The gut-healthy lunch this gastroenterologist eats most days is filling and easy to make

• Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, a gut health doctor, shared his go-to lunch with Business Insider.
• He eats bean chili with healthy sides most days for a filling and simple lunch.

A gut health expert shared the healthy, filling lunch he eats most days.

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, a gastroenterologist and the US Medical Director of the nutrition company ZOE, told Business Insider that he eats bean chili in the afternoon, after the easy breakfast smoothie he drinks each morning.

“This is my typical lunch,” he said. “It’s this hardy lunch that sticks to the ribs — it’s very satisfying not just in terms of making me feel full (which it does), but you can also make it really spicy, which I love.” Not only is it filling, it’s good for gut health because it’s full of fiber.

Bulsiewicz has bean chili, farro, and sourdough bread for lunch

At the start of the week, Bulsiewicz makes a large batch of bean chili in a pressure cooker and adds hot sauce to make it extra spicy.

Chili contains a variety of beans and vegetables, so it's a great source of nutrients, as well as fiber, which is important for digestion and regulating blood sugar spikes, Bulsiewicz said. Beans, in particular, contain a lot of fiber.

Bulsiewicz eats his chili with farro, a whole grain, seasoned with turmeric and black pepper.

“Turmeric is great for our gut microbes and is anti-inflammatory,” he said. Research suggests that black pepper can help the body absorb turmeric.

If he has any in the house, he will also eat some sourdough bread with his chili and farro.

“Sourdough is delicious and makes me very happy. I might even dip it in some extra virgin olive oil,” he said. Sourdough is considered healthier than white or wheat bread, because the body can absorb more nutrients from it.

Kombucha at lunch provides a source of fermented food

Bulsiewicz often pairs his chili with kombucha, a fermented tea drink.

He said that kombucha isn’t a miracle drink, as some would have you believe, but “you can make better and worse choices with food, always, and drinking a kombucha is better than drinking Diet Coke every day.”

Kombucha is a fermented food, and research suggests it can help limit inflammation, improve gut health by feeding good bacteria, and strengthen the immune system thanks to the B vitamins it contains, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Bulsiewicz previously told BI that fermented foods are one of the food types he recommends to improve gut health.