Synbiotics are foods that contain both prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotic foods feed the probiotic, good bacteria in your gut and allow them to proliferate. Probiotic foods are those that actually contain the probiotic bacteria.

Why is it important to eat prebiotic and probiotic foods together?

The probiotic bacteria in your gut cannot survive without food. When prebiotics and probiotics are consumed together, this helps these good bacteria set up a permanent, resilient colony in your gut. Also, when you are feeding your probiotic, good bacteria, you are simultaneously starving the bad bacteria. Talk about two birds with one stone! Eating pre and probiotics together will increase the efficiency and productivity of the probiotic bacteria, and they will be at their peak performance, to YOUR benefit.

Remember, give the good bacteria what they want and YOU will reap the benefits! You will ultimately be setting up the ideal environment for them to perform their nutrient-liberating, brain-protecting and cellulose-digesting to the best of their ability.

The probiotic food in this case is plain yogurt. The prebiotic foods are the cruciferous veggies. Broccoli, brussel sprouts and kale; all cruciferous, all high in cellulose, all a probiotic bacteria’s ideal meal. The cellulose in cruciferous veggies is EXACTLY what the good bacteria already in your gut and in the probiotics you are ingesting want. They will be very happy in this environment and will want to set up shop in your gut for the long haul!

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Dressing:

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp raw honey

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Salad:

4 large kale leaves

1 carrot

2 brussel sprouts

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1 apple

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/8 cup sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts - whatever you fancy

1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries or raisins

Add all dressing ingredients to a jar and shake until homogenous and refrigerate.

Remove the stalk from the kale leaves and chop into ribbons. Thinly slice the brussel sprouts and slice the broccoli into small pieces. Shred, grate or spiralize the carrot. Chop apple into cubes or rectangles, whatever you fancy. Add all veggies to a large bowl.

Toast the pepitas and sunflower seeds in a pan on medium heat for about 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on them*.

Add seeds, dried cranberries, and dressing to the salad and mix well. This salad is lovely with tricolour quinoa as well. Make it your own and enjoy!

*This step is not necessary but recommended.