Want better gut health? Start counting your plant points – here’s how
There’s something about the arrival of spring – the lighter evenings, the smug joy of leaving your coat at home – that makes you want to eat a little better. Not a detox, and certainly not a diet. Just food that feels like it’s doing something for you, rather than to you.
Enter: plant points. The latest way to give your gut a helping hand – and no, it’s not another supplement. Instead, think of it as a game of edible bingo: every different plant-based food you eat, from chickpeas to chia seeds, gets you a point.
Rack up 30 different ones a week and, according to Dr Emily Prpa, registered nutritionist at Yakult, you’re on your way to a healthier gut. “Research suggests that people who eat more than 30 different plant foods a week have a more diverse gut microbiota than those who eat fewer than 10,” she says. “A diverse gut microbiota has been linked to overall wellbeing, including mood, weight and general health benefits.”
And it doesn’t take a shelf of superfoods or a basket full of kale. “Upping your intake of different plant foods and increasing your plant points doesn’t have to be overwhelming or costly,” she says. “Simple swaps like choosing mixed grains over white rice or adding an extra handful of nuts and seeds to your meals, can make all the difference. Frozen and canned options are also easy ways to increase plant diversity while keeping it budget friendly.”
To get you started, we’ve lined up five flavour-packed, gut-loving recipes that make ticking off those plant points easy – and, crucially, delicious. Think beetroot hummus bowls, spicy baked eggs and a crumble that might just make you nostalgic for school dinners, in the best possible way.
Spicy tomato baked eggs
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 25 mins
Plant points: 4.5
Ingredients:
½ tbsp olive oil
2 sliced red onions
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped or a large pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 garlic clove crushed
800g tinned cherry tomatoes (2 tins)
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Coriander
4 Eggs
Method:
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or shallow dish with a lid and gently sweat the red onion, chilli and garlic until soft. Add the tinned cherry tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Stir from time to time so that the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom. Then, gently crack four eggs into the pan on top of the tomato sauce.
- Put the lid on and continue to simmer gently for about 6 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your taste.
- Scatter with coriander and serve with fresh bread.
- Cooks tip: Add some smoked paprika for a smoky kick of flavour.
Chicken and vegetable traybake
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins
Plant points: 8
1 each of the following: sweet potato, carrot, aubergine, courgette and red pepper
1 red onion
½ tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
400g chicken mini fillets
300g brown rice, cooked
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
- Dice all vegetables to approx 2-3cm. Place on a large roasting tray and toss with the olive oil, season. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Whisk the garlic, mustard, vinegar, soy, and honey together and combine them in a bowl with the chicken fillets.
- Add the chicken on top of the vegetables along with the excess juices. Return to oven for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are golden.
- Serve with the cooked rice.
Cooks tip: This simple dish can be made with whatever vegetables are in season or in your fridge. You can also swap the chicken for turkey fillets too.
Lentil pomegranate salad with tahini dressing
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 1-2 mins
Plant points: 15.5
150g fresh pickled red onion, drained
250g pouch mixed grains
250g pouch puy lentils
80g mixed seeds and nuts, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, toasted
25g dried cranberries
25g pack parsley, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
100g tahini
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Salad to serve
Method:
- Combine the pickled onion, grains, lentils, seeds and nuts, cranberries and parsley in a large salad bowl.
- Whisk together the oil and ½ the lemon juice and pour over salad before transferring to a serving bowl.
- For the tahini dressing, whisk together the remaining lemon juice, 4 tbsp water, cumin, a pinch of salt, and tahini. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and scatter over the pomegranate seeds to serve.
Cooks tip: Make this simple but impressive salad with your favourite grains and seeds. For extra plant points, add a wider variety of nuts and seeds.
Beetroot hummus buddha bowl
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins
Plant points: 9¼
Ingredients:
1 raw beetroot, washed and cut into 8 wedges
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
½ tsp ground cumin
75g quinoa, plus 1 tbsp set aside
2 small courgettes
2 carrots
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1½ lemons, juiced
1 clove garlic
50g tahini
80g radishes, thinly sliced
100g rocket
50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
- Place the beetroot on a baking tray, brush with a little olive oil and season with ¼ tsp cumin. Roast for 20 minutes and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa (per instructions on pack) for 20 minutes until tender and drain well.
- Using a vegetable peeler, slice courgettes and carrots into ribbons. Place in a roasting tray, toss in 1 tbsp oil, season with remaining cumin, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool.
- To make the hummus, add the cooled beetroot, chickpeas, juice of one lemon, garlic, tahini and remaining olive oil to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the 1 tbsp quinoa seeds and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Combine courgette and carrot ribbons with radishes, rocket, and cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with fried quinoa, hazelnuts, and the remaining lemon juice.
- Serve with hummus on the side.
Cooks tip: Serve with toasted wholemeal pitta bread for additional plant points.
Apple and rhubarb crumble
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25-30 mins
Plant points: 6 ¼
Ingredients:
500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
400g pack of rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp maple syrup
50g plain flour
25g butter, softened
1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
25g oats
25g desiccated coconut
25g almonds, sliced
15g pumpkin seeds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Yoghurt, ice cream or custard to serve
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
- Combine the apple, rhubarb, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup, and 1 tbsp water in a saucepan. Cook on low to medium heat for 4-5 minutes until soft and the rhubarb starts pulling apart.
- Meanwhile, rub together the flour and butter in a bowl and stir in the sugar, oats, coconut, nuts, seeds, and cinnamon.
- Pour apple and rhubarb mixture into a 2-litre baking dish and sprinkle with crumble mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden, and serve with yoghurt, ice cream or custard.
Cooks tip: Use fruits in season, such as swapping rhubarb for blackberries in the autumn or strawberries in the summer. You can also increase the number of plant points by adding more seeds or nuts.
For more information visit www.yakult.co.uk/gut-health/diet