Fit in 15
Week 8 meal prep recipes to get a rocking gut microbiomeIf you are able & willing to take the steps to feed & diversify your good, beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome you can have massive benefits including more insulin sensitivity (aka better blood sugars!), lowering of LDL cholesterol & having better calorie control by feeling more satisfied...just to name a few!
In these meal prep recipes I have focused mainly on 3 components:
- Including daily intake of fermented foods -adding in beneficial bacteria
- Including sources of prebiotic fiber & fats like Omega-3s -the food for your GOOD bacteria
- Reducing high saturated fat & added sugar products -the food for your BAD bacteria
Benefits of increasing your prebiotic fiber sources include:
- Increases in Bifidobacteria & Lactobacilli -beneficial bacteria
- Production of beneficial metabolites -this is what helps with insulin sensitivity & calorie control
- Increased calcium absorption
- Decreased in protein fermentation
- Decreased in pathogenic bacteria populations
- Decreases in allergy risk
- Effects on gut barrier permeability
- Improved immune system defense
Gut-brain connection
Daily gut health steps
Click here Daily steps for gut health to find a concise list of daily steps to take to increase you beneficial gut microbiota diversity
Stove top or electric skillet
Creamy chicken skillet with Italian seasoning
- Increase to 2 zucchinis to get the "plate method" ratio of non starchy veggie and increase the prebiotic fiber called Polydextrol
- The onion & garlic are a great source of the prebiotic fiber called Inulin. Increase liberally if you like those flavors!
- Add a probiotic food and more prebiotic fiber by trying Cleveland Kitchen brand garlic Kraut or pickles with this dish
OR - Switch out the cream cheese for a 1/4 cup of whole milk Probiotic yogurt or Plain Greek yogurt. Stonyfield brand has 5 beneficial cultures for example
- Increase to 2 cans of artichoke hearts
- Artichoke hearts contain a large amount of that powerful prebiotic fiber called Inulin!
Blender/smoothies
Read this article here for a smoothie guide on how to make a smoothie great for you gut according to Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI
- Full of fiber & if you switch out the pomegranate juice for Good Belly PROBIOTIC juice, or Good Belly probiotic shots which are only 30 calories, or kefir and you will be introducing GOOD bacteria into your morning
- Blue, red, & purple fruits & veggies like berries, apples, & red cabbage contain a polyphenol called Anthocyanin which give the produce those colors. Anthocyanins actually promote microbial diversity of GOOD bacteria & the anthocyanins from 2 cups of blueberries increase insulin sensitivity, lower visceral adipose tissue & improve satietyÂ
Strawberry banana green smoothie
- Use ground flaxseed in here to access the Omega-3 fatty acids which are powerful at reducing excess inflammation & are a prebiotic to feed the GOOD bacteria
- Bananas are also a good source of prebiotic fiber called Inulin
Slow cooker or instapot
Slow cooker chicken enchilada loaded sweet potatoes
- Sweet potatoes, especially with the skin on are a great source of fiber at 6g in one cup, and contain the pre-biotic fiber Oligosaccharides
- Get even more prebiotic fiber in the form of Inulin by switching out the powdered garlic for a garlic clove, cut in half and placed in the bottom of the pot. Simply squeeze out the garlic on a potato when everything is cooked
- Introduce some GOOD bacteria by using a 1/4 cup of a probiotic food- Plain Greek Yogurt- instead of the source cream
Sheet pan recipes (Standard oven or Galanz)
Baked tofu stir-fry with cabbage and shiitake mushrooms
- Try adding 2 Tbsp of Kimchi on your plate for a powerful punch of probiotics that will generate short chain fatty acids like butarate which help with insulin sensitivity & hunger control
- Try using red or purple cabbage instead of green! No flavor difference but the dark color contains a powerful polyphenol that feeds GOOD bacteria
- Tofu contains Omega-3 fats, another food source for GOOD bacteria
- Increase to 2 cans of artichokes
- This is a great one! You've got multiple sources of prebiotic fiber plus a Probiotic source from the Greek yogurt
Meal prep tips
Storage can be a big issue when it comes to meal prep on the truck
1. Drivers recommend investing in a vacuum sealer to store weeks of food at a time without going bad and taking up tons of space
2. Drivers recommend investing in a blender to make nutritious smoothies. The Blend Jet 2 (battery powdered, USB rechargeable) is especially driver friendly as you can put your ingredients in before driving, place the entire blender in your cupholder, then press the button and blend without having to plug it in or stop driving!
- Click to get a Blend Jet 2 and cut down on time even MORE by prepping smoothie ingredients in baggies for quick access
- Another great blender is the Vitamix for larger batches of smoothies. Uses 1200-1400 W
Cleaning tips & tricks
Without the right tools for clean up...let's just say it can get messy trying to clean dishes in the truck stop shower
Instead, try these driver recommended products
- Dawn spray soap- cuts through the grime leaving minimal scrub time
- USB rechargeable spray bottle- powerful & helpful tool that holds 1 Liter of water at a time
- Eat cleaner food grade wipes- quick swipe of fruits, veggies, even dishes so it saves a bunch on water
- Collapsible dish pan- space saving equipment that also doubles as a cutting board
- Large water container with spigot- set to the end of doorway & clean dishes on step
- For blenders- clean quickly by simply filling halfway with water + dab of soap, turn on for 30 seconds to 1 minute, drain, then rinse with plain water
- Parchment paper makes for easy cleanup when using pans or dishes in the Galanz or standard oven