It’s easy to increase the prebiotics you eat in foods, by choosing a high fibre, plant based diet.
Find out which foods are high in prebiotics.
10 easy tips for making natural prebiotics foods an easy part of your daily diet.
Prebiotics & Foods
Prebiotics definition : prebiotics are the indigestible fibres that provide food for your good gut bacteria.
The benefits of prebiotics : boost your helpful gut bacteria & your immune system.
Here’s how.
What foods are high in prebiotics?
Good gut bacteria thrive on high fibre, complex carbohydrates, found mainly in plant foods.
By boosting our intake of plant based foods, ie. fruit, vegetables, cereals & beans / legumes (as part of a balanced diet), we can give our helpful gut bacteria the food they need to thrive.
There are many different types of prebiotic fibre (fiber).
By increasing the variety of high fibre, prebiotics foods in our diet, we can sustain a wide range of gut bacteria, to help our overall health.
10 Easy Ways To Eat Prebiotics In Our Foods
Here are 10 easy ways to add prebiotic fibre to your diet to benefit your microbiome, and to shop and cook with helpful gut bacteria in mind:-
1. Choose nuts / fruit / seeds for snacks and carry them with you to avoid processed snack foods (which tend to be low in fibre)
2. Pick wholegrain varieties of bread, oats, cereals
3. Eat the rainbow –
– choose brightly coloured, nutrient dense fruit & vegetables
– eating fruit & veg in season increases the diversity of your diet, as well as being better value at the supermarket
– see if you can eat 20 different varieties of fruit, vegetables & wholegrain cereals each week
– try out some of our prebiotic recipes
4. Eat whole fruits and vegetables & grains rather than juices / smoothies
– this way you’ll keep the fibre in your food intact, so it passes undigested to the large intestine, where it feeds your helpful bacteria
5. Eat fruit & vegetable skins where possible – wash, but don’t peel apples, carrots etc.
– much of the fibre content of fruit & vegetables is concentrated in their tougher outer skins.
6. Make sure your breakfast cereal contains wholegrains (a variety of them if possible)
– try adding a tablespoon of unprocessed wheat bran to your breakfast cereal as a boost for your gut bacteria
– try our prebiotic recipes for bircher muesli overnight oats, for a prebiotic and probiotic boost.
7. Top breakfast cereal with apples, berries & bananas, nuts & dried fruits
8. Look on food labels & choose foods higher in dietary fibre.
– steer clear of processed snack foods, low fat / “light” foods, ready meals, as these are generally low in fibre
– foods with at least 6g of fibre per 100g can be labelled as high fibre, according to the UK Food Standards Agency.
9. Change up your carbs : choose wholegrain instead of refined versions
– try topping salads / sandwiches with nuts & seeds
– swap white rice for brown, white pasta for wholegrain pasta or beans / lentils instead.
– look at our prebiotic recipes for easy, high fibre snacks and meals.
10. Mix up the side orders
– add some roast vegetables to your traybake / salad / sandwich
– add a can of beans to salads & soups instead of bread on the side
– try our Food For Flora recipes for easy prebiotic sides & salads
The Science Bit
The information I share on this site distills the research I’ve read on the microbiome, prebiotics & probiotics.
You’ll find links to the relevant research studies on each page.
I’m not a scientist / dietician / nutritionist. I’m a food lover & home cook, putting microbiome research findings into action in my kitchen.
Find out more about the scientists leading research into the microbiome on the FAQs page
Keep Reading : What are Prebiotic Supplements?