Food / 17 September, 2026 / Ellie Thompson
Love Your Gut Week 2026 is serving up six new recipes using readily available, gut-friendly ingredients, from fibre-rich foods to plenty of plant points. Each recipe is designed to make supporting the gut microbiome feel inspiring, achievable and delicious.
The recipes show how even the simplest ingredients can do more for your gut. Think beans, wholegrains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and fruit, all used in tasty, accessible ways to bring more gut-friendly goodness into your diet.
Many of the recipes contribute multiple “plant points”, a simple way of encouraging greater plant diversity through foods such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Whether it’s a vibrant Roast Cabbage with Chermoula, a comforting Green Spelt Risotto or Lemon, Blueberry & Chia Cheesecake Pots, the collection is packed with tasty, practical ideas for busy households, midweek meals and feel-good treats.
To help you better understand the ingredients featured, Love Your Gut dietitian Jo Travers explains how the gut-friendly heroes in each dish can play a role in looking after your gut.
This Love Your Gut Week and beyond, why not give your gut a little extra love, one delicious recipe at a time?
Golden roast Savoy cabbage wedges are served on a bed of mixed grains and red pepper, then finished with a punchy homemade chermoula made from parsley, coriander, lemon, garlic, chilli and spices. It’s colourful, simple and ideal as a plant-forward main or side.
Jo’s gut-friendly hero ingredient: “Cabbage is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, alongside broccoli, radish, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It provides fibre, which supports healthy digestion and helps feed beneficial gut bacteria.
“Cruciferous vegetables also contain natural plant compounds, which can reduce inflammation and support the gut lining.
“Paired with mixed grains, red pepper, herbs, garlic and spices, this recipe delivers 6.5 plant points, helping add variety, fibre and flavour to your plate.”
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
To make the chermoula sauce, place the herbs, lemon zest and juice, garlic, chilli, spices and 2 tbsp oil in a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the cabbage wedges for 2 minutes on each side, in two batches, until golden.
Put the grains and red pepper in a large roasting tin. Top with the cabbage wedges and pour over the hot stock.
Drizzle the chermoula over the wedges and roast for 20 minutes until tender.
Cook’s tip: Serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of extra paprika. The grains can be swapped for cooked brown basmati rice. Try chopped chives in place of coriander.
A flavour-packed dinner combining Madras-spiced cod with sweet potato wedges and a crushed pea, broad bean and cannellini bean mash. It’s a great example of how gut-friendly ingredients can be built into familiar, fuss-free meals.
Jo’s gut-friendly hero ingredient: “Cannellini beans are a versatile store cupboard ingredient and an easy way to add more fibre, plant-based protein and variety to meals. Fibre helps support healthy digestion, promotes fullness and feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome.
“Here, the cannellini beans are blended with peas and broad beans to create a simple, creamy base, while the cod adds lean protein for a balanced, satisfying and easy midweek meal.”
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
Toss the potato wedges in oil on a large baking tray and cook for 20 minutes.
Spread the cod with the Madras paste, place on a small piece of baking parchment and add to the tray with the potatoes. Turn the wedges over and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Cook the peas and broad beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and allow to cool slightly.
Tip into a food processor with the cannellini beans and blitz to a coarse paste. Season to taste.
Serve the cod on top of the crushed pea mixture with the wedges alongside.
Cook’s tip: Swap the cod for haddock or another sustainably sourced white fish.
A green, vegetable-packed take on risotto using pearled spelt, broccoli, peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan and mixed seeds. Comforting and packed with plants, one serving delivers 7.25 plant points.
Jo’s gut-friendly hero ingredient: “Spelt is an ancient grain that brings a nutty flavour, satisfying bite and useful plant-based nutrients to this comforting risotto.
“Varying the grains you eat is also a simple way to increase plant diversity across the week. Paired with broccoli, peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and seeds, this recipe delivers 7.25 plant points, helping add colour, texture and variety to your plate.”
Cook the broccoli and peas in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and cool under cold water.
Reserve 100g of each and set aside. Purée the remaining vegetables in a food processor to create a coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 2 minutes.
Add the spelt and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the vegetable purée and tomatoes and cook for a further 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the reserved broccoli and peas and the Parmesan, then season to taste.
Serve sprinkled with mixed seeds and extra grated Parmesan.
Cook’s tip: Try using frozen broccoli instead of fresh. This meal can also be made ahead, divided into portions and frozen.
A vibrant, gently spiced chicken tagine with onion, courgette, spinach, almonds, pomegranate seeds, mint, coriander and wholewheat couscous. It feels special enough for the weekend but is still achievable for a midweek meal.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken and onion for 6 to 7 minutes until golden.
Add the tagine paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the pomegranate juice and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the courgette, spinach, almonds and half the pomegranate seeds. Cook until the spinach has wilted.
Season and stir in half the herbs.
Meanwhile, place the couscous in a small bowl and add 300ml boiling water. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Serve the tagine with the couscous, sprinkled with the remaining herbs and pomegranate seeds.
Cook’s tip: Add a chopped red chilli for extra heat, or serve with warmed flatbread and a dollop of Greek yoghurt instead of couscous.
A lighter, make-ahead dessert made with chia seeds, porridge oats, milk, lemon, cream cheese, blueberries, mint and an oat cookie crumb. It has all the appeal of a cheesecake pot with ingredients that fit beautifully into the gut-friendly theme.
Place the chia seeds, porridge oats and milk in a small saucepan and heat gently until just below boiling.
Add the lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice and honey. Allow to cool and thicken for 15 minutes, then stir in the cream cheese.
Meanwhile, cook the blueberries and chopped mint in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp lemon juice for 2 to 3 minutes, until the berries are just beginning to burst. Allow to cool.
Place the cookies in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Stir in the melted butter.
Divide the chia mixture between four small glass tumblers. Top with the blueberries and their juice, then sprinkle over the cookie crumb and garnish with mint.
Cook’s tip: Make all three elements in advance, placing the chia mixture in the glasses, then finish assembling just before serving.
A familiar bake with a gut-friendly twist, made with ripe bananas, grated carrot, wholemeal flour and dark chocolate chips. It’s family-friendly and works served warm with Greek yoghurt or sliced up for lunchboxes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 900ml loaf tin with baking parchment.
Whisk together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
Mix together both flours and the baking powder until evenly combined, then fold into the butter mixture.
Stir in the bananas, carrot and chocolate chips.
Transfer to the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool before slicing.
Cook’s tip: Serve warm with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or slice and pop into lunchboxes.
For further recipe inspiration, visit the Love Your Gut recipe collection.
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