Powerhouse Superfoods to Fuel Your Gut Microbiome

33. Cooked & Cooled Potatoes/Rice – Resistant Starch Stars

Here’s a surprising gut hack: cooking starchy foods like potatoes and rice and then letting them cool significantly increases their resistant starch content. This type of starch resists digestion in the small intestine and travels to the colon, where it acts as a fantastic prebiotic, feeding beneficial bacteria and promoting the production of gut-healing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Enjoy cooled potatoes in potato salad, add cooled rice to grain bowls, or simply reheat leftovers gently to preserve some of this beneficial starch.

34. Dandelion Greens – Bitter Benefits & Prebiotic Power

Don't dismiss these common "weeds"! Dandelion greens are nutritional powerhouses for your gut. As bitter greens, they help stimulate digestive juices and bile flow, improving fat digestion and overall nutrient absorption. More importantly, they are exceptionally rich in inulin, the potent prebiotic fiber also found in chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes, making them excellent fuel for beneficial gut microbes. Add these slightly peppery greens raw to salads, sauté them with garlic, or blend them into green smoothies for a digestive boost.