I am so excited to chat about the 5 gut healthy snacks I eat on repeat. And to make it easy for you, I also am providing a link to a recipe download for each one!
But before I get into the snacks, I highly recommend the new documentary on Netflix called Hack Your Health. It talks about gut health, of course, but what I LOVE is that it talks about the importance of eating 30 plants a week…
So, Why 30 plants?
The American Gut Study, the largest published study to date of the human microbiome, showed that those who eat a wider variety of plants had a more diverse gut microbiome. Meaning, participants regularly eating 30 or more different types of plants per week (fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds) had a healthier gut!
We have trillions of bacteria living in our gut, which all need different types of plant foods to flourish and keep us healthy. So, the more diverse plant foods we feed our gut bacteria, the more diverse they can become to:
Protect us from infections
Keep inflammation down
Strengthen our gut barrier (hello leaky gut!)
Produce vitamins
Help regulate our hormones
Balance our blood sugar
It may sound overwhelming to think about 30 different plants a week, but I promise you it is easier than you think! Let me break it down for you:
There are six main plant groups:
Vegetables
Fruits
Whole grains
Legumes (beans and pulses)
Nuts and seeds
Herbs and spices
When I create meals and snacks, I make sure to incorporate a variety of different plants around my protein sources, and the more colorful the better!
I am so excited to share my 5 go-to gut healthy snacks, as someone who’s helped hundreds of people transform their gut health & overcome chronic digestive issues:
1. Greek Yogurt with Orange, Blueberries & Pumpkin Seeds:
Loads of protein for blood sugar stabilization, plus berries as a great source of polyphenols to feed your good gut bacteria, and pumpkin seeds are an amazing source of magnesium and healthy fat.
2. Vanilla Matcha Protein Balls
A combination of nuts, dates, protein powder, green tea powder which is a powerful antioxidant that feeds your good gut bacteria. I use my fav bone broth protein powder which is loaded with amino acids that support your gut lining and blood sugar control!
3. Chicken Salad on Apple Slices
Apples contain pectin, which is great for your good gut bactiera. You want to add a protein or fat (or both aka chicken salad) for satiety. BONUS tip: mix in green and red apples throughout the week for an extra plant source!
4. Creamy Pesto Dip Snack Plate w/ Crackers
Seed crackers + a variety of different plants are easily thrown together on this plate! But remember, you can make this your own easily. If you don’t like pesto, hummus is another great source of resistance starch that feeds your good gut bacteria!
5. Pancake Snack Box
5 different plants in this snack box, which includes GF oats, a great resistant starch that feeds your good gut bacteria.
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