The snack pairings nutritionists swear by to lose weight and boost gut health

The nation’s obsession with snacks shows no signs of slowing down, accounting for a quarter of our daily calorie intake. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – not all snacks need to be put on the nutritional naughty step.

“I am very much pro-snacking, provided we view it as an opportunity rather than a failure of willpower,” says registered nutritionist Sophie Gastman. Selecting one or two balanced snacks can add extra fibre and nutrients to your diet and give a boost to that all-important powerhouse inside your body – your gut.

“A snack also helps prevent that inevitable ‘hangry’ phase where we tend to make less considered food choices later on,” she says.

Here, Gastman and other top nutrition experts share their go-to snack pairings for better gut health.

Two kiwis and handful of pistachios

Two kiwis served up with a handful of pistachios is the favourite snack of Jordan Haworth, a gastrointestinal physiologist and author of upcoming book How to Gut Health.

“Kiwis are loaded with fibre,” he says. “Several studies show that eating two kiwis can help with constipation, thanks to their mix of soluble and insoluble fibre,” he notes. Soluble fibre (which dissolves in water and is found in the kiwi) softens stool, making it easier to pass, while insoluble fibre (which doesn’t dissolve in water and is found in kiwi skin) adds bulk and speeds stool passage through the gut.

Pistachios, meanwhile, are full of compounds called polyphenols that feed beneficial gut bacteria, he says. One study showed that snacking on around 60g of pistachios per day increased levels of bacteria that produce butyrate. “Butyrate is an important compound for gut health, as it strengthens the gut barrier and quiets inflammation,” Haworth says.

He has his kiwi and pistachio snack in the evening, as research has linked this with longer and higher-quality sleep.

Yet Haworth advises against snacking between meals too frequently to give your gut a break. “There’s something called the migrating motor complex (MMC), which is like your gut’s own dishwasher, rinsing away food and bacterial waste from the stomach and small intestine into the colon,” he explains.

“This MMC cleanse only kicks in once food has been digested, so around four hours after your meal. If you can avoid snacking for four to five hours between meals, then you’re giving your gut time to reset so it can digest the next meal more efficiently. 

“To help reduce the desire for snacking, make sure your meals are high in protein, healthy fats and fibre, which all contribute to keeping you fuller for longer.”

Pomegranate seeds with extra virgin olive oil

While it sounds like an unusual pairing, nutritionist Emily English swears by drizzling extra virgin olive oil over a handful of pomegranate seeds for better gut health. “It is genuinely delicious and feels very Mediterranean for a two-ingredient snack,” she says.

“This pairing is a gut-health winner because it is essentially a double hit of polyphenols, which are plant compounds that gut microbes love,” English says. These compounds give plants their vibrant colour, have anti-inflammatory properties and have also been linked to better heart health.

Extra virgin olive oil also contains 36 different polyphenols, including the potent anti-inflammatory compound oleocanthal.

English has this snack as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or sometimes after lunch. “The fat from the olive oil also makes it more satisfying than fruit alone, so it helps reduce that urge to keep grazing,” she adds.

“I do not personally snack loads, but that is mostly because I build my main meals well, usually protein, fibre and plenty of plants. That said, planned snacking can be really helpful as it stops you reaching for ultra-processed options on autopilot.”

Greek yogurt and berries

A dollop of 10 per cent fat Greek yogurt with a handful of berries is the preferred snack of Sasha Watkins, a registered dietitian and head of health at Mindful Chef.

“From a gut health perspective, Greek yogurt contains live bacteria which can help support a healthy and balanced gut microbiome,” she explains.

The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in our digestive system. Having a greater variety of these microbes has been linked to better overall health. Greek yogurt is a winning snack as it contains probiotics, which contributes to greater diversity, as well as better digestion.

The berries, meanwhile, are a rich source of gut-friendly polyphenols and fibre. Each 80g portion of raspberries contributes 3g towards the 30g of fibre we should be having daily.

On top of that, Greek yogurt is a natural source of protein, she says, providing around 15g per 200g portion, which makes it particularly satisfying.

One study found that, compared to almonds and crackers, having Greek yogurt for an afternoon snack, led to greater fullness, delayed the time participants chose to eat dinner afterwards and even reduced their evening snacking. “This supports the idea that snack composition matters more than just calories,” she adds.

“I tend to enjoy it in the mid-afternoon, when my energy levels naturally dip and it’s easy to reach for something sugary,” she says. “I also love it as a simple dessert after dinner, adding a teaspoon of honey and a few almonds. You’re getting protein, healthy fats, and beneficial bacteria, so it satisfies that desire for something sweet without triggering the kind of sugar spike that can lead to more cravings later on.”

Sliced apple with peanut butter

“I love sliced apples, preferably a Jazz apple, with a generous dollop of crunchy peanut butter,” says Gastman, author of Find Your Healthy: 100 delicious recipes with a side of science. “It’s a salty-sweet-crunchy trifecta that satisfies the brain as much as the gut.”

Apples contain pectin, which is a type of soluble fibre that acts as a prebiotic, she explains. “It effectively ‘feeds’ the beneficial bacteria in your gut, encouraging them to produce short-chain fatty acids – compounds linked to lower inflammation and a healthy gut lining. Leaving the skin on is key, as this is where you’ll find the highest concentration of pectin, alongside extra fibre and polyphenols.”

With peanut butter, beyond being a source of plant protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, the nuts are technically legumes. “This means they provide a different set of prebiotic fibre to complement the apple,” Gastman says.

“From a satiety standpoint, the fats and protein in the peanut butter slow down the digestion of the fruit’s natural sugars, providing a much steadier release of energy than eating the apple in isolation.”

Gastman enjoys this snack whenever she is hungry. “That might be mid-morning after a gym session, or at 4pm when the gap between lunch and dinner feels massive. Trusting your appetite is a much more sustainable health strategy than following a rigid, arbitrary clock.”

Dates stuffed with walnuts (with or without melted dark chocolate)

“Medjool dates stuffed with walnuts – it’s a whole-food based snack and naturally sweet which is good for anyone with a sweet tooth,” says Rob Hobson, a nutritionist and author of The Low Appetite Cookbook.

“Dates provide both soluble and insoluble fibre,” he notes. “A proportion of the soluble fibre is fermentable, meaning it can be metabolised by gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids.” These compounds help to support the integrity of the gut lining, Hobson explains.

Walnuts, meanwhile, provide additional fibre, along with a broad range of polyphenols.

Hobson eats this snack in the morning, before going to the gym, or mid-afternoon. “The natural sugars in dates provide readily available energy, while the fibre and fats in walnuts slow digestion and help stabilise blood glucose,” he says.

“This combination makes it far more sustaining than highly refined sweet snacks. It can also work well in the evening as a structured alternative to an ultra-processed pudding. You could dip half of the walnut stuffed date into melted dark chocolate for something more indulgent.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]