Plants not Pills...

This week we opened up our new kitchen workshop space for the first time, welcoming in our first 12 students for a masterclass in making natural prebiotics and probiotics.

So these days most people have heard of probiotics and why we need them in our diets, but in actual fact probiotics will do you little good without utilising the lesser known prebiotics first. Just adding a load of ‘good’ bacteria to an unhealthy environment is not going to stop the bad bacteria from growing.

t’s a temporary fix.

Therefore, we need to cultivate the environment, just as we would with our allotments after the last frost, you have to put in the hard work to get the soil in perfect condition for the good things to grow. So, this is where prebiotics come in. Prebiotics are like fertilizer - and you won't get this sort of fertiliser from pills! 

What then is a prebiotic? It’s a kind of fibre, but it is special in that it is resistant to human digestion. ‘Wait, what?’ you may ask, but the purpose of these food is not to fuel our own energy needs here, but to grow beneficial bacteria. These foods ferment in your gut (we will come to fermented foods in more detail next week, but for now trust us – this is a good thing) bolstering the levels of healthy bacteria and therefore improving your gut flora.

In order to be classified as a prebiotic a food needs to have three qualities- mammals are resistant to digesting it, it ferments, and it grows beneficial bacteria, the exact cycle we are looking for to improve our gut health.

The most common prebiotic is called inulin (not insulin that is associated with diabetes) and along with those specific qualities, studies have also shown that it has a few other amazing effects on our health and wellbeing: it helps increase the amount of calcium, magnesium and iron we absorb from food, it supports a healthy response to inflammation, it supports a healthy immune system, and it lowers anxiety and stress hormone levels. Current studies also look set to suggest that inulin also lowers levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat.

So – ok we can’t actually digest these foods, but do we need to if they are doing us this much good?

Time to get out your shopping lists then, as which foods are we talking about then?

In no specific order, foods containing high levels of inulin include the following: asparagus, endive, fennel, onion, garlic, artichoke, leeks, dandelion leaves, raspberries and -as green as you can eat them- bananas.

Other foods that are classified as partially prebiotic are tuberous vegetables such as sweet potato and yam, bitter leaves such as radicchio, rocket and arugula, and the cruciferous vegetables such as kale, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, while blueberries and blackberries also make the list.

Including a couple of these prebiotics into our ten a day is necessary to improve the environment in our gut before we turn our attention towards making those good bacteria flourish by using probiotics. In the UK average consumption is only 1.9 grams of prebiotics of the recommended daily allowance of 5 grams.

On to our recipes then. At Apteekki we always have a great selection of  prebiotic options, so if you are looking for that specifically just ask, and the staff will help you decide. Alternatively, here are a few of our favourites which you can try for yourselves at home.

And...  if you are interested in coming along to one of our next cookery workshops, then pop yourself onto our mailing list to ensure you get pre-launch invites.

Enjoy x


The Inulin Prebiotic Salad
We use a food processor to make our salads as it is just so much easier, but a potato peeler will do just as good a job, just with added man power.
1 bunch asparagus
1 bulb fennel
½  cucumber
1 sprig flat leaf parsley
1 red onion
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds or flaked almonds
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
½ lemon or lime
Salt and pepper
Combine pressed garlic, oil, vinegar, mustard, juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper to a jar and shake vigorously to make your dressing. We make this in big batches in the blender and keep in the fridge to drizzle over lots of our salads.
Through the slice fitting of the food processor, or using a potato peeler, shave the asparagus stems. Do the same with the bulb of fennel and the cucumber or very thinly slice. Chop coarsely the parsley, and finely dice the red onion.
Toss all the ingredients and the dressing together in a large bowl, sprinkle with flaked almonds, or sunflower seeds and serve.


The GOS Fibre Rich Lentil and Artichoke Salad
This salad combines lentils which are rich in soluble and insoluble dietary fibre - soluble fibre forms a jelly substance in the digestive tract that traps bile (which contains cholesterol) and expels it from the body – and artichokes, an absolute chieftan of inulin!
2 cups of cooked puy lentils
1 can or jar of artichoke hearts
1 sprig flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ lemon
Salt and pepper
Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Chop parsley, artichoke hearts and stir through the lentils, before covering in dressing.
Adding a handful of chopped nuts makes this a protein rich salad.


The  Endive and Pea Salad
Another king of the prebiotic and inulin is the plant we call endive, or chicory, a bitter leafed vegetable from which the inulin is extracted from the root for use in supplements. While the leaf is not as potent as the root, it still packs a punch when it comes to the growth of good bacteria in your gut.
2 cups fresh podded peas
1 endive (or 2 small)
½ cucumber
½ cup radishes
1 ripe avocado
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey/date syrup/maple syrup
1 lemon - zest and juice
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until thick. Blanch the peas in boiling water for a minute or two and then drain.
Coarsely chop the endive and thinly slice the cucumber and the radishes. Chop the avocado into chunks and toss in the lemon juice and zest.
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and toss in the dressing. Serve immediately.