4 Foods for Good Digestion a Dietitian Always Keeps in the Fridge for $7 or Less
Foods for good digestion don't have to break the bank either. Here, registered dietitians Nour Zibdeh, RD, and Westchester Medical Center clinical nutrition manager Pauline Hackney Nanjari, RD, share the healthy foods to stock your fridge with to keep your gut thriving all year long.
Foods for good digestion under $7
1. Yogurt
Zibdeh and Nanjari both have this on their gut-healthy food lists because yogurt is a good source of probiotics. (And alt-yogurt is too, so dairy-free eaters can still reap the benefits.) "Probiotics help populate our guts with 'good' bacteria that help us treat or prevent many intestinal illnesses, such as diarrhea, infections, and irritable bowel syndrome," Nanjari says. "Having a healthy microbiome that is in balance—meaning there is enough of the 'good' bacteria—is very important not just for intestinal health, but overall general health and wellbeing."
Buy: Siggi's yogurt, $1.85; Chobani yogurt, $0.99; So Delicious coconut yogurt, $1.58
2. Sauerkraut
Zibdeh says this is another probiotic staple she recommends stocking the fridge with. "It contains a diverse variety of beneficial bacteria strains that help support healthy gut and immune function," she says. "Make your own or look for a product without vinegar or other preservatives as they will kill the bacteria you're trying to benefit from."
Buy: Flanagan sauerkraut, $2.99; Wildbrine sauerkraut, $6.49
Watch the video below to see how to make your own sauerkraut:
3. Bone broth
Bone broth is a good source of collagen, which you may have heard is a major beauty food because it smooths wrinkles from the inside out. As it turns out, it smooths the gut the same way, which helps the digestive system run more efficiently. "Bone broth has a high concentration of the amino acid glutamine that improves the function of the intestinal barrier and the structure of intestinal cells villi," Zindeh says. "Bone broth is also high in the amino acid glycine that improves antioxidant level and boosts the mucus layer that protects the lining of the gut." In other words: it helps keep the gut barrier strong to help heal or prevent leaky gut.
Buy: Kettle & Fire bone broth, $5.39; Vital Proteins bone broth powder, $2.59; Nona Lim bone broth, $3.15
4. high-fiber fruits
"Whole fruit, but not fruit juice, in general is high in fiber, and some fruits are especially high," Nanjari says, name-checking raspberries, pears, and apples as three of them. "Not only is it great exercise for the intestines, but also the good bacteria love that type of fiber!" Insider nutrition tip: keep the skins on the pears and apples to get every ounce of fiber you can out of these babies.
Buy: 365 Everyday Value frozen raspberries, $2.99; pears, $0.79 each; pink lady apples, $1.09 each
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