As part of Yakult’s ongoing mission to support gut health, the brand has teamed up with NHS doctor and MasterChef (2017) winner Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed to create a trio of delicious new recipes that celebrate plant diversity and promote good gut health, proving that food that’s good for you can also taste great.
These brand-new recipes are designed with the latest gut health science in mind, emphasising the importance of dietary variety, plant points and fibre-rich ingredients. Whether you’re planning a weeknight meal, weekend brunch, or something special to serve guests, Dr Saliha’s recipes offer satisfying yet straightforward ways to nourish your gut microbiome.
Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed explained: “As a doctor and a food lover, I’ve always believed that gut-friendly eating 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 with Yakult are full of ingredients that support a healthy microbiome, helping us feel better inside and out. Best of all, they’re dishes that people genuinely want to eat!”
What Are Plant Points?
Simply put, plant points are a fun and easy way to track the diversity of plant-based foods in your diet and to monitor and encourage your fibre intake from different plant sources. Every different plant-based food – including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices – counts towards a ‘point.’ The more variety you include in your meals, the more plant points you earn, and the more you support your gut health – it’s great to aim for 30 points per week.
Three Simple Recipes to Feed Your Gut
To make it easier to reach your plant diversity goals, these dishes are rich in plant points and designed to help nourish the gut microbiome while keeping meals simple, flavourful and satisfying:
- Start your day right: Wake up to Smashed Greens with Feta and Mint on Toast, a bright and creamy vegetable-packed breakfast that delivers a nutritious boost of fibre and flavour. Top with a fried or poached egg for extra satisfaction.
- A simple centrepiece: Try the Mediterranean Inspired Pasta Salad, a hearty make-ahead dish filled with lentils, artichokes, olives, sundried tomatoes and herbs. It’s ideal for sharing and perfect for supporting gut health on busy days.
- A vibrant dinner option: Enjoy the warming and fragrant Ras el Hanout and Orange Spiced Aubergine Tray-Bake with Herb and Orange Couscous. Packed with fibre, fresh herbs and spices, it’s a colourful way to end the day with your gut in mind.
Smashed Greens with Feta and Mint on Toast
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes | Serves: 4
Diversity Points: Maximum 6 ¾ points per portion
“A great way of sneaking in vegetables at 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, which is a good thing! I use leftovers the next day on toast or as a dip with crostini or crackers when the need for a snack arises.”
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 teaspoon chilli flakes | 4 eggs | 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil | 2 tablespoons sprouted lentils and/or two tablespoons pumpkin seeds (optional) | 4 large slices of sourdough bread | Salt to taste
Method:
- Start by placing the broccoli florets in a pan with a generous splash of water. Cook the broccoli for 2 minutes before adding the frozen peas and cooking for an additional minute or two, until the peas have defrosted. When the entire mixture appears vibrant green, but the moisture has dried, add the spinach leaves and wilt them for just a minute. Then, turn off the heat in the pan and allow everything to cool.
- Add the cooked vegetables to a food processor along with the feta cheese and sour cream. Season with salt and chilli flakes and blitz to a coarse puree. You are looking for it to have texture rather than being a puree. Carefully take the ‘smashed greens’ mixture out of the food processor into a serving bowl and stir through the mint leaves.
- Fry two eggs in olive oil in a non-stick pan and toast the sourdough bread in the grill/ toaster till golden. To assemble the dish, spread the ‘smashed greens’ spread 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.
Mediterranean Inspired Pasta Salad
Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Serves: 4-6
Diversity Points: Maximum 8 ¾ points per portion
“A delicious pasta salad that is as nutritious as it is filling. Keeps well in the fridge, and you can add herbs or any extra salad leaves just before serving. A particularly good dish if you’re feeding a large group and want to prepare ahead. Please feel free to add any vegetables of your choice here, whatever is lurking at the back of the fridge.”
Ingredients:
400g chicken breast cut into large cubes | 250g penne pasta | 12 cherry tomatoes | 6 sundried tomatoes | 12 pitted black olives | 100g roasted peppers from a jar | 75g artichokes from a jar | 1 tin of green/ brown lentils (400g) drained and rinsed | 50g parsley | Juice 1 lemon | 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil | A handful of golden sultanas (optional) | Pistachios for garnish | Chilli flakes to taste | Salt to taste
Method:
- Start by placing the chicken breast in a pan and covering it with warm water. Place on medium heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Then, turn the heat off and let the chicken cool. Boil the pasta and cook till al dente as per the packet instructions. Drain the pasta and keep aside.
- Meanwhile, quarter the cherry tomatoes, roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers and artichokes. Transfer all of this vegetable mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the drained pasta, lentils, and poached chicken, breaking it into smaller pieces with your hands as you add it to the bowl.
- Finally, add the parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, sultanas, chilli flakes, and season with salt. Then, stir everything together thoroughly and serve with a sprinkle of pistachios.
Ras el Hanout and Orange Spiced Aubergine tray-bake with Herb and Orange Couscous
Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes | Serves: 4
Diversity Points: Maximum 6¼ points per portion
“A hearty and substantial dinner dish. You can add whichever selection of soft herbs you desire – I like parsley, coriander and mint. The oranges add much-needed sweet, citrussy freshness to the final dish.”
Ingredients:
100g dry couscous | 160g boiling water | 2 spring onions | 1 orange, peeled and cut into thin wedges | 1 large handful of parsley | 1 large handful of coriander | 12 mint leaves | 2 red onions | 2 large aubergines | 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil | Juice and zest of 1 large orange | 3 heaped tsp Ras el Hanout spice mix | 2 teaspoons garlic paste | 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Place the couscous in a ceramic bowl, season with salt, and top with boiling water. Cover the bowl with a lid and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Finely slice the spring onions and chop the herbs finely. After the couscous has rested, separate the grains with a fork and mix them through with the orange segments, spring onions, and chopped herbs. Drizzle a little olive oil if desired.
- Cut the onions into thick, approximately 1.5cm slices and place them in a flat layer on the base of a large roasting tray. Splash a little water over the onions (under 100ml). Cut the aubergines in half lengthwise and make deep incisions in a criss-cross pattern – you want to get close to the skin but not perforate it with your knife. Place the aubergines over the onions, with the flesh facing up and the skin facing down. Drizzle or brush a tablespoon of olive oil over each aubergine half, ensuring all parts of the aubergine are coated.
- Make a marinade for the aubergines with two tablespoons of olive oil, the zest and juice of a large orange, the Ras el Hanout spice mix and garlic paste. Mix well and spread the marinade evenly over the aubergines and onions, ensuring they are well coated. Transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, until the aubergines are soft and slightly charred, and the onions are jammy underneath. Serve with a few pomegranate seeds scattered over the top.
Each of these recipes champions the core principles of gut-friendly eating: variety, fibre or prebiotic ingredients. They form part of the broader Yakult Good Food, Healthy Gut initiative, which highlights the importance of making simple, everyday food choices to support digestion and overall wellbeing.
For more gut-friendly inspiration, recipe ideas and tips, visit: https://www.yakult.co.uk/gut-health/diet/
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