Free guide 2024

Gut health
made easy
Five simple

steps to

improve

gut health

5
1
Eat 30 different
There are five basic building blocks
for a gut-friendly diet that will help
your microbiome thrive.

We’ve condensed these into easy-

to-remember steps you can work
plants a week through each day as you choose
what you eat.

Add different herbs and spices

Try a new fruit or vegetable every week

Explore canned and frozen options

Print this out and stick it on

Make a mix of seeds and nuts to add to meals your fridge to help you remember.

2
Try more

3
Increase your

colourful plants fibre intake

Add a new colour to one of your meals today
Make high-fibre swaps

Include a portion of fruit in a savoury meal

Use pulses and legumes to bulk out dishes

Buy a different coloured version of a go-to vegetable

Batch cook grains and store in your fridge

Cook or dress food with extra virgin olive oil Keep the skin on vegetables like potatoes and squash

4
Add more
5
Limit ultra-
fermented foods processed foods
Add a small amount of fermented food to a meal
Swap ultra-processed snacks for less processed ones

Make your own fermented food, like sauerkraut

Switch breakfast cereal for yoghurt and fruit

Swap half the milk in your breakfast with kefir or yogurt

Make yourself a packed lunch if you’re going out

Try fermented cheese, such as aged cheddar Try homemade sauce instead of one from a jar
 Aubergine with

harissa yoghurt and

roasted chickpeas
Preparation time
Total time

5 minutes 35 minutes
Ingredients

1 aubergine

Servings
Equipment

2 people Baking tray,

1 tin of chickpeas (400 g), drained

parchment paper
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes

2 tsp harissa (can be more or less, 1 Preheat your oven to 190°C.

according to your taste)

2 Slice your aubergine into 1-inch rounds.

4 cloves garlic

4 tbsp Greek yoghurt

3 In a small bowl, mix together 1 tsp of harissa with

2 tbsp olive oil. Pour the mixture onto a lined

2 tbsp tahini

baking tray and toss your aubergine, chickpeas

and tomatoes in it to coat them.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 Sprinkle over some salt and the whole garlic cloves

1 tbsp pomegranate seeds

and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway, until the

2 spring onions, finely sliced

aubergine is completely soft.

1 handful parsley

5 Meanwhile, mix together the remaining tsp (or more)

of harissa with the Greek yoghurt and season to
1 tbsp sesame seeds

taste. Once the vegetables are out of the oven,

salt and pepper to taste squeeze in the roasted garlic.

6 In a separate bowl, mix together the tahini with

a splash of water until it reaches a pourable

consistency. Season with salt to taste.

Learn how this 
 7 Spread the harissa yoghurt over a plate then pour
meal scores for you
over the chickpeas, tomatoes and aubergine slices.
Scan the QR code or click this link Sprinkle over the tahini dressing, pomegranate
seeds, spring onion, parsley and sesame seeds.
 Creamy courgette
butter beans with
herby tomato salsa

Preparation time
Total time

5 minutes 25 minutes
Ingredients

1 courgette

Servings
Equipment

2 people Pan,

2 shallots

mandolin (optional)

1 garlic clove

2 tins of butter beans (400 g each)

1 Finely dice your shallots and add them to a hot

pan with olive oil.

1 lemon

2 While the shallots are cooking, thinly slice the

10 cherry tomatoes

courgette (using a mandolin if you have one). Add

1 tbsp capers

to the shallots once they begin to turn golden

and cook down for a further 5 minutes until soft

a handful each of fresh dill,

and lightly caramelised.

parsley and basil

3 Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a further

1 red chilli

minute before stirring through the butter beans

1 tbsp each of pumpkin and with their liquid.

sunflower seeds, toasted in

a dry pan

4 Stir through the zest of the lemon and season to

taste. Leave to simmer on a low heat.

extra virgin olive oil

5 Quarter the cherry tomatoes and finely chop

salt and pepper to taste

the capers and fresh herbs. Add to a bowl with

a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and

season to taste.

6 Spoon the tomato mixture over the beans. Top

Learn how this 

meal scores for you
with the toasted seeds and chopped chilli.

Scan the QR code or click this link

 Roasted carrots

with tahini yoghurt

Preparation time
Total time

5 minutes 35 minutes
I n g r e d i e n ts

1 bunch carrots with tops

Servings
Equipment

2 people Baking dish

1 head of garlic

1 shallot

2 tbsp tahini

1 Heat the oven to 180°C.

150 g Greek yoghurt

2 Chop the tops off the carrots and slice off the
top of the garlic head.

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

3 Place the carrots in a baking dish with 2 tbsp

olive oil, salt and the garlic cut side down. Roast
salt and pepper to taste for 20–30 minutes until the carrots are tender
and caramelised.

4 While the carrots are roasting, finely chop the

shallot and carrot tops. Add to a bowl with a
Learn how this 
 drizzle of apple cider vinegar and olive oil, with
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salt to taste.

Scan the QR code or click this link

5 In a separate bowl, mix together the tahini,

yoghurt and roasted garlic, seasoning to taste.

6 Spread the tahini yoghurt onto a plate and top

with the roasted carrots. Spoon the carrot top
mixture over and serve.
 Green goddess
chickpea sandwich
Preparation time
Total time

10 minutes 10 minutes
Ingredients

1/4 avocado

Servings
Equipment

1 person Blender,

3 tbsp kefir

masher (optional)
juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 garlic clove

1 Add your avocado, kefir, lemon juice, garlic,

vinegar, salt, parsley and dill to a blender and
a handful each of parsley and dill, blend until smooth.

plus some extra for garnish

a splash of vinegar

2 Pour this dressing over the chickpeas and mash

together. Taste to check the seasoning, then stir
1 tin of chickpeas (400 g), drained

through the additional herbs and spring onions.

2 spring onions, finely sliced

3 Use this mixture as a sandwich filling or add it

on top of a salad.
salt and pepper to taste

Learn how this 


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Scan the QR code or click this link

 Seedy crackers with
beetroot hummus
Preparation time
Total time

Ingredients 15 minutes 1 hour, 15 minutes

For the crackers: Servings
Equipment

4 people Parchment paper,

80 g ground flaxseed

baking tray,

3 tbsp chia seeds

blender

100 g of any other mixed seeds

For the crackers:

170 ml of water

1 Mix all the seeds together in a bowl and stir in

a pinch of salt the water. Set aside for 15 minutes.

For the hummus: 2 Roll this dough between two sheets of parchment
paper, then place on a baking tray.

1 tin of chickpeas (400 g)

3 Carefully peel off the top layer of parchment and

1 beetroot (we use a pre-cooked bake for 1 hour at 150°C, then leave to cool in the
one from a vacuum pack)

oven before snapping into crackers. Depending on

2 tbsp tahini

how thick you roll the crackers, you may need to

bake for around 10 minutes longer to get a result
juice of 1 lemon

that snaps.
1 garlic clove

For the hummus:

a few ice cubes

1 Combine the chickpeas, beetroot, tahini, lemon

salt to taste and garlic in a blender with a few ice cubes and

a splash of water.

2 Blend until smooth and season to taste.

Learn how this 


meal scores for you

Scan the QR code or click this link

 Gut-friendly shopping list

Whole grains NUTS & SEEDS

Amaranth
Pearl barley
Almonds
Pecans

Brown rice
Quinoa
Cashews
Pine nuts

Buckwheat
Rye
Chia seeds
Pistachios

Bulgur wheat
Sorghum
Flaxseeds
Pumpkin seeds

Farro
Spelt
Hemp seeds
Sesame seeds

Freekeh
Teff
Nut butters
Sunflower seeds

(peanut butter, almond

Millet
Wild rice butter, cashew butter)
Tahini

Oats
Walnuts
Pasta (wholewheat,

brown rice, chickpea, lentil)

V egeta b les
B eans & legu m es Artichoke

Asparagus
Kale

Black beans
Edamame
Aubergine
Lettuce

Black-eyed peas
Haricot beans
Avocado
Peppers (yellow, green, red)

Broad beans
Lentils
Beetroot
Pumpkin

Butter beans
Pinto beans
Broccoli
Purple cabbage

Cannellini beans
Red kidney beans Brussels sprouts
Radish

Chickpeas Carrots
Spinach

Cauliflower
Sweetcorn

Celery
Sweet potato

Courgette
Tomatoes
Fruit Cucumber
Apple
Peach

Banana
Pear

Blueberries
Pineapple

Grapes (green and red)

Plum

H E RB S S PIC ES
Kiwi
Pomegranate
Basil
Cardamom

Mango
Raspberries
Chives
Cayenne pepper

Melon (cantaloupe, honeydew)

Strawberries Coriander
Chilli powder

Orange Dill
Cinnamon

Mint
Cloves

Oregano
Cumin

Parsley
Nutmeg

Flavour B oosters Rosemary

Paprika

Sage
Turmeric
Capers
Lime

Thyme
Chilli
Onion (red, spring, shallots)

Garlic
Roasted peppers

Ginger
Sun-dried tomatoes
Jalapeño

Fer m ented Foods

Lemon
Fermented cheese
Pickles

Kefir
Sauerkraut

Kimchi
Tempeh

OT H E R Kombucha
Yoghurt
Miso
Apple cider vinegar
Harissa
Extra virgin olive oil
Glossary
of terms
and kombucha.
Fibre
A type of carbohydrate found
The well-being of our digestive
in plant foods that your body
can’t digest. It supports a healthy
gut microbiome and promotes
regular bowel movements.
Gut microbiome
The community of trillions of
A group of compounds found
bacteria and other microbes that
live in the digestive system and
play a crucial role in overall health.
Prebiotics
Special types of fibre that help
beneficial bacteria grow in our
gut. You can find prebiotics in
foods like oats, garlic, onions,
leeks and asparagus.
D igestive system
The group of organs responsible
for breaking down food, absorbing
nutrients and eliminating waste.
The gut microbiome lives within
the digestive system and plays an
important role in its overall
function and health.
gut health
system. It includes the gut
lining, the make-up of the gut
microbiome, and the ability to
digest and absorb nutrients.
Plant diversity
The variety of plants you eat
in your diet. This includes fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, legumes,
nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.
Probiotic foods
Foods that contain live
microorganisms – typically
bacteria or yeasts – that
provide health benefits when
eaten in the right amounts.
Fermented food
Food that has been
changed by beneficial
bacteria or yeasts, which
break down starches and
sugars. Examples include
yoghurt, sauerkraut
Polyphenols
in plants that provide colour,
offer health benefits and
may promote the growth
of beneficial gut bacteria.
U ltra- processed
foods (U PFs)
Manufactured products that
often contain many artificial
ingredients and additives. They
are typically high in sugar, salt
and unhealthy fats, and
evidence suggests they may
negatively impact gut health.
Remember

Good nutrition

is about balance,

not perfection.

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