15 Healthy Snacks To Improve Your Gut Health

Healthy snacks for gut health include avocados, yogurt, and beans. These foods supply your body with fiber, fats, and probiotics.

Nuts, like pistachios, make an excellent snack choice because they are shelf-stable, portable, and can be paired with sweet and savory ingredients.

Pistachios are rich in fiber, with 10% insoluble and 0.3% soluble fiber by weight. This fiber may promote helpful gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate.

SCFAs are compounds that help keep the gut healthy by fueling the cells lining the large intestine, maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier, and regulating inflammation in the digestive tract. 

Pair pistachios with other fiber-rich foods, like apples or raisins, for a filling and gut-friendly snack.  

Kefir is a fermented yogurt drink that has powerful gut-supportive properties. Kefir is rich in probiotic bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which may help improve digestive health.

Drinking kefir can lower markers of gut inflammation, increase SCFA production, and support helpful bacteria growth. Additionally, a diet rich in fermented foods may help protect against gut dysbiosis, an imbalance between gut bacteria, often due to harmful bacteria overgrowth.

Use kefir as a base for smoothies with other nutritious foods known to support digestion, such as frozen berries and flaxseeds.

To keep your gut healthy, it’s recommended that adults consume 28 grams of fiber per day. Avocados are a rich source of fiber, providing 9.25 grams per 136-gram avocado (about one medium avocado), and can help you meet your daily needs for this important nutrient.

Regularly eating avocados can improve gut health by increasing SCFA production and beneficial gut bacteria. 

A 2021 study found that eating 140-175 grams of avocado (about one medium avocado) daily for 12 weeks led to increased bacterial diversity, more SCFA-producing bacteria, and lower fecal bile acid concentrations.

Bacterial diversity is a sign of a healthy gut. Lower fecal bile acid concentrations may lower the risk of conditions, such as colon cancer.

For a gut-healthy snack, top whole-grain, gluten-free, or sourdough toast with mashed avocado and fresh herbs.

Apples are a good source of fiber. One medium 182-gram apple with its skin provides 4.37 grams of fiber.

Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that promotes the growth of anti-inflammatory bacteria, like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Pectin also improves gut barrier function. The gut barrier allows nutrient and water absorption while protecting from pathogens and toxins.

While apples are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protective plant compounds, they are low in protein and healthy fats. Pairing apples with protein- and fat-rich peanut butter makes a more satiating snack choice.

Though oats are most commonly consumed at breakfast time, they can be enjoyed as a hearty snack any time of day.

Oats are an excellent source of gut-promoting nutrients, like fiber. Oats contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which is readily fermented by bacteria in the large intestine. This fermentation process produces SCFAs that benefit gut health in many ways.

Oat consumption has also been shown to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species in healthy people, as well as in those with gut conditions such as celiac disease.

Overnight oats can be made in bulk so that you can always have a gut-friendly snack on hand. Plus, overnight oats can be made with other ingredients that help support digestive health, like fruit, seeds, and nuts. 

Chia seeds are packed with nutrients that may help improve your gut health. Just 1 ounce of chia seeds provides an impressive 9.75 grams of fiber, which covers over one-third of your daily fiber needs.

They are also rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, like polyphenols, which may help regulate gut inflammation and promote a healthy gut environment.

Chia seeds are also a good source of zinc, a mineral that tends to be low in people with digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Chia pudding is easy to whip up and makes a healthy choice when you are in the mood for a sweet yet healthy snack. 

Regularly consuming foods and drinks naturally high in probiotics is a smart way to care for your gut.

Yogurt contains live bacteria, such as S. thermophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis, that can be incorporated into the gut bacteria community where they can promote a healthy gut environment.

Yogurt provides a number of nutrients that are good for overall health, including calcium, magnesium, and protein. A 7-ounce serving of low-fat, plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt provides 20 grams of filling protein, making Greek yogurt a satisfying snack option.

Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory plant compounds that positively impact gut health.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds found in berries may influence gut health by decreasing levels of pro-inflammatory proteins and protecting against cell damage. 

Berry intake has also been shown to protect against cancers of the digestive tract, including colon cancer and stomach cancer.

Berries can add nutritional benefits to protein-rich snacks, such as cottage cheese, which is a fermented dairy food that contains probiotics. 

Bean-rich diets can help promote a healthy gut environment by encouraging regular and comfortable bowel movements and supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Research suggests that adding more beans to your diet could be an effective way to lower your risk of digestive conditions like colorectal cancer.

A 2022 review that included 29 studies on legumes found that every 100-gram (about half a cup) serving per day increment of legume consumption was associated with a 21% lower risk of colorectal cancer.

Hummus is a creamy dip made from chickpeas, a type of bean that’s high in fiber and plant-based protein. Hummus can be paired with sliced vegetables for a light, yet filling gut-friendly snack. 

Leafy greens, like arugula, kale, and spinach, are loaded with gut-supportive nutrients, such as fiber and carotenoid plant pigments.

Carotenoids have potent antioxidant activities and promote gut health by supporting gut barrier function and decreasing pro-inflammatory compounds.

Topping salad with a healthy protein source, like canned salmon, increases the satiety factor of the dish while providing gut-supportive nutrients, such as omega-3 fats.

Omega-3 fats may help lower inflammatory compounds in the gut while encouraging the growth of probiotic bacteria.

If you are in the mood for a gut-soothing beverage, try making a collagen matcha latte. Collagen is a type of protein that can be mixed into both hot and cold beverages.

Supplementing with collagen may help support the health of the gut barrier and may ease common digestive symptoms, such as bloating, when consumed on a regular basis.

A 2022 study of 40 women found that 93% had a decrease in digestive symptoms, including bloating when supplementing daily with 20 grams of collagen for eight weeks.

Matcha is a concentrated green tea powder that has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and may help improve gut dysbiosis in some people.

Whip up a matcha latte using matcha, collagen, and milk of your choice for a tasty, gut-friendly drink.

Though consuming too much added sugar from sweets like candy and sugary drinks could harm the health of your gut, some sweet treats, like dark chocolate-covered strawberries, can benefit your digestive health.

Strawberries are rich in fiber and anti-inflammatory compounds known to have positive effects on the gut. Dark chocolate also provides gut health-promoting substances, including prebiotics, which help fuel friendly bacteria in the digestive system. 

A 2022 study that included 48 people found that the participants who consumed 30 grams of 85% dark chocolate daily for three weeks had significant increases in gut bacteria diversity and reported better mood.

Researchers attributed this to the chocolate’s ability to act on the gut-brain axis. This is a signaling pathway between the digestive tract and the central nervous system.

Lupini or lupin beans have recently become a popular snack in the U.S., and for good reason. Thanks to their high protein and fiber content, lupini beans make a filling snack choice that can satisfy your salty cravings in a healthy way. 

A 50-gram serving of lupini beans provides 7 grams of protein and fiber, both of which can help keep you feeling satisfied between meals. Their high fiber content is beneficial for gut health and may help encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria, including SCFA-producing bacteria.

Lupini beans can be enjoyed on their own as a quick snack or can be added to salads, soups, and other snack dishes to boost their nutritional value.

If you frequently have constipation, snacking on kiwis may help support healthy bowel movements. The fiber found in kiwi helps retain water in the digestive tract, which may help improve stool consistency and support the movement of stool through the gut. 

A 2020 study of 79 people with chronic constipation found that eating two kiwis per day for four weeks helped decrease straining and improve stool consistency and frequency.

Researchers noted that the kiwi treatment resulted in fewer adverse side effects compared to treatment with prunes or psyllium husk.

Kiwis have also been shown to promote restful sleep, so they can be enjoyed as an after-dinner, gut-healthy snack.

For a savory snack option that’s satisfying and good for the gut, try snacking on roasted edamame. Edamame is packed with protein and fiber, providing 18.4 and 8 grams per cup.

Plant proteins, like edamame, help support the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut. Soy proteins, like edamame, contain essential amino acids that encourage the growth of probiotic microorganisms, such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria bacteria.

Choosing plant-based proteins over animal-based proteins could help lower the risk of cancers of the digestive tract, including colorectal cancer.

To make a snack that supports the health of your gut, coat edamame with olive oil and sea salt and roast it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.