Former MasterChef winner Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed shares six facts about gut health and her recipe for a new spin on avocado toast …
NHS doctor, specialising in Gastroenterology and MasterChef 2017 winner, Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed has teamed up with Yakult to create new recipes that celebrate plant diversity and promote good gut health. She said; “As a doctor and food lover, I’ve always believed that a gut-friendly diet doesn’t need to be restrictive or bland. It’s about celebrating diversity on your plate: more plants, more colours, more flavours. The recipes that I’ve created are full of ingredients that support a healthy microbiome, helping us feel better inside and out.”
6 Important Facts About Gut Health To Know
1. Research has found that those who eat more than 30 different plant foods weekly have a more diverse gut microbiota than those who eat ten.
2. A diverse plant-rich diet has also been shown to offer benefits for general health, weight, mood and wellbeing.
3. One way to diversify your diet is to consider each plant-based food you consume such as fruit, vegetables and pulses as individual ‘plant points.’ It’s similar to counting diverse colours of apples, where each colour represents a distinct point.
4. Upping your intake of different plant foods doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or costly. Simple swaps in your daily meals can significantly diversify your plant-based consumption. Additionally, canned or frozen options can be convenient and cost-effective, without compromising nutritional value.
5. It’s important to note that it’s not just fruit and veg that contribute to your plant points – legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas and whole grains such as brown rice and pasta play a significant role.
6. Don’t overlook the value of nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds or chia seeds, as well as herbs and spices such as paprika, parsley and mint.
SMASHED GREENS WITH FETA AND MINT ON TOAST
This recipe is a great way to add vegetables to breakfast or brunch. You can top with a poached or boiled egg if you prefer this to a fried egg. The recipe makes more of the toast topping than you need, so I use leftovers the next day on toast, or as a dip with crostini or crackers when the need for a snack arises. @salihacooks
Preparation and cooking: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Diversity points: 6 plant points per portion
Ingredients
175g broccoli florets
150g frozen petit pois
80g baby spinach leaves
200g feta cheese
120mls sour cream
A large handful of mint leaves, finely sliced
1 tsp chilli flakes
4 eggs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sprouted lentils and/or two tablespoons pumpkin seeds (optional)
4 large slices of sourdough bread
Salt to taste
Method
1. Start by placing the broccoli florets in a pan with a generous splash of water. Cook the broccoli for two minutes before adding frozen peas and cooking for an additional minute or two, until they’re defrosted. When the entire mixture appears vibrant green, but the moisture has dried, add spinach leaves and wilt for just a minute. Turn off the heat in the pan and allow everything to cool.
2. Add the cooked vegetables to a food processor along with the feta cheese and sour cream. Season with salt and chilli flakes before blitzing to a coarse paste. It should have texture as opposed to being puréed. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and stir through the mint leaves.
3. Fry two eggs in olive oil in a non-stick pan and toast the sourdough bread until golden. To assemble the dish, spread the smashed greens generously over the toast and top with the fried egg. For a final flourish, drizzle over a little olive oil, scatter over the sprouted lentils and/or the pumpkin seeds, and a few small leaves of mint. If you like it spicy, add a few extra chilli flakes.