Chronic digestive issues are the worst. They’re uncomfortable (if not painful), frustrating, and stress-inducing. They’re all it takes to spiral into a restrictive diet mission or a woe-is-me conversation with your bestie. We’ve all been there. An unsettled or bloated belly is totally normal from time to time, but daily digestive upset is not. So, how to curb the latter? In part by minimizing digestive offenders. But beyond food, there are other practical habits that improve digestion, too—and we’ll dive into those. Below are easy-to-digest foods to incorporate into your daily diet. Soothe your stomach for a happier, healthier you.
Why is healthy digestion important?
Digestion impacts everything. Our digestive system is a key player in our overall health and longevity. Being able to properly digest, assimilate, and remove what we consume is foundational. For our organs to work properly, our immune system to thrive, and our hormones to stay balanced, we need healthy digestion. Otherwise, we experience a host of uncomfortable symptoms, including abdominal pain and bloating.
The gut has often been referred to as our “second brain.” That’s why optimal gut health—and knowing how to improve gut health if needed—is key.
Looking for more gut-friendly habits to improve your health? Check out this guide.
Signs of Good Gut Health
So, how do you know if your gastrointestinal tract is working? A few ways.
- 1-2 bowel movements per day. These should be well-formed and easy to pass.
- Free of symptoms like diarrhea and constipation.
- Minimal gas, bloating, and infrequent abdominal pain.
- Lack of skin disorders, autoimmune conditions, and inflammation.
Signs of Poor Digestion
Physically, you can probably tell. Signs of poor digestion include:
- Frequent discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn.
- Feeling chronically tired and experiencing mood swings.
- Food cravings.
- Unintentional weight fluctuations.
- Skin issues like psoriasis and eczema.
- Autoimmune conditions.
5 Steps to Improve Your Gut Health Through Diet
With optimal digestion as the goal, let’s dive into simple ways to improve your gut microbiome.
- Focus on a diverse diet. Specifically, foods rich in fiber and antioxidants. The more variety, the better. After all, different ingredients can lead to a more diverse microbiome.
- Prioritize eating the Mediterranean way. There are a variety of reasons to eat like the Mediterraneans do, but mainly because of the emphasis on vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes. These are high-fiber, gut-friendly foods that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. Eating a range of fresh, whole foods—mainly from plant sources—is shown to improve gut health.
- Choose fermented foods. Fermented foods (or drinks!), like plain yogurt, kimchi, and tempeh can benefit the microbiome. They enhance its function and reduce the abundance of disease-causing bacteria in the intestines.
- Add in prebiotics. Prebiotics are food for your gut’s microbiome. Many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain prebiotics—like these starches. Eating cooked and cooled potatoes and rice, for example, turns some of the digestible starches into resistant starches.
- Increase probiotics. Fermented foods, like yogurt, tempeh, and kimchi are great. Otherwise, opt for a probiotic supplement.
12 Easy-To-Digest Foods
This goes without saying, but what you eat directly influences your gut bacteria. And as mentioned, we want a healthy gut to keep chronic diseases at bay, but to also reduce inflammation, keep your emotions stable, and help you maintain an optimal weight.
Good news: it’s never too late to improve your gut health! Research shows that diversifying your plate can change your microbiome in as little as 24 hours. A few of the best foods for gut health include asparagus, artichokes, chia seeds, coconut yogurt, leafy greens, and sauerkraut. When it comes to gut health, keep in mind that how you eat is just as important as what you eat.
What should you eat to maintain a healthy diet—while avoiding digestive problems? Let’s take a look at these 12 easy-to-digest foods that may help.
Foods That Are Hard to Digest
Contrary to foods that are east to digest, the Standard American Diet isn’t exactly filled with gut-supporting foods. Generally speaking, some of the top gut offenders are:
- Ultra-processed grains
- Refined sugars
- Spicy foods
- Industrial seed oils
- Conventional dairy
- Alcohol
These ingredients can have a massive impact on overfeeding yeast and candida in the body. In turn, you guessed it, negatively affecting the gut.
Not sure if your digestive health is up to par? Rather than start nixing certain ingredients, partner with a functional medicine doctor or gastroenterologist to get to the root of your gut issues.
This post was last updated on August 8, 2025 to include new insights.
