Nutrition
Immune Health
About 70% of our immune system is housed in our gut, so when it comes to our immune health, it is actually our gut we really want to nurture. By making sure we are supporting our gut microbiome we are also supporting the health of our immune system. One of the most important aspects of maintaining good gut health is by creating microbial diversity. We can do this by adding a diverse range of wholefoods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains into the diet.
Aiming to fill your plate with at least five different colours at your three main meals ensures the diversity your gut needs. Creating a colourful plate also ensures you are getting an array of important vitamin and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium and iron that play a role in overall immune health. Foods rich in these nutrients include citrus fruits, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, figs, cauliflower, capsicum, ginger, and an array of nuts and seeds.
“Every day we live and every meal we eat, we influence the great microbial organ inside us – for better or for worse.”
Giulia Enders
Gut Loving Balanced Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup red lentils (cooked)
- ½ cup black quinoa (cooked)
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 cup of roast veggies (any you choose. The featured bowl has broccoli, pumpkin and white potato)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 – 2 tbsp of sauerkraut
- Sprinkle of hemp seeds
Dressing ingredients
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 2 tsp miso paste
- ½ tsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Roughly chop your roasting vegetables. Place in a large bowl and coat with olive oil.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until golden. Once cooked, remove from the oven and sit aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. Add ½ a cup of quinoa to a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- Rinse your lentils in water before boiling. Then place ½ a cup of red lentils into a pot with 1.5 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- To build your bowl layer spinach, then roast veggies, lentils, quinoa, and sauerkraut.
- To make the dressing, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Pour 1 – 2 tbsp over your bowl.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- To meal prep this so you are able to eat this bowl through the week. Double the ingredients before cooking.
- Store each ingredient individually in containers in the fridge.
- Simply pull out your ingredients daily and build your bowl.