Digestive Health Tips + a Zoodles Recipe

Spring is a great time to focus on your nutrition and incorporate variety and color into your diet. As a Registered Dietitian, I recommend eating all of the five food groups; vegetables, fruit, protein, grains, and dairy.

Along with those food groups, I enjoy educating customers on eating foods that have good bacteria. Research continues to show that our gut and our brain work together. Many factors other than food go into this equation, including but not limited to adequate sleep, physical activity, and stress.

Did you know trillions of bacteria live in the body? Most are helpful; some aren’t. The term “microbiome” describes all the bacteria that live in your body, mostly in your digestive system. When you have more good than bad bacteria in your gut, you’re in healthy equilibrium.

Both probiotics and prebiotics contribute to digestive health.

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in the gut.

Prebiotic fiber is the food that fuels the good bacteria, helping maintain a healthy digestive balance.

It’s a synergistic relationship. Without prebiotics as fuel, probiotics would starve. With prebiotics, probiotics thrive.

The most common questions that I heard from shoppers include “How much do I need?” and “Where do I find pre- and probiotics at the store?”

Probiotic and Prebiotic Fiber 101

Prebiotic Fibers

While all fiber is important to feeling your best every day, only certain fibers are what we call prebiotics. Aim for about 5 grams of prebiotic fibers every day. 

Foods with prebiotic fiber include:

• Fruits and vegetables such as bananas, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, and jicama. You’ll get the most prebiotic benefit if you eat them raw; if you do cook, steam instead of boiling or roasting.
• Black, kidney, navy, and garbanzo beans. Canned varieties are convenient and can easily be added to soups, stews, and chili.
• Green, brown, and red lentils. Once cooked, try adding to your kids’ mac and cheese or your favorite spaghetti sauce. Or, puree and add to ground beef when making casseroles or mixed dishes like tacos or meatloaf.
• On days when you feel your prebiotic fiber intake is light, add a scoop of Regular Girl to water, juice, yogurt, or a smoothie. Regular Girl was our Dietitian’s Pick of the Month in March and is a fun item you can’t miss in the store with its hot pink attire!

Probiotics

There is no “Daily Value” for probiotics because each strain is unique, and the beneficial dose varies. The best way to select a probiotic is to research those that are known to offer the health benefit you seek and the dose recommended.

Generally, probiotics should be consumed daily in amounts exceeding one billion CFU.  

Look for these probiotic choices at Hy-Vee stores:

• Yogurt On the label, look for the statement “live and active cultures” as an indicator that the product contains probiotics. Choose yogurts that are lower in sugar.
• Kefir Often thought of as a drinkable yogurt, kefir has different types of probiotics than yogurt. It’s made by fermenting milk with a yeast and bacteria and can be found in our HealthMarkets.
• Kombucha This is a fermented beverage made from green or black tea. We have a large assortment of bottled kombucha, and our kombucha tap with 8 different varieties at our West Des Moines HealthMarket.
• Fermented vegetables Fresh sauerkraut and kimchi can be added to sandwiches and tacos or used as a topping on pizzas or avocado toast. The brine can be used in salad dressings or even Bloody Marys!
• In addition to the 5 grams of prebiotic fiber, Regular Girl also has 8 billion active probiotics per serving. Try it in our Zoodles with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce (recipe below), a perfect lunch or dinner.

Including pre- and probiotics in your daily eating habits can help you feel the benefits of a healthy digestive system, which may include comfortable regularity, immune support, heart wellbeing, and potentially, help with mood.

Talk to a Hy-Vee Dietitian

If you have more questions on how to include prebiotic fiber and probiotics in your diet, don’t be afraid to reach out to your local Hy-Vee Dietitian. Registered Dietitians and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are your food and nutrition experts. We’ve graduated from an undergraduate program focusing on everything from biochemistry to medical nutrition therapy, to food service. Additionally, we have completed an accredited internship program with at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice. Most importantly, we’ve passed a national exam to become registered and licensed. As Hy-Vee Dietitians, we are here to help you with food, culinary, and nutrition issues, to make your life easier, healthier and happier!

Stop into our West Des Moines Hy-Vee HealthMarket and find me in the aisles. I love helping customers find new products and meeting a new face every day. Be sure to hop on our website or social media pages to see what is going on at our store! 

Easter Egg Hunt: April 20; 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

We would love for you to join us for our Easter Egg Hunt! We’ll have the Easter Bunny hopping around with your kiddos and goodies for them to find. 

Healthy Recipe with Regular Girl: Zoodles with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients
2 large zucchini
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

For the avocado sauce:
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
2 ripe avocados pitted, and peeled
Large handful of cilantro, about ⅓ cup loosely packed
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Water as needed
4 scoops Regular Girl

Directions

1. Cook zoodles according to package directions. Drain any excess water.
2. While the zoodles are cooking, cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Add the avocado to a blender along with the minced garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, water, and Regular Girl.
3. Blend until mixture is creamy, adding additional water until the sauce is at the desired consistency.
4. Add the sauce to your zoodles. Toss with avocado sauce. Or chill! This dish is also delicious cold.
5. Top with halved cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese before serving.

Optional: For additional flavor, sauté zoodles with olive oil, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper flakes for a few minutes before adding the sauce. Zoodles tend to pick up the flavor of whatever they are cooked in.

Nutrition information (per serving): 270 calories, 22 g fat, 15 g monounsaturated fat, 4 g saturated fat, 22 g carbohydrate, 14 g fiber, 4 g protein, 310 mg sodium, 20% Daily Value for potassium, 70% Daily Value for vitamin C.

Connect with West Des Moines Hy-Vee HealthMarket

Location address: 375 S. Jordan Creek Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA
Website
Facebook: @WDMHealthMarket
Instagram: @wdmhvhealthmarket

Author and dietitian, Ashley Danielson, RDN, LD

Ashley Danielson is always eager to guide others into health and happiness. She completed a BA in Psychology and a minor in Entrepreneurial Studies from Iowa State University as well as a BS in Dietetics. Additionally, Ashley completed her Dietetic Internship with Iowa State University in Des Moines, Iowa. Ashley is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine (DIFM), Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (IAND) and is certified as a Power Sculpt Yoga Teacher.

Ashley enjoys living a balanced lifestyle by staying active and learning new things every day. She looks forward to educating others in a fun and lively setting with simple ways to incorporate delicious food into everyday life. Believing in yourself and gaining confidence is a big step in your journey, and Ashley is here to help with that – whether it is general nutrition information, diabetes management, weight loss, or food intolerances. You can stop in the store, call, or email Ashley with your nutrition questions and concerns or to set up an appointment.