Gastroenterology Dietitian Dr Sammie Gill shares some simple Christmas swaps that offer something for your taste buds and something for your gut microbes.
10 swaps your gut microbes will love
- Keep the cheeseboard colourful. Mix up the cheeses, include slices of apple, fig, and different coloured grapes alongside wholegrain or seedy crackers.
- Add extra toppings to plain Brussel sprouts including crushed garlic, cranberries, herbs (e.g. parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme), and nuts (e.g. pecans, chestnuts). Roast in olive oil.
- Make your own supercharged fruit cake – add lots of mixed nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts), mixed fruit (e.g. prunes, apricots, cherries, blueberries, raisins, figs), spices (all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves), orange and lemon peel. Pair with kefir or natural yogurt instead of double cream.
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Go for chocolate-dipped fruit (strawberries, raspberries, or banana) instead of opening a box of chocolates. Try fondue style or melt down, dip, and put in the fridge for an hour.
- Swap out regular sage and onion stuffing for a festive fruit and nut stuffing containing dried prunes, apricots, cranberries, walnuts and hazelnuts.
- Go for skin-on roasties instead of peeled (most of the fibre is contained in the skin). Or mix white potatoes with sweet potatoes. Be generous with the olive oil and add lots of fresh or dried herbs including sage, rosemary, and thyme.
- Diversify to a three green mix (e.g. spinach, green beans, kale, peas) on your plate instead of just one. Roast with some crispy bacon, cranberries, shallots, and flaked almonds.
- Swap out crisps for mixed nuts or popcorn. Buy plain mixed nuts and add your own toppings, such as all spice, salt and pepper, or cinnamon and honey. With plain popcorn, drizzle in dark chocolate and crushed freeze-dried fruit for a sweet version or olive oil, parmesan, and sage for a savoury version.
- Go for broccoli, kale, and cauliflower cheese instead of just cauliflower cheese. Smash garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs with breadcrumbs (using wholegrain bread) for a crunchy topping.
- Go for a glass of red wine instead of white wine – your microbes will get a bigger polyphenol boost. Or give these festive drinks a try:
- Hot chocolate with 100% cocoa powder and blended dates.
- Coffee with blended cashew nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest.
- Kefir with cinnamon and vanilla essence.
Looking for more festive tips to help your gut thrive this Christmas? Dietitian Laura Tilt explains why maintaining some of your daily routine over Christmas can be a positive thing for your mind, body and gut.
