Summer Food Swaps – Embracing Seasonal Cravings for a Happier Gut
Summer is the perfect opportunity to refresh your meals with healthy alternatives that support your gut health.
With the season packed full of picnics, BBQs, beach days and holidays, it helps to have a few simple, gut-friendly swaps up your sleeve. These small changes can make a big difference to how you feel – giving your gut bugs something to be happy about in the sunshine.
Here are five easy summer food swaps to help nourish your gut while enjoying everything the season has to offer!
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Swap fizzy drinks for infused water
Hydration plays a key role in gut health. Water is essential for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and keeping things moving smoothly through your digestive system. Without enough fluids, digestion can slow down, leading to discomfort. In hot weather, staying hydrated becomes even more important as your body loses more fluids through sweat.
Instead of reaching for fizzy drinks, try flavouring still or sparkling water with fresh ingredients like lemon, cucumber, mint or berries.Another great way to top up your hydration levels is by snacking on water-rich fruit and vegetables. Foods like watermelon, cucumber, celery and oranges help top up your fluid intake, supporting your gut health throughout the day.
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Swap crisps for crunchy veggies and hummus
Try replacing crisps with fresh vegetable sticks like carrots, cucumbers or bell peppers, and pair them with hummus or vegetable pâté. Our delicious walnut, tomato and sage pâté is a great option- find the recipe here. These options are rich in fibre, which is what your gut bugs love to feed on – the more variety you give them, the happier they’ll be!
Tip: Use a mix of different coloured peppers (red, yellow and green). This increases the variety of plants in your diet, a key factor in supporting a healthy gut[1].
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Swap ice cream for homemade fruit ice lollies or sorbet
Nothing says summer quite like a frozen treat. As an alternative to ice cream, try making smoothie ice lollies at home by blending your favourite fruits (like bananas, mango or berries) with milk and a splash of honey, before pouring into moulds. To support your gut, instead of milk why not try a tasty yoghurt or a fermented milk drink!
Ice lollies not your thing? Check out our refreshing Mango and Lime sorbet recipe.
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Swap mayonnaise for Greek yoghurt
Mayonnaise is often used in summer salads, but Greek yoghurt can be a lighter alternative.
It’s higher in protein, lower in fat and will still give your dish a creamy texture! Some types of Greek yoghurt even contain beneficial gut bacteria. Look out for ‘contains live cultures’ in the ingredients list.
Tip: Mix Greek yoghurt with lemon juice, a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and fresh herbs like dill or parsley for a zesty dressing.
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Swap white bread for sourdough or wholemeal
Summer often means burger buns, toasties and picnic sandwiches. Try replacing white bread with sourdough or wholemeal options, which offer more fibre and support digestion.#
Embrace the seasonal shift
Making a few small swaps here and there might not seem like much, but, over time these little changes can really add up when it comes to supporting gut health.
Whether it’s infusing your water with delicious fruits, adding more colourful veggies to your snacks or opting for sourdough over white bread, these choices can help keep your gut bugs happy. When your gut is happy it can support better digestion, strengthen your immune system and contribute to your overall wellbeing[2].
So, take advantage of the season. Enjoy fresh produce, try something new and give your gut a little extra love this summer.
References
- McDonald et al. (2018) American Gut: An open platform for citizen science microbiome research, mSystems, 3(3). doi:10.1128/msystems.00031-18.
- Valdes et al. (2018) Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health, British Medical Journal, 361. doi:10.1136/bmj.k2179.