Good Stuff, Good for your Gut!
The Hidden Household Staples
1. Olive Oil
Everyone has olive oil, right? It is one of the most common household staples and is frequently used in most home cooked meals and baking! However, were you aware of the health benefits and nutritional qualities olive oil holds? Let us enlighten you!
But first, lets go back to basics. Olive oil is a form of liquid fat, derived from the pressing of whole olives. It consists of primarily unsaturated fats, with a small amount of saturated fat present too.
Fat is an essential macronutrient involved in a variety of crucial functions within the body (1). One function, related directly to the topic of the gut, is fat’s ability to build healthy cell walls, maximising the body’s absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E and K) as well as fat-soluble antioxidants (1).
The reason olive oil is particularly great for gut health when compared to other vegetable oils such as canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil etc, is due to the polyphenols which encourage the stimulation of growth beneficial microorganisms and health of the gut microbiota (2).
So, with an emphasis on the importance of ‘healthy’ fats on our gut, here are a few ideas of ways you can make a conscious effort to increase your olive oil intake.
- Make your own salad dressings, using olive oil as the base. My go-to (and crowd favourite) dressing is olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice. It’s easy, delicious, and gut approved.
- Replace butter with olive oil when sautéing vegetables or spreading your toast.
- When baking, choose olive oil instead of canola or vegetable. It does an excellent job of ensuring your baked goods are never dry.
2. Legumes
Legumes! They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours and are the family of foods comprised of beans, peas, lentils and more. They come both canned or bagged and have an extremely appealing shelf life. The size of legumes may be deceiving (given as a whole, they run on the smaller size), because despite their size, they contain an abundance of nutrients!
Legumes fall within the ‘protein’ food group and are often referred to as pulses, providing nutrients from the likes of protein, iron, zinc and fibre (3). They are a great pre-biotic, aiding in growing healthy bacteria within the gut (4).
Increasing your legume intake is simple. They add great values to meals, being both cheap and filling. They are also easily hidden and don’t have a distinct tase (which is great if you have fussy easters in your family!).
- Add legumes to cooked minces, casseroles, or soups.
- Incorporating legumes with your salads.
- Trying bean-based meals as opposed to mince, i.e., using kidney and refried beans instead of minced meats.
3. Wholegrain Bread
Bread! It’s a dietary staple in most households. When looking at nutrition quality of foods, especially gut health related, fibre is your friend! Opting for wholegrain bread as opposed to your regular white bread, is a simple, yet highly effective alternative.
Wholegrains are particularly high in fibre, which supports in feeding our guts with the ‘good’ bacteria, contributing to a healthy gut microbiome (5).
When purchasing bread, selecting wholegrain breads with added nuts and seeds is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of incorporating as many plant foods as possible into your diet. The combination of wholegrains and extra fibre derived from the nuts and seeds acts as a great source of fuel for the gut.
You’ve Got To Try These Gut Health Goodies
All three of the below mentioned ‘Gut Health Goodies’ fall within the fermented foods category, meaning they are highly favourable by our guts.
1. Sauerkraut AKA Fermented Cabbage
Sauerkraut is finely sliced raw cabbage, that has been fermented in lactic acids bacteria. It has been being made for thousands of years as a traditional food originating in Germany. Sauerkraut has a very favourable shelf life and a distinguishing sour taste; both factors occur as a result from the lactic acid.
When thinking of ways to east sauerkraut, its better to keep things simple, due to its complex and unique taste. Simply eating it out of the jar on its own, or as an addition to a simple leaf salad would be most favourable!
2. Miso + Miso Soup
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup, consisting of a dashi stock, into which softened miso paste is mixed. Miso paste is a traditional Japanese seasoning, in the form of a thick paste, produced by fermented soybeans. Miso has a rich umami flavouring, making it a great addition to meals when you are in need of some extra depth and ‘wow factor’.
It’s hot, salty perfection, and surprise surprise, it’s great for your gut!
Incorporating miso into your diet is a fun and exciting challenge. As mentioned earlier, it has a distinctive ‘wow’ flavour, making it an interesting addition of recipes. One of my favourite ways to use miso is our ‘Miso Glazed Eggplant’ – find the recipe on our blog here! I can also never go past a winter warmer hot cup of miso. Just look out for the salt content & one without any nasties added!
3. Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink, similar to the likes of a thin, runny yoghurt, and is cultured and developed from kefir grains! It is, however, far more bitter and tangier than your average pottle of yoghurt – an acquired taste some would say!
The simplest of ways to include Kefir into your diet, is by drinking it on its own. Alternatively, the below methods:
- Adding kefir to smoothies.
- Pouring kefir over fruit, muesli, or granola.
- Substituting yogurt with kefir in salad dressings.
Kefir is extremely rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals, all things gut loveable!
In summary, gut health doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated! This is your friendly reminder to keep things simple – focus on implementing achievable and sustainable changes into your lifestyle that your gut will thank you for!
Reference’s
- Gavahian, M., Khaneghah, A. M., Lorenzo, J. M., Munekata, P. E., Garcia-Mantrana, I., Collado, M. C., … & Barba, F. J. (2019). Health benefits of olive oil and its components: Impacts on gut microbiota antioxidant activities, and prevention of noncommunicable diseases. Trends in food science & technology, 88, 220-227. Health benefits of olive oil and its components: Impacts on gut microbiota antioxidant activities, and prevention of noncommunicable diseases – ScienceDirect
- Rose, D. J. (2014). Impact of whole grains on the gut microbiota: the next frontier for oats?. British Journal of Nutrition, 112(S2), S44-S49. Impact of whole grains on the gut microbiota: the next frontier for oats? – PubMed (nih.gov)
