From broccoli to corn, 8 foods that you can make more digestible 

We might love eating certain foods but it is not sure that they would be easily digested by your body. To say it simply, it doesn’t always mean that the food items you love, love you back too. There are chances that some foods, including the ones which are fried, overly processed or contain artificial sweeteners, are tough to digest. Similarly, there are plenty of healthy foods too that actually benefit us, if we eat them regularly, but can still be tricky for our bodies to process. These include lentils, beans, milk, spicy foods and even broccoli and corn.

However, Nidhi Pandya Bhansali, a third-generation Ayurveda practitioner, reveals in her latest Instagram post that making simple changes to the way you cook these foods can help make them more digestible, and also keep your gut healthy and happy. It is a better choice than just eliminating multiple items from your diet.

Can adding fat and spices make such foods more digestible?

Bhansali, in her post, mentions that adding good fats to your foods is the best way to make them more digestible. “Think about it, is it easier to cook food in a pan which has some fat in it or a dry pan? Fat holds and disperses the heat and allows for even breakdown of foods. Else, the foods you eat keep putting excess pressure on those warm enzymes your gut carries. At the same time, using herbs and spices in those fats allows for the absorption of nutrients and the acceleration in digestion. It is like bringing up the flame on your stove to cook better,” she says.

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In that spirit, she lists down ways to make 7 hard to digest foods an easier choice:

1. Broccoli

Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, have high fibre content and are hard to digest. It is ideal to cook them rather than eating them raw. Bhansali suggests cooking it with sesame seeds and garlic to make broccoli more digestible.

2. Cauliflower

Similar to broccoli, cauliflower is also a cruciferous vegetable. While it is a great source of folate, vitamin K, and fibre, it can be hard to digest. Hence, you can cook it with fennel seeds.

3. Chickpeas

Chickpeas can be very difficult to digest as they contain indigestible saccharides (sugars) that can cause bloating. Bhansali suggests cooking them with Tahini and garlic.

4. Lentils

Lentils should be cooked with cumin and bay leaf to make them more digestible.

5. Beans

Beans too contain indigestible saccharides (sugars) that can cause constipation due to gas buildup. Cook it with enough fat, cumin and bay leaf.

6. Corns

Corns are rich in cellulose, which is an insoluble fibre and the body cannot digest it easily. Bhansali suggests cooking them with ghee, cumin and lime juice so that the body can break down easily.

7. Milk

Most people are not able to digest milk as it is heavy on the stomach. To consume it, dilute it with water and add a pinch of ginger powder to have it easily.

8. Spicy foods

While spices are added to food items in order to stimulate the digestive system, most people experience gas, bloating, heartburn, and acid reflux. It is ideal to cook them with enough fat so that they are easily digested.