5 great gut-health snacks 🧠

The go-to snacks for you and your gut microbes

One of the easiest ways to kickstart eating more healthily is by changing one thing - your snacks.

The trick is to be prepared, so that when hunger strikes, you have the ultimate gut-boosting combos at hand.

Here’s five simple snack ideas, that are packed with fibre, ferments and polyphenols for your gut microbes.

Plus, they’ll keep you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal.

1. Rye crackers with hummus and pickles

Rye crackers are a store cupboard must have. The grain rye contains more fibre than it’s lighter cousin, wheat.

Keep hummus as a regular feature on your shopping list, it not only is a great dip with veggies, but it also works in so many different scenarios too - with roasted veggies and white fish, or in a sandwich with feta, basil and tomato.

You can make fermented veggies yourself, or just buy them (easier and less hassle, but more expensive). The trick is to buy the ones in the refrigerated sections, that are called ‘live’ ferments. That’s means you’re getting a generous dose of live microbes when you eat them, as well as the added benefit of boosted vitamins, extra fibre and bioactives.

2 rye crackers = 3g fibre

2 tbsp hummus = 2.5g

1 tbsp fermented veggies = 0.5g

Total = 6g fibre

2. Popcorn trail mix with salted peanuts and dark chocolate

Who said that healthier snacks have to be sad and miserable?

Popcorn is a sneaky gut health winner, containing 15g of fibre/100g. Many store-bought versions can be packed with added sugars and fats - not a problem enjoying now and again - but less healthy as a go-to for most days.

You can easily make your own popcorn, by heating the kernels in a covered saucepan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil until they all pop.

For extra fibre, think sweet and salty. Mix with salted peanuts, and drizzle 80% dark chocolate on top.

2 handfuls of popcorn = 1.5g fibre

1/2 handful of peanuts = 1.2g fibre

2 squares 80% dark chocolate = 1.5g fibre

Total = 4.2g

3. Berries with Greek yoghurt and seeds

Make sure you have frozen berries in the freezer, so that when you don’t have any fresh ones at hand, you can simply microwave them to defrost.

The warmed juices make a perfect berry drizzle with the Greek yoghurt, and an extra fibre boost from the seeds.

If you’re wanting to take your fibre boost to the next level - choose a mix of flaxseeds, chia seeds and unsweetened desiccated dried coconut. They’re higher in fibre compared to other seeds. Keep them mixed together in a jar, so you can easily add a tablespoon or so when you need to.

1/2 cup of berries = 2.4g fibre

3 tbsp greek yoghurt = 0g fibre

1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds = 1g fibre

Total = 3.4g

4. Oatcakes with almond butter and banana

Oatcakes are another store cupboard favourite. Oats had some bad press last year, which is a shame because oats are a great choice for your gut health, but also heart health - thanks to a type of cholesterol-grabbing fibre called beta-glucans.

Almonds are higher in fibre than most other nuts, just pipping peanuts to the post. Though if you can’t find almond butter, then peanut butter is also a great option (and often more affordable too).

If you’re choosing a banana, make it a just ripe one (as in it’s firm, a bright yellow, without any brown aging yet). That’s because it contains double the amount of fibre than when it’s fully ripe, spotty and browning, at 5g fibre per 100g - but for this combo - any will do.

2 oatcakes = 2.1g fibre

2 heaped teaspoons almond butter = 3.3g fibre

1/2 regular banana = 0.7g fibre

Total = 6.1g fibre

5. Spiced roasted white beans recipe

A simple, high-fibre snack (great in salads too) with a warming kick of curry spices.

Crispy Curried Cannellini Beans

Ingredients
Makes 2 portions