also have probiotic properties, including aged cheddar and gruyère.
Browse all our effortless entertaining ideas.
Stuffed butternut squash with blue cheese and leeks
Butternut squash is impressively high in fibre, which has been linked with improved gut health. Here, it's roasted whole to make a wonderful meat-free centrepiece — the combination of nutty grains, sweet leeks and blue cheese is truly delicious.
Next, enjoy butternut squash risotto and more butternut squash recipes.
Christmas nut roast
We think this is our best ever nut roast – it's packed with smokiness and sweetness from squash, lentils and dates. Your gut will benefit from the lentils, as they're packed with prebiotic fibre.
Be inspired by our vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas.
Sourdough bread sauce
A nice twist on an old classic, this sourdough bread sauce is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas day feast. Unlike regular white bread, traditional sourdough goes through a slow fermentation process – this means it may be easier to digest.
Don't forget to make our boozy cranberry sauce.
Crispy spud salad with sauerkraut, ham hock and peas
Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) is not only healthy and good for your gut, but its distinct flavour lifts this simple salad with super crisp potatoes and salty ham. You could even use leftover potatoes. Interestingly, as potatoes cool, they become richer in resistant starch, which causes less gas then other fibres – great for those with a sensitive gut.
You'll love our ham hock stew.
Turkey curry
Delicately spiced with coconut and ginger, this turkey curry is suitable for the whole family. It's a brilliant way to use up leftover cooked turkey and the golden turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory, may help to soothe your gut.
Miso Christmas stuffing
Miso adds a deep savoury sweetness to this stuffing. Flecked with pistachios and cranberries (and wrapped in streaky bacon), it's an absolute must on Christmas Day.
Red cabbage kimchi
Lacto-fermenting is an ancient way of preserving food – the term ‘lacto’ refers to the lactic acid created during the ferment, which increases levels of nutrients and probiotics. Here, it transforms red cabbage into kimchi, great for adding to sandwiches and salads.
For another favourite way with leftovers, tuck into our kimchi bubble and squeak cakes.
Miso roasted cauliflower, avocado and lentil salad
For those days after all the Christmas excess when you find yourself craving something healthy, there's this satisfying salad. Fibre-rich cauliflower is roasted in a miso dressing – also filled with probiotics – and turned into a rustic salad with pickled onions and lentils. It's delicious and great for your gut, too.
We've got lots more healthy salads for you to try.
Date flapjacks
Turn a handful of storecupboard ingredients into an easy bake and keep for moments when you're craving something sweet. Oats are another food that's rich in prebiotic fibres, so contribute to a properly functioning gut.
Browse all our bakes using oats.
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