Dietitian-Created 7-Day Gut Health Diet

While gut health may seem like it at first, it’s here to stay. Words like probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, microbiome, microbiota and gut bacteria have made their way into everyday chatter – and for good reason!

Research, such as the 2022 review European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, revealed that a healthy gut microbiome has many surprising health benefits beyond aiding digestion. Good gut bacteria has been shown to improve heart health, reduce the risk of colon cancer and even improve your sleep pattern and mood by producing feel-good neurotransmitters, like serotonin. As a bonus, different gut bacteria are also associated with a healthy weight.

To help you boost your good gut bacteria count, we’ve created this seven-day meal plan that contains foods that promote the growth and maintenance of healthy gut bacteria. We have included healthy probiotic foods (such as yogurt, kimchi, kefir and kombucha) that deposit helpful bacteria into the gut, as well as prebiotic foods (such as high-fibre fruit, vegetables and whole grains) that feed the good bacteria. We’ve left out foods that tend to harm your gut, such as highly processed, refined foods containing additives and preservatives, artificial sweeteners and red meat.

It comes in at about 1,200 calories a day—a calorie level at which many people can safely lose 1 to 2 pounds per week—and includes enough protein and fiber to fill you up while you work on a healthier gut. . If you need more calories, check out this 1,500 calorie Mediterranean gut health meal plan, or our 2,000 calorie gut healthy meal plan.

How to Prepare a Meal for Meal Week

Here’s what you need to do to make it easy to eat healthy during the busy work week. There is another “Tips for meal preparation” during the week. Be sure to read those ahead of time to know what else can be prepared during the week.

1. Buy store bought cooked chicken or prepare the Best Poached Chicken to have for lunch on day 2 and day 5. Place in an airtight container to keep fresh.
2. While making the Roasted Root Vegetables & Greens over Spicy Lentils for dinner on Day 2, make the associated recipe for the Roasted Root Vegetable Sheets. You will use some on Day 2 and use the rest on Days 3 & 6. Place in a large airtight container to keep fresh.
3. For a breakfast like Overnight Blueberry-Pecan Creamy Oatmeal, pack in a leak-proof container.
4. Pack the week’s lunches in airtight containers to keep them fresh.

Day 1

Breakfast (304 calories, 9 g fiber)

AM Snack (32 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (325 calories, 12 g fiber)

Snack PM (138 calories, 6 g fiber)

Dinner (402 calories, 6 g fiber)

Tips for food preparation: Prepare Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oatmeal to have for breakfast on Day 2. Buy store-bought cooked chicken or prepare the Best Poached Chicken to have for lunch on Day 2 and Day 5.

Daily Totals: 1,201 calories, 70 g protein, 129 g carbohydrates, 37 g fiber, 49 g fat, 1,399 mg sodium

Day 2

Breakfast (291 calories, 6 g fiber)

AM Snack (62 calories, 7 g fiber)

Lunch (301 calories, 4 g fiber)

Snack PM (101 calories, 1 g fiber)

• 1 (15 oz) bottle of kombucha
• 1 clementine

Dinner (453 calories, 14 g fiber)

Tip for meal preparation: You will have some roasted root vegetables left over from tonight’s dinner. Plan to save 1 cup of roasted veggies to have for lunch on Day 3 and Day 6 (1/2 cup per day).

Daily Totals: 1,208 calories, 51 g protein, 164 g carbohydrates, 32 g fiber, 43 g fat, 1,169 mg sodium

Day 3

Breakfast (281 calories, 6 g fiber)

AM Snack (32 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (357 calories, 10 g fiber)

Snack PM (95 calories, 3g fibre)

Dinner (463 calories, 4g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,199 calories, 57 g protein, 161 g carbohydrates, 27 g fiber, 41 g fat, 1,580 mg sodium

Day 4

Breakfast (262 calories, 15 g fibre)

AM Snack (112 calories, 3 g fiber)

Lunch (304 calories, 4g fiber)

Easy cucumber salad

• 1 1/2 cups sliced ​​cucumber
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Salt, pepper and dried dill, to taste

Snack PM (31 calories, 4g fiber)

Dinner (497 calories, 8 g fiber)

Tips for food preparation: Make a batch of Basic Quinoa to use for lunch and dinner on Day 5. Prepare Blueberry-Pecan Overnight Oat Cream tonight to have for breakfast on Day 5.

Daily Totals: 1,368 calories, 73 g protein, 118 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 63 g fat, 1,026 mg sodium

Day 5

Breakfast (291 calories, 6 g fiber)

AM Snack (31 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (301 calories, 4 g fiber)

Snack PM (87 calories, 4g fiber)

Dinner (479 calories, 12 g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,189 calories, 53 g protein, 148 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 46 g fat, 1,598 mg sodium

Day 6

Breakfast (304 calories, 9 g fiber)

AM Snack (32 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (357 calories, 10 g fiber)

Snack PM (105 calories, 3g fibre)

Dinner (472 calories, 22 g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,270 calories, 52 g protein, 208 g carbohydrates, 48 ​​g fiber, 27 g fat, 1,284 mg sodium

Day 7

Breakfast (266 calories, 6 g fiber)

AM Snack (95 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (308 calories, 7 g fiber)

Snack PM (105 calories, 3g fibre)

Dinner (372 calories, 15 g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (55 calories, 2 g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,355 calories, 62 g protein, 202 g carbohydrates, 39 g fiber, 43 g fat, 1,503 mg sodium

Watch: What a Day of Eating for a Healthy Belly Looks Like