Fall Gut Health Planning For Kids: 10 Simple Ways To Add Gut-Healthy Fall Foods To Your Family's Diet
Fall is the perfect time to support your child’s gut health! With school back in full swing, colder weather on the way, and immune systems working harder, a well-fed gut can make a big difference in how your child feels and functions.
Here are 10 simple ways to get gut-friendly fall foods into your child’s meals:
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Apples – Rich in pectin, a soluble prebiotic fibre that feeds a wide variety of beneficial bacteria, promoting diversity and helping to regulate bowel movements.
Try them baked with cinnamon, sliced with nut butter, or stew them and blend them into apple sauce. Keep the skin on for full benefits.
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Pumpkin – Loaded with soluble and insoluble fibre to keep the gut bugs fed and happy, plus antioxidants like beta-carotene that help reduce inflammation in the gut lining.
Add puree to pancakes, muffins, smoothies, or stir it into oatmeal. You may even be able to sneek some into mac 'n' cheese sauce!
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Beets – Contain fibre and natural nitrates, which support digestion, liver function, and circulation. Beets help move nutrients and waste through the body.
Grate into meatballs or blend into a berry- based smoothie (it's already red!)
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Winter squash – These are full of pectin and resistant starch, which are fibres that nourish gut microbes and promote regularity.
Cube and roast them, or blend them into creamy soups.
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Sauerkraut – A natural source of probiotics like Lactobacillus bacteria, and small amounts of prebiotics like FOS and Cellulose. These help balance the gut microbiome, get the bowels moving, and support the entire digestive system.
Serve it on the side of any dish or mix it into a salad. You can even sneek a few bits into a smoothie for a lemon-y type taste!
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Garlic – A great source of inulin, which has consistently been shown to increase beneficial Bifidobacteria and SCFA (short-chain fatty acid) production, particularly butyrate, which supports mood and cognition.
Find locally grown garlic and sauté into soups, stir fries, or sauces.
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Onions – Not only are onions great for the immune system and gut bugs, but even the smell gets the digestive juices flowing. Onions contain both inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which feed gut bacteria. Their sulfur compounds also support detox and immune function. Truly a superfood!
Chop finely and add to almost any savory dish.
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Jerusalem artichokes – These are found more widely in the fall and are one of the best natural sources of inulin.
Roast them like potatoes or even blend a small one into a smoothie.
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Mushrooms – Provide beta-glucans, which help regulate the immune system and support the integrity of the gut lining.
Chop them finely into meat sauce or stir fry. If your kids don't like them, blend dried mushrooms into a powder and sprinkle it into just about anything.
Why This Matters
The gut is home to trillions of microbes that help with everything from digestion to brain health. Feeding those microbes with the right foods - especially during times of stress or seasonal change - will help your child stay more balanced, focused, healthy, and resilient.
Strong gut health is one of your biggest levers to pull if you want strong, resilient kids.
But it’s also important to remember: every child’s gut is different.
Some kids get gassy and have behaviour flares when you add fibre.
Sometimes anxiety gets worse when you add probiotic foods like Saurekraut.
If you really want to know which foods your child needs more of and less of for an optimal microbiome, consider a child-specific microbiome test.
Unlike adult tests, this assessment uses age-appropriate data to give a clearer picture of what’s going on in your child’s gut and how to support it through food, supplements, and lifestyle.
Curious about what’s really going on in your child’s gut? Contact us directly to see if our Child's Specific Microbiome Assessment is the right next step for you.
Related Articles:
https://www.jesssherman.com/blog/microbiome-testing-for-kids-benefits
https://www.jesssherman.com/blog/healthy-homemade-apple-sauce-for-intestinal-overall-health
https://www.jesssherman.com/blog/types-of-probitoics-for-kids
