Marika Day: A dinner party menu to boost the gut-brain connection

ARTICLE
02 August 2023 dot 3 min read

With growing evidence about the gut-brain connection and its impact on our health, Accredited Practising Dietitian Marika Day shares her gut-friendly dinner party menu that supports mental wellbeing and a healthy digestive system.

Ever had a “feeling in your gut”? Or maybe you’ve felt “butterflies in your tummy” or had a “stomach-churning experience”. It turns out these age-old sayings are on to something. More and more studies are showing that the gut-brain connection is real, and that our cognitive and digestive functions are closely linked.1
 
Think of the gut-brain connection as a reciprocal wellness superhighway. Feeling mental distress – like anger, anxiety, or sadness – can trigger digestive symptoms, and digestive symptoms can trigger mood changes.2 There may also be links between the gut microbiome and our thinking and memory skills, as well as our metabolism.3
 
If we want to support our mental wellbeing and aid our digestive systems, a healthy, gut-friendly diet is key. I’ve created a nutritious and delicious three-course menu that supports this vital connection and is bound to be a hit with family and friends. Gut-brain dinner party, anyone?

Starter: Grazing plate

This veggie-packed grazing plate offers a diversity of plants, and is high in fibre, healthy fats and prebiotics.
 
  • 220g hummus (store bought or homemade)
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 3 baby cucumbers, sliced
  • 300g red grapes
  • 1 packet seed crackers
  • 1/4 cup pitted olives
Method
  1. Arrange cut veggies, crackers, dip, olives, and fruit on a large serving platter.

All or Something

The key to looking after your gut-brain connection is eating a healthy, balanced, and varied diet that meets your nutritional needs. There are plenty of big and small steps you can take on your path to eating well.
 
All: Start tracking your nutritional intake to help you identify any areas for improvement in your diet. AIA Vitality members can earn up to 1,200 points per membership year for logging your food intake via a Fitbit account.
Something: Add an extra serving of fibre-rich veggies (like carrots, broccoli, beetroot and eggplant) to your dinners this week.
 
Remember, All or Something!

Main course: Mediterranean salmon

Serves 4
With its diverse range of vegetables and heart-healthy salmon, this brain-boosting main is full of Omega 3 fats, fibre, and prebiotics.
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 red capsicum
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 4 fillets salmon
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C and chop the vegetables into 3cm pieces.
  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to a baking dish with the chopped zucchini, red onion, capsicum, olive oil and garlic powder. Toss well to combine.
  3. Place into the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and stir through the chopped parsley. Top the vegetable mix with the salmon fillets and place the lemon slices on top of each piece of salmon. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Return to the oven for a further 12-15 mins or until salmon is cooked to your liking.
  6. Sprinkle with chopped dill before serving.

Dessert: Berry crumble

Serves 4
Featuring wholegrains and a diversity of plants, this sweet treat is high in fibre, polyphenols, healthy fats and probiotics – all essential for a healthy gut.
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped nuts
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 200g vanilla bean Greek yoghurt
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Add the berries to a baking dish and toss with the cornflour until the berries are coated.
  2. In a mixing bowl add all the remaining ingredients except the yoghurt. Stir well to combine.
  3. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the berries and place into the preheated oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble is golden.
  4. Serve with vanilla bean Greek yogurt.
Footnotes
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/
2 https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection
3 https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection

Marika Day
Marika Day is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist with over 10 years' experience in a variety of clinical and non-clinical areas. Her expertise and interests include gastrointestinal nutrition, which is influenced by her personal experience with coeliac disease. Additionally, she focuses on women’s health and the complexities of disordered and emotional eating. In addition to her clinical expertise, Marika regularly works in recipe development, helping people make nutritious choices every day. Her approach to nutrition is balanced, practical and empathetic and aims to help people enjoy food and live a healthy balanced life.
Disclaimer:
Copyright © 2023 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice. The source information of the articles is current as of the date of publication and may be subject to change. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate, AIA Australia expressly disclaims any and all liability for representations or warranties, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, the information.

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