Top 10 Gut-Friendly Foods for Athletes

Gut health has become a hot topic in the athletic world. Athletes frequently question what gut-friendly foods they can add to their meal plans to improve their gut health.

Let’s explore steps athletes can take to support a healthy gut. Then we will look at 10 gut-friendly foods I recommend athletes incorporate into their meals and snacks.

Supporting Athlete’s Gut Health

To support gut health, I encourage athletes to increase their intake of foods that contain probiotics, prebiotics, and polyphenols (1, 2).

• Probiotics – Healthy bacteria or microorganisms that have beneficial impacts on the gut, including yogurt, kefir, and fermented food.
• Prebiotics – Type of non-digestible dietary fiber that helps to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.
• Polyphenols – Naturally occurring compounds found in plant foods that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and support a healthy gut microbiome.

To achieve this, athletes should focus on eating a wide variety of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

In addition, athletes should make hydration a daily priority. Hydration is important for digestion, absorption of nutrients, waste removal, and for supporting an athlete’s overall health and sports performance.

Pro Tip: Consider setting a goal to increase the number of plant foods in your sports nutrition meal plan.

10 Gut-Friendly Foods for Athletes

Let’s now explore 10 gut-friendly foods that I recommend athletes enjoy with their meals and snacks.

#1 Beans: High-Fiber, Gut-Friendly Food

First on the list of gut-friendly foods for athletes to include in their meal plans are beans.

Beans are packed full of dietary fiber, with a 1-cup serving of cooked black beans providing ~15 grams of fiber (3).

Dietary fiber supports regular bowel function and helps to reduce constipation. In addition, the prebiotic fibers in beans help to promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria (4).

In addition to dietary fiber, beans contain polyphenols (5), which help to reduce inflammation in the gut and support a healthy gut microbiome.

Tips for Adding Beans to an Athlete’s Meal Plan

Athletes should aim to include a variety of types of beans in their meal plan, such as: black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

Tips for adding beans to an athlete’s diet include:

• Use black beans or pinto beans as the base of a burrito bowl
• Include kidney beans in your favorite chili recipe
• Enjoy beans as a side dish with dinner
• Top your salad with garbanzo beans or cannellini beans

#2 Berries: Gut-Friendly Fruit for Athletes

Berries are a nutrient-rich fruit for athletes to include in their meals and snacks. They contain polyphenols as well as dietary fiber, making them a great option for supporting an athlete’s gut health (6).

The polyphenols in berries have prebiotic-like effects, increasing the growth of beneficial bacteria and supporting the development of a healthy gut microbiome (6).

In addition, berries contain anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce gut inflammation (6, 7).

Different types of berries contain different types of polyphenol compounds. Thus, I encourage athletes to include a variety of berries in their meal plans, including:

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Cranberries
• Acai berries
• Goji berries

Pro Tip: Keep a bag of mixed berries in the freezer, which can make an easy addition to a post-workout smoothie, overnight oats, or a Greek yogurt parfait.

#3 Greek Yogurt: High-Protein, Gut-Friendly Food for Athletes

Greek yogurt is a high-protein, gut-friendly food that I frequently recommend athletes add to their sports nutrition meal plan.

Similar to regular yogurt, many brands of Greek yogurts contain probiotics which support a healthy gut. In addition, the probiotics may enhance immune function, aid in digestion, and have anti-inflammatory effects in the body (8).

Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt. Thus, it is a simple way to support athletes with meeting their daily protein needs.

It is important for athletes to note that not all brands of Greek yogurt contain probiotics. Athletes should make sure to check the yogurt’s label to ensure it states that it contains “live and active cultures.” The product’s ingredient label may also list the bacteria strains the yogurt contains.

Some of my top choices for Greek yogurt brands that contain probiotics include: Oikos® Triple Zero,  FAGE® Greek Yogurt, and Siggi’s® Skyr Yogurt.

#4 Kefir

In addition to Greek yogurt, Kefir is another dairy product I encourage athletes to add to their meal plan to support gut health.

Kefir is a type of fermented drink made from milk and kefir grains. The kefir grains contain a mix of microorganisms including beneficial bacteria, yeast, and lactic acid (9).

The probiotics contained in kefir help support a healthy gut microbiome and can also help to reduce gut inflammation and permeability (10).

Athletes can typically find kefir in the yogurt section of their grocery store. It has a slightly sour, tart taste due to the fermentation process of making the drink.

Pro Tip: If athletes don’t like the tart flavor of kefir, I suggest blending it into a healthy fruit smoothie. The smoothie will help to mask the tart flavor of kefir, but athletes will still get to enjoy the gut health benefits.

#5 Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are a great option for supporting an athlete’s gut health. They are rich in dietary fiber and bioactive compounds (11).

Flaxseeds contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber as well as polyphenols. Together the dietary fiber and polyphenols support the development of a healthy gut microbiome (11).

Flaxseeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits, including helping to reduce inflammation in the body (11).

Tips for Adding Flaxseeds to an Athlete’s Meal Plan

To get the most benefit from flaxseeds, athletes should consume them in the ground form. It is easier for the body to digest and absorb the nutrients contained in flaxseeds when they are ground (11).

Tips for adding flaxseeds to an athlete’s diet include:

• Stir ground flaxseed into oatmeal or breakfast cereal.
• Add ground flaxseed as an ingredient in pancake, waffle, or muffin mixes.
• Include as a topping on a Greek yogurt and fruit parfait.
• Blend ground flaxseed into a healthy fruit smoothie.

#6 Sauerkraut: Fermented Gut-Friendly Food for Athletes

Fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, are a great way for athletes to add probiotics to their diet (12).

Sauerkraut is a popular dish of German heritage. It is made with shredded cabbage and salt, which is combined together and allowed to ferment (12).

The fermentation process results in sauerkraut containing microorganisms (probiotics), which are beneficial to gut health (13).

Tips for Adding Sauerkraut to an Athlete’s Meal Plan

Ideas for including sauerkraut in an athlete’s meal plan include:

• Add sauerkraut to a sandwich: Consider trying sauerkraut as a topping on a ham or roast beef sandwich for added flavor.
• Enjoy sauerkraut as a side dish with meals.
• Pair sauerkraut with potatoes: Great as a topping on a baked potato or stirred into mashed potatoes
• Include sauerkraut in a grain bowl or salad for extra flavor and nutrition.

#7 Onions

Onions are another gut-friendly food option that I encourage athletes to include in their sports nutrition meal plan. They contain both dietary fiber and polyphenols.

Onions contain inulin, which is a type of soluble fiber. Inulin has prebiotic effects in the gut, which helps to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria (14).

In addition, inulin helps improve digestion, relieve constipation, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which are beneficial to an athlete’s health (14).

Onions are also rich in polyphenols, in particular the polyphenol quercetin. Quercetin promotes a healthy gut microbiome. It also has anti-oxidant effects and anti-inflammatory effects, which can help with the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (15).

Pro Tip: Keep a bag of frozen chopped onions on hand to add to your athlete’s favorite dinner recipes, such as chili, taco meat, spaghetti sauce, and meatloaf.

#8 Whole Grains

Whole grains are a nutritious, gut-friendly food for athletes. They provide dietary fiber, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals, making them a healthy part of an athlete’s sports nutrition meal plan (16).

Whole grains contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which are both important for gut health (17). Soluble fiber has prebiotic effects, serving as a substrate that supports the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut (18). Insoluble fiber helps add bulk to stool and speed the transit of food through the intestine (19).

The polyphenols in whole grains are metabolized by the gut bacteria further supporting the development of a healthy gut microbiome (16).

Tips for Adding Whole Grains to an Athlete’s Meal Plan

Athletes should include a variety of whole grains in their meal plans to get the benefit of an array of polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals.

Tips for adding whole grains to an athlete’s meal plan include:

• Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal as part of a high-fiber breakfast.
• Use whole grain breads and wraps for making sandwiches.
• Add brown rice to your favorite stir-fry recipe.
• Prepare quinoa as a side dish to eat with dinner.

Pro Tip: When selecting whole grain bread, pasta, and cereal, read the package to ensure the product is 100% whole grain. As you read the ingredient list, the word “whole” should be listed as the first ingredient in the product, such as whole wheat or whole rye.

#9 Avocado: Nutrient-Dense, Gut-Friendly Food for Athletes

Avocados are a nutrient-dense way to add dietary fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to an athlete’s meal plan.

In addition, avocados are rich in bioactive compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body (20).

Due to their nutrient profile and abundance of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, avocados are promoted as being one of the most nutritious fruit options (20).

Avocados are packed-full of fiber with a medium avocado containing ~13 grams of fiber (21). The prebiotic fiber supports the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut (20).

Regularly including avocados in an athlete’s meal plan can support increased diversity and function of healthy gut bacteria (22).

Tips for Adding Avocado to an Athlete’s Meal Plan

Easy ideas for adding avocado to an athlete’s meal plan include:

• Enjoy sliced avocados on top of your morning toast.
• Prepare guacamole to eat with veggies and pita chips for a healthy snack.
• Add avocado to a turkey and spinach wrap for a healthy lunch on-the-go.
• Top tacos, quesadillas, and burritos bowls with avocado.
• Blend avocados into a high-calorie smoothie.

#10 Olive Oil to Support Athlete Gut Health

Finally, extra virgin olive oil is a gut-friendly food that I encourage athletes to include in their meal plans.

Olive oil is rich in healthy, monounsaturated fats. In addition, olive oil contains a variety of polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body (23). 

These compounds have beneficial effects on the gut microbiome, stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria as well as inhibiting the activity of pathogens (24, 25).

I encourage athletes to use olive oil to sauté vegetables, drizzle it on top of their avocado toast, and in place of salad dressing on their salads.

Athlete Gut Health: 10 Gut-Friendly Foods

You are now set with ideas for 10 gut-friendly foods that athletes can add to their meal plans.

For additional nutrition tips and resources, check out my blog with simple tips to help athletes increase their veggie intake.

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About the Author

Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation.

If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.