The best foods to eat for a healthy stomach
- High-fiber foods: legumes
- High-fiber foods: fruits and vegetables
- Probiotic foods: yogurt
- Probiotic foods: miso
- What about pickles?
- Prebiotic foods
- Prebiotic foods: asparagus
- Synbiotic foods: yogurt and berries
- Synbiotic foods: stir fry
- Anti-inflammatory foods: walnuts
- Polyphenols
- Polyphenols: olive oil
- Variation
- What to avoid: refined sugars
- What to avoid: processed foods
High-fiber foods: legumes

Foods that are high in soluble fiber absorb water when digested and can then be consumed by the good bacteria in the gut. Insoluble fiber isn't digested, so it adds roughage and helps to move food through the digestive system faster. Legumes like beans, dried peas, and lentils are great sources of both.
High-fiber foods: fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits like pears, oranges, and berries are particularly high in fiber. So are vegetables like artichokes, broccoli, green peas, sweet potatoes, and squash. As well as providing nourishment for the healthy bacteria in your gut, a high-fiber diet protects against chronic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Probiotic foods: yogurt

Probiotic foods contain living organisms that are similar to the good bacteria living in your gut. Eating probiotics helps to boost quantity and variety of bacteria in your body, leading to a healthy gut overall. Both dairy and non-dairy yogurts contain probiotics due to their fermentation process. Kefir is also a great option.
Probiotic foods: miso

Miso soup is quick and easy to make. You can pick up miso paste at any Asian supermarket and have a small bowl of soup as a side dish with your meal to add a convenient probiotic boost.
What about pickles?

Most mass-produced pickled foods use vinegar instead of traditional fermentation, so they don't have the same benefits for your gut.
Prebiotic foods

Probiotics are all the rage now, but most people aren't aware of prebiotics. While probiotic foods add live bacteria to the gut, prebiotic foods help to feed the good bacteria that's already there and ensure it thrives.
Prebiotic foods: asparagus

Other prebiotic vegetables include asparagus, artichokes, chicory, and soy beans. Prebiotics all contain certain soluble fibers like ructooligosaccharides, inulin, and galactooligosaccharides.
Synbiotic foods: yogurt and berries

Synergy is not just for the boardroom. A great way to maximize the health benefits of your meals is to consume a prebiotic food alongside a probiotic food. An easy synbiotic snack would be yogurt and berries.
Synbiotic foods: stir fry

For dinner, you can try out tempeh, a fermented soybean product similar to tofu, and stir fry it with a selection of vegetables. Maximize the benefits with a high-fiber grain like brown rice.
Anti-inflammatory foods: walnuts

Walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are easy to add to your diet and have the same beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Polyphenols

Similar to insoluble fiber and prebiotics, foods that contain polyphenols aren't fully digested and make their way to the gut where they feed the good bacteria. Luckily, polyphenols are often quite fun to consume! They're found in red wine, although moderation is advised.
Polyphenols: olive oil

Both olives and olive oil are extra high in polyphenols. Always choose olive oil over other fat sources when you can.
Variation

More than focusing on specific foods, it's important to include as much of a variety of plant-based foods in your diet as possible. This will provide you with the maximum amount of nutrients for a healthy gut.
What to avoid: refined sugars

Refined sugars are one of the major threats to the gut, and unfortunately the modern diet is full of them. They cause inflammation, which disrupts healthy functioning, and research suggests that they alter the gut microbiome. Artificial sweeteners aren't a good alternative because they have also been shown to negatively affect good bacteria in the gut.
What to avoid: processed foods

Processed foods generally tend to be low in fiber, high in refined sugars, and high in other chemical components that can have a negative impact on the gut.