In our recent prebiotics and fibre articles, we’ve looked at how a healthy gut is linked to our overall mental and physical wellness. Now it’s time to put it in to practice.
These recipes are packed full of digestion-friendly ingredients that will leave your microbiome in tip-top condition.
Mango and Chia Seed Yoghurt
This nutritional powerhouse of a recipe is packed with probiotics, fibre and mood-enhancing omegas. Probiotics are naturally found in yoghurt and are great for gut health, digestion, and the immune system. That’s on top of all the great health benefits of chia seeds which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fibre. Enjoy for breakfast, a snack or even dessert.
Serves 4
257 Kcals per serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
Refrigeration time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe mango, peel and diced into 2cm pieces
- 600g Greek yoghurt
- 2 teaspoons of chia seeds
Preparation
- Combine the diced mango and Greek yoghurt in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Stir the chia seeds into mango mixture and pour in a bowl or glass, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Chefs tip
Use coconut yoghurt in place of Greek yoghurt.
Wasabi Brown Rice & Soya Bean Salad
This salad is packed with flavour and simple to make. Brown rice is full of fibre and the vegetables give a healthy vibrant dose of prebiotics, essential for fuelling probiotics.
Serves 4
355 kCals per serving
Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Wheat Free
Ingredients
- ½ small butternut squash, seeds scooped out
- 100g brown rice
- 1 bouquet garni
- 300g frozen soy beans, defrosted
- 1 bunch/packet asparagus tips, trimmed
- 2 handfuls rocket
- 4cm piece cucumber
- 4 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon wasabi paste
- Small handful fresh coriander
- ½ bunch spring onions, finely chopped
- Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 pomegranate, kernels removed
- 100g rocket, washed (to serve)
Preparation
- Cut the squash into small bite size pieces (leave the skin on the squash). Tip into a non-stick roasting tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Cook the rice in a pan of boiling water with the bouquet garni for 15 minutes until tender. Drain then tip into a large bowl. Discard the bouquet garni.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, throw in the asparagus and cook for 1 minute, add the soybeans and cook for a further 1 minute. Drain, and then cool under cold water. Pat dry and add the soybeans and asparagus to the bowl with the rice
- Place the rocket, cucumber, rice vinegar, olive oil, wasabi paste and coriander into the bowl of a food processor or blender and blitz to a smooth green dressing. You may want to add some water to get it to the consistency you like your dressings.
- Finely chop the spring onions and parsley. Mix through the rice.
- Halve the pomegranate. Using a tablespoon, tap the skin of the pomegranate to release the kernels.
To serve
Arrange the rocket on four serving plates. Spoon over the rice, soybean and asparagus mix and top with the roasted squash. Pour over the dressing, and garnish with pomegranate kernels.
Chefs tip
Wasabi, most commonly used as an accompaniment for sushi is a fiery horseradish so a little goes a long way. Don’t overdo it in this recipe or it will overpower the dressing.
Or, let us do the cooking
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You may be interested in:
Gut health: Your guide to prebiotics
Gut health: Jonny Wilkinson tackles kombucha
Gut health: Mind the (fibre) gap