What A Gut Expert Eats In A Day For Healthy Weight Management

On this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, Pedre gives us a glimpse into a typical day of eating. "It's my individual approach, what I found works for my body," he notes, but if you're looking for some recipe inspiration in 2022, check out his healthy meals below. 

On slower mornings, Pedre loves a hearty avocado toast: "I'll have pasture-raised eggs either from the farmers market or from the health food store that are rich in omega-3s, and I'll put those on a gluten-free toast." He prefers the gluten-free bread from Meredith's Bread or a pumpernickel loaf from Simple Kneads. After toasting a couple of slices, he'll spread on some coconut oil, top it with a sunny-side-up egg (the yolk runny) and some avocado. "That's my alternate breakfast when I need something a little more substantial," he notes. 

"Lunch is going to be pretty low-carb, high-vegetable," says Pedre. "Maybe some protein with it." In terms of his favorite veggies, Pedre has previously raved about prebiotic-rich dandelion greens: "In fact, 24% of these leafy greens' total weight is prebiotics, and they are also great for liver and kidney detoxification," he writes for mbg. And like most gut health experts, he is quick to praise cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) "Researchers found a significant difference1 in the gut bacterial community among participants after 14 days of eating liberal amounts of cruciferous vegetables, compared with a fruit- and vegetable-free diet," he writes. 

Again, the specific menu may differ from day to day, but if you generally subscribe to this outline, Pedre says you should be full and satisfied. "If you have a well-rounded dinner plate with protein, fat, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and salad, that fills you up," he says. "If you finish eating dinner by 7:30 and don't eat anything until the next day, that overnight fast is really important for balancing blood sugar." But if you're craving an after-dinner treat? Go ahead and have that dessert—perhaps opt for these decadent chocolate recipes that won't spike your blood sugar (at least, not as much).  

Everyone's body is unique and responds differently to various foods and eating schedules. But if you want to model your menu on a gut health expert's, feel free to use Pedre's plan as a guide. Overall, though, "you can't go wrong if you go more plant-based," he says. So if you're adding more veggies to your plate, you're on the right track.