The last few years have proven how critical it is to prioritise your health. Gut health is critical for maintaining a healthy mind and body. While several supplements on the market can help your digestive system, we believe that the best and simplest way to improve gut health is through the food you eat. Eating a diet rich in whole food recipes will improve your digestion and overall gut health, leaving you feeling better than ever.

Before we dive into some of our favourite gluten-free recipes, it’s important to note two key components to look for when selecting digestion-friendly foods:probiotics and prebiotics.

Simply put, probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in the gut and help with many digestive functions, whereas prebiotics is the bacteria that feed the probiotics. There are several foods and beverages that are high in both of these nutrients. Starting your day with a gut-friendly breakfast recipe is a great way to get your digestive system going and maintain regularity. Continue reading to learn about breakfast recipes that are high in digestive-boosting nutrients.

What exactly are Probiotics?

Let’s look more closely at probiotics. When we say probiotics are the good bacteria that are currently living in your gut, we don’t mean just a few bacteria strains. Instead, trillions of good-for-you microorganisms live in your digestive tract and help you function at your best every day. This army of good bacteria, also known as probiotics, aids in the digestion of the foods you eat.

Probiotics aid in the health of our digestive tracts by:

• Supporting our immune system
• Helping in the management of inflammation within the body
• Helping in the prevention of diseases and conditions affecting the digestive system

Prebiotics

Prebiotics, while sounding similar to probiotics, play a very different role in your digestive health. Prebiotics are insoluble fibres that the body does not digest. Let us explain how something indigestible can be beneficial to your digestive system. Prebiotics are used as food for probiotics rather than being absorbed by the body. They support healthy gut flora and can improve overall digestive health as a food source.

Do you know where you can get prebiotics? Of course, in food! While probiotics can be found in a variety of fermented foods such as Curd and Kanji, prebiotics is mostly found in fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

That being said, having the time to prepare a multi-course microbiome-friendly meal before 10 a.m. is a luxury, requiring more energy and time (and brain space) than many of us have before leaving for work.

The solution is simple: The following gut-friendly breakfast recipes which tick all the boxes in terms of flavour and nutritional value. The best part? They all take no more than ten minutes to prepare and are gluten-free.

8 Gut-Friendly Breakfast Recipes

1. Mango Coconut Water Smoothie

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

• Mango, peeled and chopped- 2
• Ginger- 1 inch
• Coconut water- 2 cups
• Chia seeds (optional) – 1 tsp

Method

• In a blender, add mango, ginger, and coconut and blend until smooth
• Pour into a tall glass and top with chia seeds

2.Vegetable Poha

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

• Poha – 50 gm
• Raw peanuts – 10-12
• Mustard seeds- ½tbsp
• Onion, finely chopped- 1
• Tomato, finely chopped- 1
• Frozen peas- 2tbsp
• Potato, boiled and chopped- 1
• Green chilli, chopped- 1
• Curry leaveswashed- 10-12
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder- 1tsp
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Oil- 2tbsp

Method

• Place the Poha in a colander and thoroughly rinse it under running water. While rinsing, gently stir the Poha with your fingers to prevent it from becoming mushy during cooking. Set aside the Poha once it has been washed.
• Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard, allowing it to crackle.
• Place the peanuts in the pan and cook on low heat until they are thoroughly cooked and emit a pleasant aroma.
• Cook for another 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat until the onions are translucent in colour.
• After the onions have softened, add the boiled potato and tomato and cook for 1 more minute.
• Combine the curry leaves, green chilli, salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric with the vegetables.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the soaked poha to the pan, giving it a gentle stir until all of the ingredients are combined.
• Remove from the heat once the poha has been thoroughly combined with the remaining ingredients.
• Taste and adjust the salt and seasonings to your liking before serving.

Instead of sautéing the onion, tomatoes, and peanuts in oil, you can alsoadd them on top.

3.Blueberry Smoothie With Chia and Pumpkin Seeds

Total Time: 2 minutes

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

• Chia seeds- 1 tbsp
• Pumpkin seeds – 1 tbsp
• Frozen blueberries- ½ cup
• Strawberry, washed and hulled- 4
• Milk of your choice- ¼ cup
• Yoghurt – ½ cup

Method

• In a blender, combine frozen berries, strawberries, milk, and yoghurt.
• Pour into a glass and top with chia seeds and pumpkin seeds.

4.Egg Sprouts Salad

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

• Egg, hard boiled- 4
• Green gram dal, sprouted- 1 cup
• Tomato, chopped- 1
• Onion, chopped – 1
• Green chilli, chopped – 1-2
• Coriander- a few

Method

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, green chilli, and boiled sprouts.
• Mix in the vinegar, salt, chaat masala, crushed black pepper, and lemon juice.
• Cut the boiled eggs into 6 pieces and top with green chutney and fresh coriander.
• It’s ready to serve.

5.Mango & Chia Overnight Oats Pudding

Total time: 8 hours + 2 minutes

Serving: 1 serving

Ingredients

• Rolled Oats- ¼ cup
• Chopped Mangoes- ½ cup
• Chia Seeds-2 to 3 tsp
• Almond Milk -½cup
• Honey – 1 tsp
• Chopped Almonds- 3 to 4
• Vanilla Essence – 3 drops

For Garnishing: (Optional)

• Mixed Seeds- 1 tsp
• Chopped nuts (Almonds/Walnuts) – 1 tsp
• Chopped Mangoes – 2 tbsp

Method

• Place chopped mangoes and oats in a mixing jar and blend until the oats are crushed. If the mixture is too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of milk or water.
• Combine the milk, chia seeds, honey, and chopped almonds in a mixing bowl. Honey can also be substituted with sugar, coconut sugar, or a few drops of Stevia.
• Stir well and soak the chia seeds in milk for 5-10 minutes. Place these on top of the oats and mango mixture in the same jar.
• Place this jar in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, top it with more mangoes, nuts, or mixed seeds. It is entirely up to you what and how much you want to include in your diet.

6.Masala Idli

Total time: 10 minutes

Serving: 2 servings

Ingredients

• Idli – 4
• Oil- 2 tbsp
• Red onion, finely chopped- ½ cup
• Green bell pepper, chopped – ½ cup
• Garlic paste or freshly grated- 1 tsp
• Green chilli finely chopped – 1
• Tomato, chopped- ¾ cup
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder- ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder- ½ tsp
• Pav bhaji masala- ½ tsp
• Water
• Lemon juice- ½ teaspoon
• Coriander leaves, chopped- a few

Method

• Cut each idli into four pieces and setthemaside.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil and add chopped onion and capsicum. Sprinkle with salt to hasten the cooking process.
• Mix and cook until the onion is soft and light pink in colour.
• Now add the green chilli paste and garlic paste. Sauté for 30 seconds, or until the raw garlic smell has gone away.
• Toss in the tomatoes. Continue to cook while mixing well. It will become soft as it cooks. Mash them with a spatula until they’re pulpy.
• Mix in 2 tablespoons of water.
• Combine the remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and pav bhaji masala in a mixing bowl. Cook for a minute after thoroughly mixing.
• Now stir in the chopped idlis. Mix thoroughly so that the masala coats all of the pieces.
• Finally, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the coriander leaves.
• Stir well before serving.

7. Chocolate Chia Seeds Pudding

Total time: 8 hours + 10 minutes

Serving: 1 serving

Ingredients

• Unsweetened cocoa powder- ½ tsp
• Maple syrup- 1 tbsp
• Ground cinnamon (optional)- ¼ tsp
• Sea salt- ¼ tsp
• Vanilla extract- 5 drops
• Soy milk or any milk of your choice- ½ cup
• Chia seeds- 3 tsp

Method

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder (sifted first to reduce clumps), maple syrup, ground cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
• Then, whisk in a little milk at a time until paste forms. Then whisk in the remaining milk until smooth.
• Add the remaining chia seeds and whisk to combine.
• Then, cover and chill for at least 3-5 hours (or until it reaches a pudding-like consistency). It may also be beneficial to give the mixture an extra whisk/stir after it has been chilled for 30-45 minutes.
• Chill and serve with desired toppings, such as the remaining chia seeds with any fruit, granola, or coconut whipped cream.

8.Vegetable Uttapam

Total time: 10 minutes

Serving: 2 servings

Ingredients

• Semolina (Rava / sooji)- 1 cup
• Curd – 2 tbsp
• Oil- 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Tomatoes, finely chopped – 3 tbsp
• Onions, finely chopped – 3 tbsp
• Green chillies, finely chopped- 2 tsp
• Coriander, finely chopped- – 3 tbsp
• Oil for cooking

Method

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the semolina, curds, salt, and 1 cup of water. Cover with a lid and set aside for 1 hour to ferment.
• Heat a non-stick tava (griddle), sprinkle with water (it should sizzle immediately) and wipe clean with a cloth.
• Spread 1/4^thcup of the batter on the tava (griddle) in a circular motion to form a thick circle.
• Pour a little oil over the top and edges, then evenly distribute ½ tbsp onions, ½ tbsp tomatoes, ½ tbsp coriander, and ¼ tsp green chillies. Pour a little more oil over it and lightly press it.
• Cook on the other side until it turns light brown in colour.
• Serve with coconut chutney right away.

To Wrap Up

If you like breakfast, try to start your day with a healthy meal.

While there are numerous breakfast options, the best ones are high in fibre, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.

We hope that this list of gut-friendly breakfast recipes has inspired you to start eating more prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods. Be sure to get creative when making these recipes by incorporating your favourite ingredients. The possibilities for healthy and tasty breakfast food are endless!

-Written & Edited by

Tanya Kathuria & Simran Sood