7-Day Gut Health Diet Created by a Dietitian

While gut health may seem like a trend at first, it’s here to stay. Words like probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, microbiome, microbiota, and gut bacteria have entered everyday conversations, and for good reason!

Research like the 2022 review European Journal of Clinical Nutritionnoted that a healthy gut microbiome has many surprising health benefits beyond aiding digestion. Good gut bacteria have been shown to improve heart health, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and even improve your sleep patterns and mood by producing feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin. As a bonus, diverse gut bacteria are also associated with a healthy weight.

To help you increase your good gut bacteria count, we created this seven-day meal plan that includes foods that support the growth and maintenance of healthy gut bacteria. Probiotic foods that release beneficial bacteria into the gut (such as yogurt, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha) and prebiotic Foods that feed good gut bacteria (like high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) We left out foods that tend to wreak havoc on your gut, like overly processed, refined foods that contain additives and preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and red meat.

It packs in about 1,200 calories each day—a calorie level that many people can lose 1 to 2 pounds per week—and it has enough protein and fiber to fill you up while you work on a healthier gut. If you need more calories, check out this 1,500-calorie Mediterranean gut-health meal plan or our 2,000-calorie meal plan for a healthy gut.

How to Plan Your Food Week

Here’s what you need to prepare ahead of time to make healthy eating easier during the busy work week. There are others too “Meal Preparation Tips” throughout the week. Make sure you read these ahead of time to find out what further preparations can be made throughout the week.

1. Buy cooked chicken from the store or make the Best Poached Chicken for lunch on days 2 and 5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
2. When making Roasted Root Vegetables and Greens Over Spiced Lentils for dinner on Day 2, make the corresponding recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables on a Baking Sheet. You’ll use some on Day 2 and the rest on Days 3 and 6. Store in a large, airtight container in the refrigerator to preserve freshness.
3. Store in a sealable container for breakfasts like Creamy Blueberry-Walnut Overnight Oatmeal.
4. Store your weekly lunches in airtight containers to keep them fresh.

1 day

Breakfast (304 calories, 9g fiber)

Morning Snack (32 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (325 calories, 12g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (138 calories, 6g fiber)

Dinner (402 calories, 6g fiber)

Meal Preparation Tips: Make Creamy Blueberry-Walnut Overnight Oatmeal to eat for breakfast on Day 2. Buy store-bought chicken or make Best Poached Chicken to eat for lunch on Days 2 and 5.

Daily Totals: 1,201 calories, 70 g protein, 129 g carbohydrates, 37 g fiber, 49 g fat, 1,399 mg sodium

2 days

Breakfast (291 calories, 6g fiber)

Morning Snack (62 calories, 7g fiber)

Lunch (301 calories, 4g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (101 calories, 1g fiber)

• 1 (15 oz.) bottle kombucha
• 1 tangerine

Dinner (453 calories, 14g fiber)

Meal Preparation Tip: There will be roasted root vegetables left over from tonight’s dinner. Plan to save 1 cup of roasted vegetables to eat for lunch on Days 3 and 6 (1/2 cup for each day).

Daily Totals: 1,208 calories, 51 g protein, 164 g carbohydrates, 32 g fiber, 43 g fat, 1,169 mg sodium

3 days

Breakfast (281 calories, 6g fiber)

Morning Snack (32 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (357 calories, 10g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (95 calories, 3g fiber)

Dinner (463 calories, 4g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,199 calories, 57 g protein, 161 g carbohydrates, 27 g fiber, 41 g fat, 1,580 mg sodium

4 days

Breakfast (262 calories, 15g fiber)

Morning Snack (112 calories, 3g fiber)

Lunch (304 calories, 4g fiber)

Easy Cucumber Salad

• 1 1/2 cups sliced ​​cucumber
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• Salt, pepper and dried dill, to your taste

Afternoon Snack (31 calories, 4g fiber)

Dinner (497 calories, 8g fiber)

Meal Preparation Tips: Make a batch of Basic Quinoa to use for lunch and dinner on Day 5. Make Creamy Blueberry-Walnut Overnight Oatmeal tonight to have for breakfast on Day 5.

Daily Totals: 1,368 calories, 73 g protein, 118 g carbohydrates, 36 g fiber, 63 g fat, 1,026 mg sodium

5 days

Breakfast (291 calories, 6g fiber)

Morning Snack (31 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (301 calories, 4g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (87 calories, 4g fiber)

Dinner (479 calories, 12g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,189 calories, 53 g protein, 148 g carbohydrates, 30 g fiber, 46 g fat, 1,598 mg sodium

6 days

Breakfast (304 calories, 9g fiber)

Morning Snack (32 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (357 calories, 10g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (105 calories, 3g fiber)

Dinner (472 calories, 22g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,270 calories, 52 g protein, 208 g carbohydrates, 48 ​​g fiber, 27 g fat, 1,284 mg sodium

7 days

Breakfast (266 calories, 6g fiber)

Morning Snack (95 calories, 4g fiber)

Lunch (308 calories, 7g fiber)

Afternoon Snack (105 calories, 3g fiber)

Dinner (372 calories, 15g fiber)

Evening Snack (55 calories, 2g fiber)

Daily Totals: 1,355 calories, 62 g protein, 202 g carbohydrates, 39 g fiber, 43 g fat, 1,503 mg sodium

Watch: What a Day’s Nutrition for a Healthy Gut Looks Like