If you’re wanting to improve your gut health, making adjustments to your menu is a great place to start! These tasty recipes meet our gut-healthy parameters by featuring foods that contain probiotics and/or prebiotics, like kefir, onions, artichokes, beans and legumes and more. Plus they’re high in fiber to help support your digestive health and increase beneficial gut bacteria. From flavorful pasta dishes to hearty grain bowls and veggie-packed salads, there’s no shortage of delicious recipes. Try options like our Crispy Tempeh Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce or Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls to add a gut-healthy spin to your dinner!
Salmon with Melting Leeks
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This panko-crusted salmon roasts alongside tender leeks, which offer a boost of probiotics to support a healthy gut. Yogurt offers probiotics that enhance the flavor, while black lentils offer fiber that helps maintain a balanced and healthy digestive system.
Crispy Tempeh Steaks with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This plant-based twist on “marry me” chicken uses tempeh instead of chicken, providing a gut-friendly fiber boost. Choose “original” tempeh to make sure your “steaks” are free from added flavorings.
Roasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice Bowl
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman
This well-rounded kimchi rice bowl is packed with fiber and probiotic foods like kimchi and yogurt to support a healthy gut. Prebiotic foods like edamame and garlic add flavor and additional gut-healthy benefits. Gochugaru is a Korean chile powder with a smoky-sweet flavor and mild heat. You can use a combination of crushed red pepper and paprika in its place.
Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This sweet potato and chickpea bowl will make your gut happy! This nutrient-dense bowl is rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants, which support a healthy digestive system. Sorghum, a gluten-free ancient grain, is packed with fiber and essential nutrients that aid digestion and support gut health; the deliciously tangy yogurt-based drizzle offers a probiotic boost.
Broccoli-Pesto Pasta
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This broccoli pesto pasta is a delicious fiber-rich dinner that can help maintain a healthy gut. Seek out artichoke hearts packed in water or use thawed frozen artichokes in their place. Serve this plant-based meal with a green salad and a hunk of whole-grain bread on the side to sop up the leftovers.
Crunchy Chickpea Cabbage Chopped Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This chickpea cabbage salad features carrots and cucumbers, making it a quartet of ingredients that all begin with the letter “C”! This chopped salad is loaded with fiber and prebiotic chickpeas, promoting a healthy gut. Green cabbage keeps the color vibrant and fresh, though red cabbage works just as well.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Dinner
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This sheet-pan chicken and mushroom recipe features kale, mushrooms and beans—all prebiotic foods that offer plenty of fiber to help you maintain a healthy gut. We use a mini food processor to make quick work of making the chimichurri sauce, but you can easily make it by hand by finely chopping the ingredients and whisking in the oil at the end.
Gut-Healthy Crispy Curried Cauliflower Bites
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
These curried cauliflower bites are paired with a creamy dipping sauce that features kefir—a fermented, yogurt-like drink that’s rich in probiotics that can help support gut health. You can swap out the kefir for plain yogurt thinned with a little water if you prefer.
Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This squash lentil salad packs 14 grams of fiber and features plenty of kale, a powerful prebiotic that helps set the stage for a healthy gut. This salad is assembled in a Mason jar so you can prep it the night before for a healthy, grab-and-go lunch the next day.
Garlic-Parmesan Melting Cabbage
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
The tender cabbage in this easy recipe melts in your mouth and picks up the flavors of garlic, Parmesan cheese and a little spice from crushed red pepper as it simmers in a creamy broth in the oven. Serve this easy dish with roasted chicken or pork.
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This roasted vegetable soup uses a diverse and delicious array of vegetables, supporting gut health with prebiotic ingredients like sweet potato, leeks and chickpeas, plus you get a probiotic boost from white miso. While we love the veggies in this recipe, feel free to get creative by adding winter squash or another root vegetable.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
This rich and creamy butternut squash mac and cheese has hints of roasted squash whirled into a cheesy sauce flavored with fresh sage for a delicious plant-based meal any day of the week. We call for pre-chopped butternut squash to keep prep at a minimum, but feel free to chop your own or experiment with another winter squash like honeynut or acorn squash in place of the butternut.
Cheesy French Onion Cabbage
Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
These cheesy French onion cabbage wedges are a delicious twist on the classic flavors of French onion soup. Roasted cabbage is topped with caramelized onions, savory Gruyère cheese and a sprinkle of fresh thyme and pepper for extra depth. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use ¾ teaspoon dried thyme in its place. These wedges can serve as a warm, comforting side dish or even a vegetarian main course.
Chicken Fajita Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
This chicken fajita soup combines the vibrant, smoky flavors of traditional fajitas with the comforting warmth of a soup. This versatile dish is perfect for a cozy dinner, and can be easily adjusted to suit your preferences. To kick up the heat, add a chopped jalapeño to the veggie mixture.
Lentil Salad with Feta, Tomatoes, Cucumbers & Olives
This Mediterranean lentil salad, with chopped veggies, feta cheese and a light dressing, is perfect to have on hand for a quick lunch.
Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
This Parmesan-crusted cauliflower is a delicious dish that features tender cauliflower florets with a crispy, golden Parmesan cheese crust. Finishing the dish with lemon zest and parsley adds a nice brightness. Serve this dish alongside roast chicken, pork and more.
Spinach & Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Nests
Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser
These spinach-and-artichoke spaghetti squash nests bring together the familiar flavors of spinach-and-artichoke dip with sweet and tender-crisp spaghetti squash strands.
Marry Me Chicken & Spaghetti
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
This “marry me” chicken pasta adds spaghetti and spinach to the beloved flavor combination and will have you saying “I do” in no time. A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty here, with the flavorful oil they’re packed in being used to sauté the onion and chicken while the tomatoes go into the cream sauce.
Roasted Lemon-Parmesan Cauliflower with Capers
Photographer: Jake SternquistFood Stylist: Annie ProbstProp Stylist: Joseph Wanek
Sweet roasted cauliflower and tangy lemon team up with Parmesan cheese and briny capers in a flavorful side dish that’s sure to impress. Pair this easy side with roasted chicken or fish, or serve over whole-grain pasta for a delicious vegetarian main course.
Fajita-Inspired Pasta Bake
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
This easy chicken fajita pasta bake perfectly blends the vibrant flavors of classic fajitas with a rich and creamy pasta dish. The result is a mouthwatering fusion of flavors, offering the best of both worlds in a single, satisfying meal. Chopped jalapeño and canned chipotle chiles add heat to this delicious meal.
Charred Cabbage with Buttermilk-Herb Dressing
Cabbage becomes slightly smoky and deeply flavorful when it hits the hot grill. Ready in just 20 minutes, this side dish, finished with a tangy buttermilk dressing, pairs perfectly with grilled meats, chicken or seafood.
One-Pot Potato Curry
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
This potato curry recipe takes inspiration from both north and south Indian dishes, blending the aromatic spices common in the north, with a nod to thoran in the south with the addition of coconut milk. The simplicity of cooking everything in one pot adds to its appeal, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully for a truly comforting meal.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Almonds, Olives & Feta
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
The combination of roasted cauliflower with crunchy toasted almonds, briny olives and tangy feta creates a well-balanced salad that’s perfect as a side dish or a light main course mixed with cooked farro or spelt.
Anti-Inflammatory Sweet Potato Salad
Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
This sweet potato salad is packed with anti-inflammatory foods like cherries, kale, avocado and, of course, sweet potatoes, which are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals to help keep inflammation at bay. Don’t skip the step of massaging the dressing into the kale! It helps soften it and also helps the greens absorb more of the flavor from the sweet-tart dressing.
Grilled Vegetable & Black Bean Farro Bowls
These bowls are filled with all the hearty goodness of a black bean and veggie burrito, minus the tortilla. Nutty, chewy farro takes the place of rice, and the veggies are grilled with a zesty lime vinaigrette. The bowls are delicious at room temperature, but you can also heat the beans with a splash of vegetable broth and reheat the vegetables in a small skillet.
