These healing recipes include plant-based foods and drinks that are easy to make and are beneficial for both gut and immune health. Included is a list of probiotic foods and prebiotic foods!
Research has shown just how important gut health is to overall health. Gut health is so intertwined with the brain, that it’s been deemed the ‘second brain’. It’s believed that 90% of serotonin receptors are located in the gut, showing just how closely linked gut health is to mental health, too. An unhealthy gut has been linked to food sensitivities, allergies, IBS, sugar cravings, anxiety, depression, acne, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, fatigue, ADHD, and much more. Put simply, heal the gut: heal your mind, body, and soul. I’ve gathered some of my favorite anti-inflammatory and gut healing foods from some of the best food bloggers out there + some useful tidbits to help you on your journey to optimum health, blood sugar, and digestion! Ready to live a healthier lifestyle? Let's get started!
Jump to:
- How to Improve Gut Health Naturally
- Prebiotics v.s. Probiotics + Health Benefits
- Healing Vegan Probiotic Foods
- Healing Prebiotic-Rich Foods
- 42 Amazing Healing Recipes
- Easy Spicy Fermented Bell Pepper Salsa
- Probiotic Pineapple Kefir Drink (V, GF)
- Simple Fermented Vegetables
- How to Make Moroccan-Style Preserved Lemons
- How to Make Water Kefir + Camu Camu Water Kefir Recipe
- Fermented Jalapeños (a super simple gut boosting recipe)
- How to make Kombucha: Basic Recipe
- Kimchi
- Kim Chi Bowl with Red Curry Almond Sauce
- Easy Spicy Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
- Simple Cultured Cashew Cream Cheese
- Fermented Habanero Hot Sauce
- Easy Homemade Ginger Beer • Happy Kitchen
- How to Make Coconut Yogurt
- Fermented Vegan Walnut Thyme Cheese
- Sauerkraut Chickpea Flour Ravioli + Spiced Applesauce
- Easy Spicy Golden Sauerkraut
- Beet Kraut with Ginger and Garlic
- Vegan reuben jackfruit sandwich
- Coconut Milk Kefir Cherry Ice Cream
- Watermelon Pizza & How To Make Homemade Cashew Cream Yogurt
- Instant Kimchi Noodle Soup
- Strawberry Water Kefir
- Bulgogi tofu bowls (Vegan)
- Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets
- How to Make Tepache de Piña - A Probiotic Pineapple Drink from Mexico
- Kombucha Popsicles
- Finnish Fermented Lemonade (Sima)
- Salvadoran Curtido (Fermented Cabbage Relish)
- How to Make Ginger Vinegar from a Homemade Ginger Bug
- Russian Dill Pickles (Quick and Low-Salted)
- Easy, Homemade Fermented Ketchup: Fermented Foods at Every Meal
- Beet Kvass - An Unbeetable Traditional Ukranian Health Drink
- How to Make Apple Scrap Vinegar
- Easy Sauerkraut Salad with Mango and Almonds • Happy Kitchen
- Adaptogenic Water Kefir
- Orange Cardamom Kombucha | Melissa Torio
- Tempeh Tacos
- Instant Pot Yogurt: Everything You Need to Know
- Russian Grandma's Pickled Tomatoes • Happy Kitchen
- Ginger Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail
- Probiotic Apricot Fruit Leather
- More Gut Health Resources:
- 💬 Comments
How to Improve Gut Health Naturally
- Include probiotic-rich fermented foods in your diet.
- Include fermentable fibers a.k.a. prebiotics into your diet.
- Eliminate high inflammatory foods, GMO foods, inorganic foods, highly processed and refined foods, and packaged foods, and limit dairy, gluten, and refined + unrefined sugars of any sort.
- Consume more healthy fats and omega fatty acids such as those found in coconut oil, avocados, walnuts, and hemp seeds.
- Include sprouted grains and seeds in your diet.
- Take a probiotic capsule daily and/or digestive enzymes.
- Set aside sometime each day to exercise, even if it’s just ten minutes of stretching.
- Get plenty of sleep and reduce stress as much as possible.
- Incorporate foods high in antioxidants, such as blueberries, strawberries, artichokes, kale, and beans.
- Eat whole foods.
- Consume a wide variety of spices.
Prebiotics v.s. Probiotics + Health Benefits
Prebiotics are fibers that are not easily digested and ferment in the gut. The process of fermentation feeds the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut. Benefits:
- Helps increase the absorption of much-needed vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
- Provides a cleansing and detoxing effect on the digestive system, helping to eliminate ‘bad’ gut bacteria and pathogens.
- Helps support a healthy immune system.
- Reduces inflammation in the digestive system.
- Aids in weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
Probiotics are bacteria that are the by-products of the fermentation process in fermented foods. Probiotics are considered to be ‘good’ bacteria and help feed the gut more of what it needs. Benefits:
- It increases the good bacteria in the gut and decreases the bad.
- It can replenish and repopulate the gut with good bacteria after the overuse of antibiotics.
- Provides the groundwork to help improve every aspect of health, which we all now know is rooted in the gut, including improving mental health, eliminating allergies, improving heart health, helping digestive disorders, reducing sugar cravings, weight reduction, improving your immune system, and much more.
Healing Vegan Probiotic Foods
- Fermented vegetables, including kimchi and sauerkraut (this red cabbage sauerkraut is amazing!).
- Preserved fruit.
- Dairy-Free Yogurt.
- Coconut milk kefir.
- Kombucha.
- Pickles and other pickled vegetables.
- Water kefir.
- Cultured nut and seed cheeses.
- Miso.
- Tempeh.
Healing Prebiotic-Rich Foods
- Garlic.
- Onion.
- Dandelions.
- Apples.
- Ginger.
- Acacia Fiber (Gum).
- Bananas.
- Lemon.
- Beans and legumes.
- Chicory root.
- Seaweed.
- Cacao.
- Oats.
42 Amazing Healing Recipes
How to Make Moroccan-Style Preserved Lemons
from Nourished Kitchen
Fermented Jalapeños (a super simple gut boosting recipe)
from Boots and Hooves Homestead
Kim Chi Bowl with Red Curry Almond Sauce
from Fried Dandelions
Sauerkraut Chickpea Flour Ravioli + Spiced Applesauce
from Strength and Sunshine
Coconut Milk Kefir Cherry Ice Cream
from My Tiny Laguna Kitchen
Watermelon Pizza & How To Make Homemade Cashew Cream Yogurt
from Green Smoothie Gourmet
How to Make Tepache de Piña - A Probiotic Pineapple Drink from Mexico
from Nourished Kitchen
Salvadoran Curtido (Fermented Cabbage Relish)
from The Curious Chickpea
How to Make Ginger Vinegar from a Homemade Ginger Bug
from Oh, The Things We'll Make!
Easy, Homemade Fermented Ketchup: Fermented Foods at Every Meal
from Oh, The Things We'll Make!
Beet Kvass - An Unbeetable Traditional Ukranian Health Drink
from Tin and Thyme
How to Make Apple Scrap Vinegar
from Practical Self Reliance
Easy Sauerkraut Salad with Mango and Almonds • Happy Kitchen
from Happy Kitchen
Instant Pot Yogurt: Everything You Need to Know
from Glue and Glitter
Russian Grandma's Pickled Tomatoes • Happy Kitchen
from Happy Kitchen
Probiotic Apricot Fruit Leather
from Small Footprint Family
I greatly hope you enjoyed this informative guide to improving your gut health + all of these delicious gut health recipes and gut healing meals! If you feel so inclined, I appreciate you sharing on social media! Thank you! xo.
More Gut Health Resources:
How To Choose A Probiotic Supplement
What You Should Know About Leaky Gut
20 Gut Health Tips for Kids with ADHD
Rehoboth says
Nice post
Rehoboth says
Excellent post. Nice information
Thanks
Kristen Wood says
So happy to hear that. Thanks!
Kechi says
Thanks for sharing such a healthy guide! The fermented vegetables are an absolute must-have in my kitchen.
Tavo says
What a great compilation of recipes! I found the article very informative as well. Thank you!
Eliza says
This is an incredibly comprehensive post with so much helpful information. I've been wanting to learn more about prebiotics and probiotics, and all of these recipes are going to be so fun to try. Thank you!
Irena says
Wow, sooooo many great ideas! As a nutrition coach, this is a fantastic resource for me to get back to whenever I need to recommend some options to my clients. Thanks for putting this collection together!
Lisa says
So many good recipes in this bunch. And thanks for all the great info. I have been trying to eat healthier and this came right when I needed it.
Jere Cassidy says
There are a lot of recipes I definitely want to try and I always wanted to make my own kombucha and pickles. Saving this post for later, lots of good ideas here.
Lauren says
This is such a handy list to have after indulging this holiday!
Anjali says
These all look so delicious and I love the healing properties of these recipes!! I can't wait to make the watermelon pizza first - that is calling my name!
Kristen says
I love all these recipes! I'm going to try that kimchi noodle soup first!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love how easy this is. It’s perfect for our family!
Amity Rice says
Amazing list!!! Thanks for sharing!! I have back linked this post on one of my posts over at friendlywanderlust.com/blog
Kristen Wood says
Thank you! 🙂