Introduction: The health of the intestine is crucial for the body's absorption and excretion, so protecting it is very important. To protect the intestine, one must also cater to its preferences. Eating more foods that the intestine likes in daily life can effectively protect it. So, what foods does the intestine like the most?
1. Coarse grains: Replace half of your white rice and flour with coarse grains.
To keep the intestine comfortable, you first need to strengthen the population of probiotics. Probiotics love foods rich in dietary fiber and oligosaccharides, with whole grains being the top choice. But look at our bowls; they are almost all white rice and white steamed buns. The dietary fiber we get from staple foods cannot compare to what we consumed two or three decades ago. According to statistics, in recent years, the average dietary fiber intake for Chinese residents is around 15 grams, which fails to meet the recommended amount of 20-30 grams.
Coarse Grain Pancakes
2. Potatoes and beans: Use dried beans as a staple, and fresh beans as a side dish.
Sweet potatoes are rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. If you are not used to coarse grain rice, you can dice sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other tubers into small pieces and steam them with the rice to avoid the nutritional monotony of staple foods. Legumes like green beans, red beans, and soybeans contain even more dietary fiber than tubers. Soybeans, in particular, are not only rich in dietary fiber but also contain oligosaccharides that promote the growth of probiotics. Fresh beans such as tender peas, fava beans, and edamame also contain a good amount of dietary fiber and are great as side dishes.
3. Root vegetables: Make vegetable soups with burdock and carrots.
Root vegetables like celery, burdock, and carrots are also foods that the intestine quite likes. Burdock, in particular, is known as the "Oriental ginseng" and is rich in coarse fiber. It not only aids bowel movements but is also beneficial for preventing various chronic diseases. For making vegetarian soups, burdock and carrots are excellent ingredients. After stewing, just lightly season them for a light and delicious broth.
Cold Salad with Three Shredded Vegetables including Burdock
4. Seaweed: Serve it cold in salads or in soups for a delicious and nutritious meal.
Wakame is very inexpensive but is an excellent sea vegetable that is high in dietary fiber, high in protein, low in fat, and rich in minerals and vitamins. Sea lettuce has a tender and smooth texture and is rich in trace elements like magnesium, calcium, and iodine. It also contains soluble dietary fiber such as alginic acid. Moss grass has a high content of plant gum, which can absorb water and swell in the intestine, making it very helpful for relieving constipation. Middle-aged and elderly people can eat more of it.
Sea lettuce and other seaweeds have a relatively high sodium content. Soak them in water for a while, blanch them in boiling water, squeeze out the water, chop them up, and then mix with salt, soy sauce, minced garlic, sesame oil, etc. Additionally, seaweed soup, nori soup, and sea lettuce and egg drop soup are also excellent choices.
Cold-dressed Wakame Salad