Tasty recipes for improving digestion

2 mins to read

Your digestive health could benefit simply by adding some digestion-boosting foods into your day. Try some of these great recipe ideas to get those juices flowing. By naturopath Kathryn Terrill.

Digestive healthCold, flu & immunityEveryday health

Breakfast is a great time to wake up your digestion after a good night's sleep. It is the best time to get a good quantity of fibre and low Glycaemic Index (GI) carbohydrates into your system so that your bowel function benefits and you have lots of energy to keep you going.

It’s good to consume probiotics, the beneficial bacteria that are found in yoghurt, on an empty stomach, so yoghurt in the morning is a great way to start the day.

Breakfast

Fruity almond smoothie

This recipe is perfect as a delicious liquid breakfast on the go. It has the advantage of high fibre content to help regulate bowel function and promote a feeling of fullness, and this liquid delight may also help to relieve constipation. The yoghurt helps to support the intestinal balance of good bacteria which aids digestion, supports immunity and helps to keep potentially harmful bugs at bay. Bananas can also help to support the intestinal balance of good bacteria.

Combine the following ingredients in a blender:

2 chopped bananas
A small handful of chopped almonds
1 teaspoon of psyllium husks
1 tablespoon of oatmeal
200 ml of orange juice
150 ml of good quality plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon of honey
A pinch of ground nutmeg

Blend to a smooth, creamy consistency and sprinkle nutmeg on top as a garnish.

Lunch

Tempeh and Rocket Salad
Bitter tasting green vegetables such as radicchio and rocket are digestive dynamos. When our tongue tastes the bitter taste, it causes our digestive juices to increase and this improves our body's ability to break down our food efficiently. Tempeh is a fermented food that is easily digestible and can help support the intestinal balance of good bacteria.

Salad ingredients:

2 cups of washed rocket leaves
1 cup washed radicchio leaves
½ small Spanish onion thinly sliced
½ red capsicum sliced
100 g tempeh, sliced into 1cm thick slices and lightly fried in olive oil

Dressing:

½ clove garlic, finely chopped
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Cracked pepper

Sweet treat

Next time you feel like baking a batch of biscuits, try this healthy alternative with high fibre apple and oats, and tummy soothing spices cinnamon and cloves. Ginger may help to increase the digestive juices in the stomach and stimulate the muscular movements needed to mix the juices with the stomach contents.

Apple Oatmeal Biscuits

2 ½ cup flour
1 cup quick oats
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup dark brown sugar
o ¾ cup salted butter, softened
1 large egg
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce/puree
½ cup honey
1 medium apple, peeled, finely chopped
1 cup sultanas or raisins
Extra ½ cup of oats to sprinkle on top

Method:

Preheat oven to 180° C.
Combine the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and lemon zest in a bowl. Mix with a wire whisk and set aside.
Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add the egg, apple sauce and honey and beat on medium speed until smooth.
Add the flour mixture, apple and raisins and beat on low speed until mixed. Do not over mix. The dough will be quite soft.
Drop one rounded tablespoon per biscuit 2-3 cm apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle biscuits with about ½ cup of oats.
Bake 23-25 mins or until bottoms are golden. Cool on wire racks.

Bon appétit!

References available on request