The best foods for gut health

Fibre is key when it comes to gut health, some types help to feed the bacterial species in our gut. In the UK, we don't eat enough fibre – the recommended intake is 30g fibre per day, but most people only eat around 19g per day. We've got lots of easy shortcuts in the Foodhall to help you eat more fibre and whole grains – try a sprinkle of our 35+ Gut Booster Mega Mix to help up your plant diversity, swap white rice for our 7 Grain Medley with rice, grains and lentils, switch up your porridge for our Multigrain Porridge Oats with barley, rye, oats, golden linseed and spelt, or try our German-style Rye Loaf from the bakery.

Try incorporating these fibre-rich, whole grain foods into your diet:

• Brown rice

• Oats

• Pearl barley

• Wholemeal flour

• Bulgur wheat

• Quinoa

• Rye bread

• Wholewheat couscous

Fruit and veg is the foundation to a healthy diet, as plants contain fibre and other healthy nutrients. Five a day may be advice we are all familiar with, but less than a third of people reach their five a day target. Simply increasing the amount of plants you eat is a great start, but the variety is important, too. A recent study shows that increasing the number of different plants you eat can boost the diversity of bacteria in your gut microbiome. Eating seasonally is a great place to start – check out our great-value, Fresh Market Specials every week in the Foodhall, which change regularly and celebrate what's at its best right now. A new recommendation based on emerging science suggests we should be aiming to eat 30 different plants per week. Sound daunting? Up your plant intake with our Good Gut Berry Boost Topper, which contains a mix of mulberries and goji berries, plus the tropical flavours of banana and acai powder.

A great way to pack more gut-friendly foods into your diet is with some healthy recipes. We've got lots of ideas online, from our gut-loving buddha bowls packed with plants and legumes, to easy family stir-fries, batch-cooked soups and salads. Swap out your usual snacks for fibre-packed foods like mixed nuts, a handful of berries or our Brain Food Brain Ball, made of dates and berries, filled with almond butter and packed with nutrients such as iron and zinc. Try tweaking the dishes you already eat to add more plant divesity – sprinkle our 35+ Gut Booster Mega Mix on soups and salads, add our Good Gut Berry Boost Topper to porridge, or add a splash of Good Gut Vanilla Kefir to your morning smoothie. Simple store cupboard swaps can help, too – stir a tin of mixed beans into your chilli or bolognese, swap white rice for mixed grains, and add a sprinkle of mixed seeds to your salads.

At M&S, we value developing products that not only taste delicious but provide important nutrients that can often be in lower intake in the UK diet, from vitamin D in our bread, to omega 3 in our eggs. We've brought together our nutrition experts, product developers and advice from trusted friends such as the British Nutrition Foundation to make M&S the Home of Health, with innovative products that support your healthy eating goals, whatever they look like for you.