In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleThe #1 Thing to Do Every Week for Gut HealthWays to Eat More PlantsHealthy, Easy Ingredients to Add to Your Meals
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
The #1 Thing to Do Every Week for Gut Health
Ways to Eat More Plants
Healthy, Easy Ingredients to Add to Your Meals
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Photo:PHOTOGRAPHER: RACHEL MAREK, FOOD STYLIST: HOLLY DREESMAN, PROP STYLIST: ADDELYN EVANS
PHOTOGRAPHER: RACHEL MAREK, FOOD STYLIST: HOLLY DREESMAN, PROP STYLIST: ADDELYN EVANS
Gut health is a buzzy topic that many people are focusing on right now—and rightfully so. Taking care of your gut microbiome is essential for your overall health, as a healthy gut can support your immune health and may helpdecrease your risk of anxiety and depression, among other benefits.
But if you’re confused about where to start, we get it. Let us assure you, an improved gut microbiome doesn’t come from afad diet. In a recent Instagram video, gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., helped narrow it down to a key factor that he thinks more people should incorporate into their routines. Here’s the gut-healthy weekly habit he wants you to try.
This One Habit Can Significantly Improve Your Gut Health—and It Has Nothing to Do with Diet
One’s diet has been proven to affect their gut health for the better or worse, so the best thing to do for your gut health is to eat gut-healthy foods. But there’s a reason why the veggie-forward Mediterranean diet has been named the best diet for gut health.
Specifically, eating a wide range of plant-based foods each week can support your gut bacteria, ensure that you’re eating enough fiber and can help benefit your overall health. Recent research suggests that eating five different servings of plants each day may help improve your long-term health.
How many different types of plants should you be eating a week? The gastroenterologist suggests 30, referencing the magic number from a 2018 study on how plant diversity positively impacts the gut microbiome.This seems like a large number, and Bulsiewicz is aware it may appear undoable—but that’s not the case.
“We all know the diversity of plants is key to better gut health,” Bulsiewicz said. “The question is, how do we get to the 30 different plants per week without breaking our back or our bank account?” There are easy ways to sneak plants into each meal—and a few more ingredients you may be missing out on that are pantry staples you may already have on hand.
This Is What a Gastroenterologist Has for Dinner Every Day—and It’s Only 4 Ingredients
First, it’s important to note that “plants” means fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and other plant-based ingredients, so don’t limit yourself to the leafy greens (even though they are incredibly nutritious). Bulsiewicz said there are four types of dishes that are a snap to add plants to: soups, salads, sauces and smoothies.
“They’re all a vehicle to deliver [a] diversity of plants to your gut microbiome,” he explained. “Anytime you’re making one of these in the kitchen, you should be thinking, ‘How many more plants should I add?’”
Here are some recipes that incorporate at least four different plants each:
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But if this still leaves you unsure of what to buy on your next grocery run, Bulsiewicz has some suggestions for you.
Here are the doctor’s personal favorite plants to include in his breakfast, lunch and dinner.
His first choice is seeds:“Chia, flax and hemp should be in every single smoothie,” said Bulsiewicz. This is a fitting choice, as all of these seeds aid in healthy digestion. And being a plant-based source ofomega-3s, chia seeds, flaxseed and hemp seeds can help reduce inflammation, support your heart health and improve cognitive function when regularly incorporated into your eating pattern. We think Bulsiewicz would love our highly ratedStrawberry-Peach Chia Seed Smoothiefor this reason.
Next up is beans. “Get as many varieties of beans into your diet as possible,” the gastroenterologist suggested.Beansare an easy canned pantry ingredient that’s full of nutrients, whether you prefer black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lima beans or kidney beans. Eating beans may help you meet your weight goals, reduce your risk of heart disease (the song holds true!) and can help keep you satiated, as they’re loaded with protein. OurNo-Cook Black Bean Saladis easy to recommend—the 30-minute meal is a favorite amongEatingWellreaders.
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And finally, Bulsiewicz is known for preaching berries as his go-to fruit to recommend, and it doesn’t stop here.
“Why would you choose just one? They’re all so lovely,” he said. This means that blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are on the list. They’re all packed with antioxidants like vitamin A and polyphenols, meaning that they’re great for your gut and decreasing inflammation in the body. Enjoy berries as a delicious handful to snack on, or use them as a fresh topping for yogurt or cereal.
The Bottom Line
There are many ways to incorporate more plants into your regular eating pattern, whether that’s sprinkling blueberries and chia seeds on top of your oatmeal, or using up your seasonal produce and canned beans for a comforting soup. The most important thing is making sure you’re prioritizing both health and taste so you can enjoy each bite of your gut-healthy meals. As Bulsiewicz puts it: “Let’s get to 30, let’s have fun doing it, let’s make it delicious.”
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Wang D, Li Y, Bhupathiraju S, et. al.Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies.Circulation. 2021;143(17). doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et. al.American gut: an open Platform for citizen science microbiome research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Wang D, Li Y, Bhupathiraju S, et. al.Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies.Circulation. 2021;143(17). doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et. al.American gut: an open Platform for citizen science microbiome research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Wang D, Li Y, Bhupathiraju S, et. al.Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies.Circulation. 2021;143(17). doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et. al.American gut: an open Platform for citizen science microbiome research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
Wang D, Li Y, Bhupathiraju S, et. al.Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies.Circulation. 2021;143(17). doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996
McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et. al.American gut: an open Platform for citizen science microbiome research.mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
