Despite there being so many recipe books on the market, the question I still get asked about the most is meal inspiration. If you are struggling to figure out what you can eat (as many people who read my blog and get in touch are), I strongly believe that keeping recipes super simple in combination with a food diary (grab your free food diary download here) can be really beneficial. Many recipes out there over-complicate things, but keeping recipes to only a handful of ingredients can help you easily figure out what’s causing your gut issues. These recipes avoid lots of gluten free alternatives and focus on natural foods.
Here’s some more tips on what to base meals around:
- Making sure each recipe includes protein. This is essential for gut repair, energy and balancing your sugar levels. Chicken, turkey, and fish are my go-to protein sources, simply as red meat can be more tricky to digest (this is particularly the case if you have low stomach acid). If you’re vegan, tofu and nut butter work well.
- Good fats. Omega 3 fats are a fantastic source of anti-inflammatories; they help our brain, our skin and of course our guts! Try to ensure that you are getting these naturally by munching on: salmon, avocado, other oily fish and flaxseeds.
- Soluble Fibre Vegetables. If you are on a low residue diet (read more about the dangers of this diet long term and how to eat healthily on it) or find a lot of fibre hard to digest, I would recommend basing meals around soluble fibre instead. This blog post explains the the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre The best soluble fibre vegetables are: carrot, squash, parsnips and sweet potato. Of course, you can then introduce insoluble fibre foods too.
- Other Carbohydrates. Rice, corn tortillas, potatoes, oats and almond flour are good bases.
Inspiration
5 minute Salmon Bowl
Ingredients: Smoked Salmon, Avocado, Lemon, Sweet Potato and Goats Cheese
Make it:
1.Chop and peel sweet potatoes. Cook in the microwave for 4 minutes.
2. While cooking, chop the avocado.
3. In a frying pan, add oil and sweet potato, avocado, smoked salmon. Grate over goat’s cheese. Fry for 1 minute (Note: adding cinnamon makes this smell divine!)
The result: A tasty dish- the sweet potato provides soluble fibre, the salmon and goat’s cheese are a great source of protein (note many people who can’t tolerate cow’s milk do well with goat’s cheese) while the avocado provides lots of good fats.
Tuna Steak and Carrot Noodles
Ingredients: Tuna Steak, Avocado, Carrots, Lemon
Make it:
- Use a spiralizer to prepare carrots- or buy them ready made in most supermarkets.
- Cook tuna in the oven for 15 minutes with olive oil and lemon.
- Microwave carrots for 3 minutes.
- Serve with chopped avocado and lemon.
The result: A quick, clean supper. The carrot provides soluble fibre and Vitamin A , the tuna is a great source of protein and good fats.
Chicken Pad Thai
Ingredients: Chicken, Rice Noodles, Turmeric, Courgette, Cashew Butter Gluten Free Soy Sauce, Lime
Make it:
- Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to frying pan and heat.
- Peel and finely slice courgette and add this to the pan.
- Add diced chicken, and cook until lightly browned (around 6-8 minutes)
- Add in noodles (if you buy dry rice noodles; you’ll need to boil these in water beforehand for five minutes) and stir fry with chicken and courgette for 2 minutes.
- Add soy sauce, turmeric and squeeze over the juice of 1 slice of lime.
- Add 1 teaspoon of nut butter and melt in pan, stirring through
The result: An easy to make fakeaway dish. The courgette can be peeled to be more tolerable. The turmeric is anti-inflammatory; the chicken is a good source of protein while the nut butter provides healthy fats.
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I have been following you on Instagram and decided to have a look at your website. Soo great! A huge thank you for the relevant info. You have so much info on the topic. Really appreciate your site and the work that you put into it.
Just found your website – looking for healthy low residue recipes to cook for my husband and I. I like what you have to say and look forward to trying your recipes.
thanks sue!