This seven-day eating schedule will help enhance your digestive well-being without including extra sugars.
Reviewed by Registered Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S.
”
About This Plan
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• This 7-day program is designed around a 1,800-calorie intake, with options to adjust to either 1,500 or 2,000 calories.
● Each day provides at least 70 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber to support gut health and promote satiety.
● This plan prioritizes probiotic-, prebiotic- and polyphenol-rich foods while avoiding added sugar.
Cutting out extra sugars for better gut health does not require sacrificing taste entirely. Over these seven days, we’ll highlight the inherent sweetness found naturally in produce like fruits, veggies, and dairy items, crafting dishes that please your palate without upsetting the microbe equilibrium within your intestines. Every dish features probiotic-rich and high-fiber ingredients aimed at supporting digestion. The focus extends beyond just nutrition; each selection emphasizes varied plants and vibrant colors, delivering a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds known as polyphenols to bolster intestinal wellness even more. Packed with ample amounts of fiber, proteins, and culinary variation, this weekly menu promises both curbing those sugary urges and giving your gastrointestinal tract exactly what it needs.
| Meal Plan at a Glance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast/ AM Snack | Lunch/ PM Snack | Dinner |
| Blueberry smoothie / Apple with nut butter | Veggie sandwich/ Edamame | Tempeh steaks |
| Granola with banana / Layered yogurt parfait | Chopped salad/ Bean dip | Sheet-pan chicken & cabbage |
| Muesli with apple and nut butter | Chopped salad/ Bean dip | Broccoli & kimchi bowl |
| Muesli & banana/ Yogurt parfait | Chopped salad/ Bean dip | Chicken, beans & mushrooms |
| Muesli/ Apple & nut butter | Chopped salad/ Bean dip | Sheet-pan chickpea dinner |
| Frittata/ Apple & nut butter | Taco bowl/ Yogurt bites | Fried rice with miso soup |
| Frittata/ Yogurt parfait | Pita sandwich/ Yogurt bites | Salmon & vegetables |
Day 1
Breakfast (424 Calories)
● 1 serving
Mixed-Berry Breakfast Smoothie
Morning Snack (291 Calories)
● 1 medium apple
● 2 tbsp of almond butter
Lunch (581 calories)
● 1 serving
Gut-Friendly Veggie Sandwich
Afternoon Snack (101 Calories)
● 1 serving
Edamame with Aleppo Pepper
Dinner (421 Calories)
● 1 serving
Crisp Tempeh Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Daily totals
: 1,818 calories, 108 g fat, 73 g protein, 165 g carbohydrates, 0 g added sugar, 46 g fiber, 1573 mg sodium
To achieve a total of 1,500 calories
: Omit morning snack
To make it 2,000 calories
: Add 1 serving
Mediterranean Diet Snack
as an evening snack
Day 2
Breakfast (453 Calories)
● 1 serving
3-Ingredient Overnight Berry Muesli
● 1 medium banana
● 1 tablespoon of almond butter
Morning Snack (270 Calories)
● 1 cup of unsweetened Greek yogurt
● 1 medium peach
● 1 tablespoon pistachios
Lunch (405 calories)
● 1 serving
Salmon Superfood Chopped Salad Featuring Creamy Garlic Dressing
Afternoon Snack (162 Calories)
● 1 serving
Mediterranean Diet Bean Dip
Dinner (502 Calories)
● 1 serving
Oven-Baked Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage & Sweet Potatoes
Daily totals
: 1,792 calories, 83 g fat, 107 g protein, 166 g carbohydrates, 0 g added sugar, 32 g fiber, 1260 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories
: Omit morning snack
To achieve a total of 2,000 calories
Add one medium-sized apple along with one tablespoon of almond butter for an evening snack.
Day 3
Breakfast (301 Calories)
● 1 serving
3-Ingredient Overnight Berry Muesli
● 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, incorporated into Overnight Berry Muesli
Morning Snack (291 Calories)
● 1 medium apple
● 2 tbsp almond butter
Lunch (405 calories)
● 1 serving
Salmon Superfood Chopped Salad Featuring Creamy Garlic Dressing
Afternoon Snack (162 Calories)
● 1 serving
Mediterranean Diet Bean Dip
Dinner (639 Calories)
● 1 serving
Roasted Broccoli and Kimchi Rice Bowl
Daily totals
: 1,798 calories, 92 g fat, 81 g protein, 176 g carbohydrates, 0 g added sugar, 39 g fiber, 1215 mg sodium
To make it 1,500 calories
: Omit morning snack
To reach 2,000 calories
Add 1 cup of Greek yogurt with ½ cup raspberries for an evening snack.
Day 4
Breakfast (453 Calories)
● 1 serving
3-Ingredient Overnight Berry Muesli
● 1 medium banana
● 1 tablespoon of almond butter
Morning Snack (224 Calories)
● 1 cup of unsweetened Greek yogurt
● 1 medium peach
Lunch (405 calories)
● 1 serving
Salmon Superfood Chopped Salad Featuring Creamy Garlic Dressing
Afternoon Snack (162 Calories)
● 1 serving
Mediterranean Diet Bean Dip
Dinner (581 Calories)
● 1 serving
Pan-Roasted Chicken with White Beans and Mushrooms
Daily totals
: 1,825 calories, 87 g fat, 111 g protein, 160 g carbohydrates, 0 g added sugar, 32 g fiber, 1311 mg sodium
To achieve a total of 1,500 calories
Remove almond butter from your breakfast and skip the morning snack.
To achieve a total of 2,000 calories
Add one medium-sized apple along with one tablespoon of almond butter for an evening snack.
Day 5
Breakfast (301 Calories)
● 1 serving
3-Ingredient Overnight Berry Muesli
● 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, incorporated into Overnight Berry Muesli
Morning Snack (291 Calories)
● 1 medium apple
● 2 tbsp of almond butter
Lunch (405 calories)
● 1 serving
Salmon Superfood Chopped Salad Featuring Creamy Garlic Dressing
Afternoon Snack (162 Calories)
● 1 serving
Mediterranean Diet Bean Dip
Dinner (613 Calories)
● 1 serving
Roasted Spicy Chickpea and Sweet Potato Tray with Herb-Infused Yogurt
Daily totals
: 1772 calories, 83g of fat, 77g of protein, 190g of carbs, no added sugars, 43g of fiber, 1158mg of sodium
To achieve a total of 1,500 calories
: omit morning snack
To achieve a total of 2,000 calories
Add one medium peach and one ounce of pistachios for an evening snack.
Day 6
Breakfast (433 Calories)
● 1 serving
Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta Frittata
● 1 cup raspberries
Morning Snack (193 Calories)
● 1 medium apple
● 1 tablespoon of almond butter
Lunch (493 calories)
● 1 serving
Beany and Vegetable Taco Bowl
● ¼ cup avocado slices
Afternoon Snack (246 Calories)
● 1 serving
Lemon-Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites
Dinner (442 Calories)
● 1 serving
Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice
● ¾ cup
Gut-Healthy Miso Cup Soup
Daily totals
: 1,807 calories, 87 g fat, 91 g protein, 174 g carbohydrates, 0 g added sugar, 43 g fiber, 2220 mg sodium
To achieve a total of 1,500 calories
: Omit avocado slices from lunch and omit afternoon snack
To make it 2,000 calories
: Add 1 cup of kefir and 1 small banana as an evening snack
Day 7
Breakfast (433 Calories)
● 1 serving
Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta
● 1 cup raspberries
Morning Snack (316 Calories)
● 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
● 1 medium peach
● 2 tablespoon pistachios
Lunch (353 calories)
● 1 serving
Chicken & Cucumber Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt Sauce
Afternoon Snack (246 Calories)
● 1 serving
Lemon-Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bites
Dinner (422 Calories)
● 1 serving
Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon & Vegetables
Daily totals
: 1,770 calories, 74 grams of fat, 130 grams of protein, 152 grams of carbohydrates, no added sugar, 34 grams of fiber, 1,970 milligrams of sodium
To achieve a total of 1,500 calories
: Omit afternoon snack
To achieve a total of 2,000 calories
Add one cup of brown rice to tonight’s meal.
Prep Ahead Tips:
-
Prepare
3-Ingredient Overnight Berry Muesli
for breakfast from Day 2 to Day 5 -
Make
Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing
for lunch from Day 2 to Day 5 -
Whip up a batch of
Mediterranean Diet Snack
for an afternoon treat from Day 2 through Day 5
Frequently asked Questions
Can you combine different dishes if you dislike one of them?
Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn’t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you’re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious
gut-healthy recipes
.
Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?
Definitely, it’s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from
350
to
450
calories while the lunches span
400
to
550
calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you’re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.
Why isn’t there a version with a 1,200-calorie option?
We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
Health Benefits of a Gut-Friendly Meal Plan
This meal plan prioritizes gut health by focusing on ingredients that support and nurture a thriving microbiome. By emphasizing prebiotics, probiotics and polyphenols, it includes foods like fermented kimchi, kefir, yogurt, tempeh, fiber-rich legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables—all of which have been shown to improve gut health. Excluding added sugars, which are known to disrupt microbial balance and damage the gut lining, further boosts the health of your digestive system. Additionally, the plan emphasizes the consumption of a variety of different plant foods a week to foster bacterial diversity, a cornerstone of robust gut health. Each of the components of this plan creates a solid foundation to improve gut function and overall digestive health.
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