Who’d have guessed your gut could affect your fertility? It might be an odd connection but working on the balance of your gut health is really important when you’re trying to conceive. And adding some recipes for good gut health to your diet could help you on your journey.
Your gut not only digests, absorbs, and excretes the food you eat; it impacts your immune system, mood, and hormones. Poor gut health affects the absorption of nutrients that support egg and sperm health.
Here are some recipes packed with ingredients that promote good gut health.
Table of contents
Kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish.
- 1 large Chinese leaf cabbage (700g/1lb 9oz), washed, quartered and cut into 3–4cm wide slices
- 50g fine sea salt
- 4–6 peeled garlic cloves
- 20g fresh root ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
- 20g Korean chilli flakes
- 150g mooli Chinese radish, peeled and cut into 5cm long and 3mm-wide strips
- 5 spring onions, cut into 5cm long and 3mm-wide strips
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into 3mm-wide strips that are around 5cm/2in long
- Put the cabbage in a mixing bowl and separate using your fingers. Arrange in layers, with a little salt sprinkled between each layer. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to stand for 2–3 hours.
- Drain the salted cabbage in the clean colander, then return to the bowl. Cover with cold filtered water and swirl the cabbage around, then set aside to soak for 10 minutes. Drain in the colander and return to the bowl.
- In a blender or using a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes to a paste.
- Add the Chinese radish, spring onion and carrot to the cabbage and tip in the chilli paste. Thoroughly massage the paste into the vegetables.
- Spoon the cabbage mixture into the jar until it reaches near the top of the jar. Cover with the lid and fasten securely.
- Leave in a cool, dark place at room temperature (around 18–20C) for 2–3 days.
Vegan Pasta Bake
Vegan Pasta Bake is great for a quick dinner. High in protein, with healthy fats and lots of fibre.
- 150g whole wheat pasta
- 150g broccoli cut into florets
- 150g cauliflower cut into florets
- 3 large tomatoes
- 25g dried wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp yeast flakes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 40g gram flour (for the sauce)
- 500ml unsweetened almond milk (for the sauce)
- 3 tbsp yeast flakes (for the sauce)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (for the sauce)
- Salt and ground black pepper (for the sauce)
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
- Half-fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and return to the boil. Cook for 6 minutes, then add the broccoli and cauliflower, return to the boil and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
- For the sauce, in a large bowl or jug, mix the gram flour with a couple of tablespoons of the almond milk to form a smooth, thick paste with no lumps. Add a little more milk and keep stirring to make a thinner paste. Gradually add the almond milk.
- Pour the milk-flour mixture into a saucepan placed over a medium heat. Stir in the yeast and nutmeg and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir continuously, for 4–5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Tip the pasta, broccoli and cauliflower into a shallow, ovenproof dish. Pour the sauce over, top with the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast. Drizzle over the olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is lightly browned.
Beetroot Hummus
Beetroot hummus makes for a brightly coloured dip to go with pita or nachos.
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 250g cooked beetroot, drained and quartered
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp flaked sea salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Ground black pepper
- Toast the cumin seeds gently in a small dry frying pan for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.
- Put the beetroot, chickpeas, garlic, coriander, salt and olive oil in a food processor. Add the cumin seeds and lemon juice and season well with freshly ground black pepper. Blitz until smooth. Check the seasoning to taste, adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed, and blitz again.
- Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze.
Mushroom Pasta
Creamy mushroom pasta is a perfect dinner for busy nights.
- 150g spaghetti
- Olive oil
- 1 large leek
- 200g baby leaf spinach
- 200g mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g tofu
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the leeks for 5 minutes, until soft. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
- Increase the heat and add more oil to the pan, then add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Remove from the pan.
- Heat more oil in the frying pan, add the mushrooms and fry over a high heat until caramelised. Add the garlic, fry for a couple of minutes, then return the leeks and spinach to the pan.
- Put the tofu and soy sauce in a tall jug and add 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Use a stick blender to blend to a smooth sauce, then pour into the pan with the mushroom mixture.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
Apricot and chocolate bars
These no-bake apricot chocolate bars are a snack full of healthy fats and fibre.
- 150g mixed nuts
- 150g quartered dried apricots
- 200g soft-pitted dates
- 50g coconut oil
- 3 tbsp pure cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp mixed seeds
- Line a 20cm square cake tin with cling film.
- Put the nuts in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Then, tip them into a bowl.
- Put the apricots and dates in the food processor and blend to a thick paste, but don’t let it get too smooth.
- Return the nuts to the food processor and add the coconut oil, cocoa powder and seeds. Blend until the mixture comes together.
- Spread the paste over the base of the tin and smooth the surface. Put in the freezer for 30–60 minutes, or until solid.
- Take the tray out of the freezer, unwrap and place on a board. Cut into 16 squares, and transfer to a lidded container.
FAQs about good gut health
What foods do you need to eat for good gut health?
Your gut needs a diverse range of nutrients, so the best thing you can do is have a diet that includes a wide variety of foods. Some of the foods that can be especially beneficial to your gut include: fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, bread and cereals, herbs and spices, dark chocolate.
What drinks can help digestion?
Fizzy drinks tend to cause bloating. Drinks that are not fizzy and don’t contain caffeine, like herbal teas, milk and water, can be better for your gut.
Which foods are bad for your gut?
Greasy and fatty foods, like chips, burgers and fried foods, are harder to digest and can cause stomach pain.
What are symptoms of poor gut health?
Some signs of poor gut health include: bloating, constipation, fatigue, low mood and anxiety, trouble sleeping etc.