As someone who is allergic to most nuts, I’ve never had a Snickers bar, but I have heard they are filled with crunchy peanuts, sweet caramel and coated in chocolate. I’ve not got a very sweet tooth, so I’m subbing in dark chocolate for milk, adding extra plant polyphenols which my gut will love. It’s also got the benefit of fibre from the naturally sweet and caramel-like date, and the crunchy almond butter has been blended with the skins on for even more fibre benefit, as these are the nuts I’m not allergic to.
All in all, this is a really easy recipe which will help to satisfy your sweet tooth when you might normally reach for a shop-bought version. Make a larger batch and keep them in an airtight container, if they last that long!
Serves 5
Ingredients
5 Medjool dates, pitted and split down one side
5 tsp crunchy almond butter (or any other nut butter of choice)
100g dark chocolate, melted
Method
Add a teaspoon of nut butter to the middle of the date and close as best you can
Roll the stuffed date in the melted chocolate, getting an even coating over the whole surface
Allow to set on baking parchment for around 30 minutes
Enjoy straight away, or store in an airtight Tupperware for up to 2 weeks
Reindeer Poops
Per serving: 257kcal/ 15g fat/ 5.5g saturated fat/ 24g carbohydrates/ 4.4g fibre/ 4.6g protein
This whole dish could very easily be made completely in the oven, making it more hands-free.
I used Isle of Wight tomatoes and aubergines which are currently in season, and are more locally produced with fewer air miles, making them more sustainable as part of Sustainable September.
In a large ovenproof dish, cook the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes over a medium heat before adding the aubergine. Cook for a further 5 minutes before adding the garlic*.
Add the tomatoes and transfer to the oven to cook for 30 minutes till the tomatoes have softened.
Add the beans with their stock and most of the basil, stir to combine and return to the oven, cooking for a further 10 minutes till the sauce thickens.
Scatter the mozzarella over the top with half the Parmigiano Reggiano and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes when the cheese has melted and is golden brown. Scatter with the remaining basil and Parmigiano before serving straight away with thick slices of bread.
*Option to do this step in the oven
Parmigiana Beans
Per serving (excluding bread): 422kcal/ 21g fat/ 8.8g saturated fat/ 28g carbohydrates/ 15g fibre/ 20g protein
My Gut Loving Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad is a delicious way to increase diversity as well as pack in pre- and probiotics whilst delivering 13g of fibre and 30g of protein per serving!
Did you know that the bacteria found in Parmigiano Reggiano can survive and help to colonise our gut making it a delicious probiotic if eaten raw? And this paired with the live bacteria in the yoghurt (more probiotics) and plenty of prebiotics (chickpeas, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, rocket, spinach and watercress all being sources) and fibre diversity and quantity make this the perfect salad for both your tastebuds and gut microbiota.
This potato salad is for all those mayonnaise haters out there! I’m using lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and Dijon mustard as the base of the sauce, and keeping it light by using a load of chopped herbs, capers and gherkins.
Cooking and cooling potatoes allows for the starch to retrograde into something called resistant starch. Our bodies are not able to digest this type of starch, but instead, it helps to feed the microbiota living inside your digestive tract.
Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
500g new potatoes
200g asparagus, trimmed and cut into short lengths
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 heaped tablespoon of Dijon mustard
40g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
20g dill, finely chopped
20g chives, finely chopped
1 heaped tablespoon of capers, drained and roughly chopped
2-3 gherkins, chopped
1 packet smoked mackerel, skin removed and roughly flaked
Method
Boil the potatoes for around 15 minutes untill cooked through, adding the asparagus in for the last minute of cooking.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, herbs, capers and gherkins together.
Drain the potatoes and asparagus and add to the sauce, mixing while hot.
Salad means different things to different people. I refer to this as a salad, even though there is a distinct lack of green leafy vegetables as you might often think of. But trust me, this is worth adding to your repertoire!
It’s packed full of lovely ingredients that help provide a wide variety of nutrients including plenty of plant-based protein, fibre, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), iron, folate and vitamin K1 to name but a few.
For those following a full plant-based diet try swapping the goat cheese for a plant-based cheese alternative, or use tofu and roast in the same way.
You also know that I love to use as much of my homegrown veg as possible. So, I’m making sure I save the seeds and roast them up as a crispy topping. It adds an extra texture dimension to the whole dish and saves edible food from going into the bin. The seeds also have slightly different nutritional properties to the flesh of the butternut squash itself, so it really is a win-win situation.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash, around 400g when prepared, saving the seeds
2 cloves of garlic, skin on
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g goat cheese, sliced in half
100g puy lentils
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
30g chives, finely chopped
50g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
Prep the butternut squash by removing the very ends and slicing in half lengthways. Remove the seeds, but save for later. Coat the butternut squash in 1 tbsp olive oil and place on a baking tray. In a separate small ovenproof dish add the garlic and 1/2 tbsp olive oil and cover. Bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, separate the seeds from the pulp and dry before mixing with the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Remove the roasted garlic dish and spread the seeds out over the tray, and add the goat cheese into the cavity of the butternut squash. Bake for 12-15 minutes till the seeds are crispy and the cheese has melted.
Meanwhile, cook the lentils by bringing them to the boil and then simmer for 12-15 minutes till soft but still with a bite.
Remove the garlic skins and mash the garlic into the oil with the mustard and balsamic vinegar to make a sauce. Mix into the hot lentils, and once slightly cooled mix in the herbs.
Serve straight away hot, or equally delicious eaten cold as leftovers the next day.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Salad
Per serving: 565kcal/ 29g fat/ 11g saturated fat/ 40g carbohydrates/ 15g fibre/ 28g protein
If I was to ask you which is the best thing to eat to help with regular bowel movements, or to help relieve constipation, most of you would probably answer with prunes. They’re a classic home remedy for helping to keep you regular thanks to their high level of sorbitol. Sorbitol is a type of dietary fibre which is able to help draw water into the lumen of the gut, and therefore can help to soften hard stools, making them easier to pass.
So how do kiwi fruits come into this then? Well, kiwi fruit have more recently been hitting the headlines for their role in constipation which could be due to a specific enzyme called actinidin. Actinidin is a digestive enzyme that breaks down proteins, improves gastric emptying and may help facilitate laxation through its stimulation of receptors in the colon. Furthermore, kiwis have a high polyphenol content, which may also confer digestive health benefits. Polyphenols can promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, such as bifidobacteria. And finally, kiwis have a high water holding capacity and high viscosity, which helps with fecal bulking and softening.
Recent studies have demonstrated significant results in the treatment of constipation in healthy patients with IBS-C and in patients with functional constipation [1, 2]. Researchers used MRI techniques to identify the mechanism of action behind kiwi’s laxative effect and found that the consumption of two kiwi fruit daily increased water content in the small bowel and descending colon and increased colonic bulk. These MRI data are consistent with the observation that an increase in stool frequency with looser stool consistencies are seen with the consumption of two kiwi fruit daily and suggests that kiwis can be used as a natural, diet therapy for those with mild constipation [3].
Another study explored the comparative effectiveness of three natural treatments in patients with chronic constipation. This research is among the first data addressing the effectiveness and tolerability of kiwi fruit on chronic constipation in the United States. Seventy-five adults with either functional constipation or IBS type Constipation were provided around 6g of fibre per day in the form of two green kiwi fruit, 12 prunes (100g) or 12 grams of psyllium over a four-week treatment period. All participants experienced similar proportions of spontaneous bowel movements. However, the participants given kiwi fruit reported fewer adverse effects than those reported by patients treated with the prunes and psyllium. Notably, a smaller proportion of patients were dissatisfied with the kiwi fruit compared with the prunes or psyllium [4]. In addition, a randomised cross-over study looked at the effectiveness of 5g of dietary fiber from golden kiwifruit versus 5g of dietary fiber through a fibre supplement and saw similar improvements in stool consistency, straining and discomfort [5].
Kiwi Granola
I’ve paired my mini homegrown kiwis with no added sugar granola and some raspberries, which are another source of fibre, for the best gut-loving effect.
Overnight oats are a fantastic way of getting a quick and nutritious breakfast. So easy to make, taking just 5 minutes, and you can use whatever you have in stock at home. Then, just let it sit in the fridge overnight, and it’s hassle free grab-and-go breakfast in the morning.
In a recent publication, researchers at The University of Leeds reinvestigated the sugar content of yoghurts available in UK supermarkets. This was in response to their previous investigations published in 2018 with BJM which looked at the nutrient content of yoghurts back in 2016.
Yoghurt is often described as a healthy food, which it is, but the original study highlighted that less than 10% of available yoghurts were low in sugar, that’s <5g free sugar per 100g. Startlingly, almost no yoghurts aimed at children were low in sugar, which could contribute to childhood obesity and dental caries.
In their new paper, they compared the sugar content of the same yoghurts from 2016, and found that there was a 13% decrease in the sugar content over the past 2 years, highlighting a potentially positive effect public policy can have. Additionally, the greatest reduction in sugar were seen in children’s drinks and fruit yoghurts, while the number of different children’s and organic products also decreased by 23% and 27% respectively since the original dataset taken in 2016.
Overnight oats with frozen berries
Using a plain yoghurt is considered the best option, sweetening it yourself with whole fruit, which can be fresh or frozen.
Ingredients
40g whole oats
10g chia seeds
10g sultanas
80g plain yoghurt
80ml milk, I have used kefir
50g frozen cherries
50g frozen blackcurrants
15g chopped almonds
Method
Mix the oats, chia seeds, sultanas, yoghurt and milk together till there are no lumps.
Top with the frozen fruit, cover, and leave overnight in the fridge.
Dr Pippa 