Recipes for a sensitive tummy

2 mins to read

Stuck for ideas on what to eat when your tummy is feeling sensitive? Try naturopath Kathryn Terrill’s top recipes designed to nourish without aggravating.

Digestive health

Just because you have a sensitive tummy doesn't mean you don't get hungry, right?

What’s more, there is still a need to nourish your body if your digestion is feeling a bit below par.

Check out these simple food ideas set to soothe.

#1 Quinoa porridge with stewed apple, cinnamon and ginger

This tasty recipe makes for a good, hearty breakfast. It has the advantage of being gluten-free, and quinoa is considered highly nutritious and well tolerated. The stewed apple is easy to digest and the warming cinnamon and ginger help to stimulate digestion and soothe.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or rice milk
1 apple, sliced and cored
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
Honey to taste

Rinse the quinoa in cold water. Place the quinoa and water/milk in saucepan then bring to the boil. Simmer and stir regularly for approximately 10 minutes, or until the germ separates from the seed, and the main part of the seed has a clear look. Drain the excess fluid if necessary. Transfer to your bowl.

Put the sliced apple with approximately 50 mL of water in a small saucepan. Heat on a moderate setting, then add the cinnamon and ginger. Cook until soft, stirring regularly, then add to the quinoa in bowl. Drizzle honey on top to taste.

#2 Rice, yoghurt and grated apple

This recipe is perfect for mild diarrhoea. It helps to soothe the digestive tract and bind the stool, and assists in maintaining healthy bacteria in the gut.

Ingredients

½ cup cooked basmati rice, cooled
½ cup of good quality natural yoghurt
¼ cup grated apple, left to brown slightly
2 tsp slippery elm powder
1 tsp probiotic powder (optional)
Cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste (optional)

Combine ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately.

#3 Vegetable and red lentil soup

Soup is a great delivery system for vegetables as it softens them to make them easily digestible, whilst still capturing most of their nutritional value (especially the minerals) in the fluid they are cooked in. Having soup can feel soothing to a sensitive tummy, and the fluid helps to keep us hydrated. Red lentils add fibre and nourishment to this recipe. Ginger and garlic help to soothe and heal.

Ingredients

5 cups of water
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ brown onion, sliced
1 small knob of ginger, grated
1 stock cube
½ cup of red lentils
3 cups of mixed vegetables of your choice (carrots, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, green beans, cauliflower, sweet potato)
Iodised salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and add red lentils. Chop and add other ingredients as you go, starting with the onion, garlic and ginger. Add the longer cooking vegetables first. Your soup is ready when the lentils have lost their shape and the vegetables are soft.

#4 Miso soup with tofu and wakame

Miso soup is incredibly nourishing, and this dish is simple to prepare. The wakame seaweed is a great source of iodine and other minerals, and the tofu is an excellent source of protein.

Ingredients