28 recipes for a healthy gut

What makes a recipe gut-friendly?

The truth is, the healthy bacteria in your gut, as well as your digestive system as a whole, require a steady supply of nutrients in order to thrive. As such, regularly eating a wide variety of whole, unprocessed foods is an important baseline for gut health. Some compounds play a unique role in promoting bacterial diversity and abundance though. These include fibre, especially prebiotics (your gut bacteria’s food of choice); polyphenols (plant-based micronutrients bursting with antioxidants) and probiotics (healthy bacteria).

If you’re experiencing persistent gut issues, speak to a professional who can help get things back into balance.

Best recipes for a healthy gut

Buddha bowls with sweet potato and chickpeas

Sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fibre which support digestive health. They are also loaded with beta-carotene, an antioxidant which can be converted to vitamin A in the body, playing an essential role in supporting gut-based immunity. Eat them roasted in this wholesome bowl recipe, loaded with veg and served with a creamy tahini drizzle.

Miso salmon

Shake up dinnertime with this salmon dish, flavoured with miso, rice vinegar and ginger. Miso is a Japanese seasoning made by fermenting beans with koji, a fungal culture. It’s rich in healthy probiotics and packed with minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorus, as well as stress-busting B vitamins.

Kimchi baked tofu

A traditional Korean fermented food, kimchi adds more than just flavour to this tofu dish. It's a natural source of probiotics and fibre, essentially the gut’s favourite things. Studies suggest that regularly eating kimchi has a positive effect on the gut, immune system, brain function and skin health.

Paneer and chickpea curry

This one-pan curry is a quick, healthy and easy midweek meal. Not only is it served with wholewheat tortillas, instead of white, it also contains yogurt and chickpeas – all good for gut health.

Vegan sushi bowls

This is healthy food with an edge – the fresh, zingy flavours make it an ideal lunch or light dinner. Fermented foods help to restore the balance of bacteria in your gut and ease digestive issues, as does ginger. Top this bowl with pickled ginger for plenty of benefits.

Vegan overnight oats

These vegan overnight oats are a gut-healing marvel. Not only are oats a great source of prebiotic fibre, but apples contain a compound called pectin, which increase levels of a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate. This feeds the beneficial gut bacteria and reduces the population of harmful strains. If that wasn’t enough, it’s topped with a generous dollop of probiotic-rich coconut yogurt, too.

Miso-roasted cauliflower, avocado and lentil salad

Fibre-rich cauliflower is roasted in a miso dressing – also filled with probiotics – combine to make this colourful salad with pickled onions and lentils.

Sweet potato and chickpea curry

Try our vibrant sweet potato and chickpea curry for dinner. It’s colourful, rich, hearty and packed with nutrients, as well as fibre.

Miso tofu soup

Silken tofu helps make this miso-rich noodle broth smooth and creamy without the addition of dairy – a nourishing veggie dinner that's ready in just 15 minutes. Top with a gorgeously 'jammy' egg.

Chickpea stew

Try our easy vegan stew packed with dates, crunchy almonds, cinnamon and turmeric. Slow cooking chickpeas with spices really ramps up the flavour in this frugal dish. Dates are good for your gut as they contain plenty of fibre, and provide a nice natural energy boost.

Grilled corn salad with tahini miso dressing

Eating a diverse range of different plant foods feeds the 'good' bacteria in your gut. You'll get plenty of those in this fresh, bright salad. Griddled corn, cherry tomatoes and gem lettuce are dressed in a tahini, miso, lime and maple dressing. Don't forget the sprinkle of feta.

Healthy granola

Avoid the supermarket stuff and start your day off with this easy, energy-boosting, homemade granola. It's lower in sugar but bursting with fibre and goodness. Bran is an excellent source of insoluble fibre, which promotes digestive health.

Sesame-crusted tuna with miso dressing

Coat tuna steaks in miso and sesame seeds and serve on a crunchy sugar snap pea and edamame salad for a quick, protein-rich meal.

Banana oat cookies

Use oats instead of flour to make these five-ingredient cookies studded with chocolate chips. Oats are rich in prebiotic fibres, which stimulate the growth and activity of our beneficial gut bacteria and maintain proper gut function.

Cucumber kimchi

Whip up this quick and easy mini cucumber kimchi to access a source of natural probiotics. It’s packed with garlic, a natural anti-fungal to keep unhelpful bacteria at bay and maintain the balance of yeast in the gut. The fiery ginger also stimulates the digestive system by getting the stomach juices going.

Shredded veg miso soup

Ginger is known to soothe digestive issues, while carrots both contain carrot a type of fibre which fuels beneficial bacteria that reside in the gut, and leeks are high-fibre too. This umami-rich soup is topped with quinoa, a gluten-free grain which some people may find easier on the gut.

Sticky miso nuts and seeds

Snacking on nuts and seeds is a great way to get more plant foods, which is known to increase the diversity of bacteria in our gut. Add in miso caramel and you've got a delicious gut-healthy treat.

Kefir, banana and frozen berry smoothie

This fruity kefir smoothie is full of beneficial probiotics, making it a great on-the-go, gut-friendly breakfast option. Kefir is a milk drink which has been fermented by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts to provide a natural source of probiotics. Don’t worry if your diet is dairy-free – you can use coconut or water-based kefir instead.

Confit garlic tomatoes on toast

This simple toast is a gut-friendly powerhouse. Tomatoes offer antioxidants such as lycopene and plant polyphenols, while garlic and thyme are natural antimicrobials to keep gut bacteria in balance. Plus, olive oil is rich in fatty acids and polyphenols, proven to reduce inflammation in the gut.

Crispy spud salad with sauerkraut, ham hock and peas

This sauerkraut salad is a gut-supportive go-to. Don’t worry if you can’t finish it all in one sitting – as potatoes cool, they become richer in resistant starch, which can help to improve blood sugar control by supporting healthy gut bacteria. Plus, as resistant starch is fermented slowly, it causes less gas then other fibres – great for those with a more sensitive gut.

Kimchi jeon (spicy kimchi pancakes)

Fermented kimchi gives a robust flavour to these spicy Korean pancakes. Enjoy alone, topped with spring onions, or alongside sticky rice.

Broccoli, blue cheese and almond salad

This salad boasts broccoli and toasted almonds with a blue cheese and garlic dressing. Moderate portions of blue cheese offer beneficial probiotics, and almonds provide a prebiotic effect thanks to their high-fibre, fatty acid and polyphenol profile. Broccoli contains sulforaphane, which can support a healthy balance in your gut and immune system – especially if inflamed.

Kombucha

Learn how to make kombucha at home with our easy tips and tricks. We've got some fruity flavoured recipes for this refreshing fermented drink.

Sauerkraut

Turn your hand to making a jar of sauerkraut, a popular European fermented product made from cabbage. Add it to a salad or sandwich or eat it on its own.

Miso ginger dressing

A quick, no-fuss dressing made from white miso paste, fresh ginger and a couple of storecupboard ingredients.

Prawn and avocado salad with miso dressing

Try this salad for a lighter lunch or dinner – it’s loaded with greens, cucumber and radishes, which offer a variety of soluble and insoluble fibres to support bacterial diversity in your gut. Using miso in dressings is a great way of including this probiotic-rich fermented food in your diet.

Miso-buttered cod with greens

This nourishing miso fish recipe with broccoli and beans offers a light, umami-flavoured dinner. Protein can be a little challenging to digest, especially if your gut isn’t in the best of shape – eating it alongside fibre-rich greens promotes bacterial abundance to aid the process of digestion and absorption.

Red cabbage kimchi

Lacto-fermenting is an ancient way of preserving food. The term ‘lacto’ refers to the lactic acid created during the ferment. The process of fermenting increases both nutrient and probiotic levels. This red cabbage kimchi is great added to salads, sandwiches and toast.