Preggers Prebiotic Porridge: Gut Health for Pregnancy and Beyond
A free resource from Rowan TwoSisters, CPM, LM, LMT | Preggers Can Be Choosers LLC
The Short Version
This is a prebiotic porridge recipe that supports gut health during pregnancy, postpartum, and life in general. It’s gluten-free, based on Dr. Greger’s BROL Bowl, and adapted for pregnant bodies.
Start with 1 tablespoon daily for two weeks. Then eat ½ cup a few times a week.
Scroll down for the recipe, or keep reading for the why.
How I Got Here
I’m a midwife and curandera who ran an organic produce co-op for years, catering to the “food is medicine” crowd. Shout out to Central City Co-op—I learned so much.
Later, I worked as a midwife with an under-resourced patient population. These families lived in food deserts. They’d been abandoned by the medical and nutrition establishment. They frequently got the runaround with subpar care. (Another clear example of institutionalized racism.)
I kept seeing the same problems over and over:
- Gestational diabetes or borderline high blood sugars
- Undernourished but over-caloried pregnant people and babies
- Fainting
- High blood pressure
- Constipation or diarrhea (especially when taking iron or prenatals)
- People stopping their prenatal vitamins because of gut issues
- Low energy and fatigue
- Acid reflux
- Severe morning sickness and nausea
- Babies born with erratic blood sugars
- Heavy Group B Strep colonization
- Mood swings from hypoglycemia
- Postpartum constipation
- Leaky gut and abdominal inflammation
- Bacterial vaginosis
- GBS positive results
I asked myself: How many of these problems can I minimize with one solution?
Why Gut Health Matters
Resetting gut health helps with most of that list.
My teacher Ellen Heed says healing in the pelvis and reproductive system won’t happen until gut health is restored. A balanced microbiome supports a healthy immune system.
Here’s the big one: The pregnant person’s gut biome heavily influences their baby’s gut. What you eat shapes your baby’s digestive health from the start.
Then I heard a podcast interview with Dr. Greger. That man is enthusiastic—comes across slightly nutty—but he knows his subject matter. He was a pandemic specialist before moving to nutrition around 2012. He has a team of retired medical professionals reviewing published studies for credibility before he makes videos or updates his knowledge base.
He was talking about his prebiotic porridge and sorghum. I had a major AH-HA moment.
Who Is This For?
Pregnant people. I’m looking at you.
Who else?
- Anybody who chews
- Anyone struggling with digestion
- Anyone with a bloated abdomen
- Anyone whose skin is wrecked because their liver is at capacity
- Postpartum bodies
- Menopausal bodies
- Anyone wanting to reset their gut
For babies and littles: Research suggests feeding babies grains during complementary feeding expands their palate for life. When baby gets molars—or whenever YOU decide it’s right—a teaspoon of porridge with bone broth or soft poached egg yolk is a great start.
A word of caution from my youngest: Start small with kids. She loved the gruel, asked for a bigger serving, then informed me she only wanted a small amount from now on because otherwise “I poop myself during second recess.” You’ve been warned.
How It Works
Fiber grabs matter hanging out in your digestive tract and moves it through.
This matters because fermenting, putrefying food (chyme) creates an environment for pathogenic bacteria. It stresses the tubes and chutes of your digestive system. When your digestive tract is covered in goo, actual nutrition can’t be absorbed. You might be eating it, but your body can’t use it.
Prebiotics are food for probiotics.
The more you feed probiotics, the more they flourish and take over. Then pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria can’t dominate—because the good and bad bacteria don’t get along. One dominates the other.
What feeds pathogenic bacteria? Birthday cake and anything fun with sprinkles.
What feeds probiotics? Prebiotics.
How Often Should I Eat This?
How often do you nourish something you want to flourish?
Daily. Every other day. Never. It’s always up to you.
My recommendation:
- Start with 1 tablespoon daily for two weeks
- Then eat ½ cup a few times a week
- If you have a big shift in routine, double up to daily servings
This is a good time to notice feedback from your body.
Why Start Small?
Easing into diet shifts is always smart. This one especially.
Depending on how you’ve been eating, this can cause serious detox and create symptoms as your body regulates. The goal is to feed the probiotics already in your gut and slowly grow their numbers.
You can also take probiotic supplements to speed things up. (The best ones are sold refrigerated.)
What we don’t want: Your body freaking out, especially if you’re pregnant or postpartum.
I also recommend the slow approach for:
- Elderly folks
- People who are postmenopausal
- The over-50 crowd (hey, that’s me!)
The Recipe: Preggers Prebiotic Porridge
Also known as Fortifying Gruel
Based on Dr. Greger’s BROL Bowl from How Not to Diet (pages 556-557).
Dr. Greger’s Original (contains gluten)
1:1:1:1 ratio of:
- Barley (hulled, purple)
- Rye
- Oats
- Lentils (black or caviar preferred)
Instant Pot: 30 minutes pressure cooked. 1 cup mix to 2 cups water.
Rowan’s Gluten-Free Version
2:1:1:1 ratio (approximate)
Mix these together and store in a large glass jar:
Ingredient | Amount | Source |
Steel Cut Oats | 2 cups | Shiloh Farms (get two bags) |
Amaranth | 1 cup | Shiloh Farms |
Sorghum | 1 cup | Shiloh Farms |
Black Beluga Lentils | 1 cup | Rancho Gordo (shout out to my Bean Club members!) |
Don’t want to be a kitchen alchemist? Order the pre-mixed grain blend directly from Preggers Can Be Choosers.
Pre-Soak Directions
- 1 cup mix to 2.5 cups water
- This makes 4 big servings (or lasts a week+ if doing the challenge)
- Dried fruit: If adding (½ cup/one handful) like craisins, add now
- Chia seeds: If adding (1 tablespoon), add now
- Sea salt: A few twists of the grinder
- Cover and soak overnight (at least 8 hours)
Cooking: Instant Pot
- In the morning, take a peek
- If it looks dry, add 1 cup liquid (water or non-dairy milk like soy or almond)
- Use “porridge” setting on high pressure
- When pressure releases, add nuts/toppings and stir
Cooking: Slow Cooker
- Start soaking mid-afternoon
- Turn on slow cooker when you go to bed
- Cook overnight (6+ hours)
- Peek and add liquid if needed
- If too dry, stir in nut milk before serving
How to Serve It
Think of your breakfast bowl like a poke bowl or salad. Mix and match:
Sweet Version
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ apple, chopped
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Chopped nuts
- Ground flax seeds
- Yogurt (non-dairy if needed)
- Drizzle of local honey or agave
Savory Version
- Avocado
- Sea salt
- Ground flax seeds
- Microgreens
- Leftover stir-fried veggies
- Steamed broccoli
- Kimchi
- Zhoug seasoning (Trader Joe’s version is THE BEST—buy extras, freeze them)
For Omnivores
- Soft poached egg
- Drizzle of bone broth
- Bacon bits (get crunk!)
Building Your Bowl
Base: Porridge (1 tablespoon to 1 cup), cold or warm
Add-ins:
- Yogurt (unsweetened for savory)
- Fruit or veggies
- Spices (turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper)
- Ground flax seeds
- Anything you’re trying to hide and eat anyway (collagen, maca, cricket powder from Orchestra Provisions, protein powder)
- Fresh herbs (chives, mint)
- Fancy salt
- A healthy fat (this is important!)
Warm is nice with a scoop of Kerrygold butter or a vegan butter.
Tips for Busy People
Get a cute bowl or mug. I love anything with “love” or hearts on it.
Taking it to work? Use a wide-mouth half thermos—the size from a Gen X kid’s lunchbox. Your future self will thank past self.
Feeling lazy? Eat 1 tablespoon cold, straight from the container. Right out of the fridge. Done.
This is the evolution of girl dinner → mom dinner (whatever your kids don’t eat) → menopause dinner. Gen X, you know what I’m talking about.
Protein boost: I’ve been adding cricket powder from Orchestra Provisions—sustainable, high-protein, and you can’t taste it in the porridge.
For my menopausal folks: This makes a great second breakfast. Eat eggs or something protein-heavy first thing in the morning, then have your parfait-style gruel around 9:30 or 10. Your blood sugar will thank you.
Need some crunch? If smooth textures are a struggle (mouth feel people, I see you), sling some granola on top. I’m a fan of Trader Joe’s gluten-free almond granola.
Zero-waste hack: Got a jam jar that’s almost done? Eat your gruel straight from the jar. You get the last of the good stuff, it’s already sweet, and fewer dishes. Using it all up.
The Challenge
Give your body a trial:
- Eat 1 tablespoon daily until this batch is gone
- Notice how you feel
- Report back!
Real Results: Robin’s Story
“After my third baby and first surgical birth, I had a lot of gut issues, including recurring, painful constipation. I tried more fluids, fiber, yogurt, exercise, and laxatives, but nothing worked.
My doctor prescribed a daily laxative for at least a month, but I hated doing that to my body. Getting desperate, I had decided to start that regimen when Rowan recommended prebiotic porridge.
After a week, there was noticeable improvement. After 2 weeks, it was like gastrointestinal magic!
I eat it every day now and won’t go back. My kids won’t eat it—they call it Mommy’s Birdseed. That’s right, it’s all mine.”
— Robin P.
Why “Fortifying Gruel”?
Years ago, I lived communally. A partner had disordered eating, and I discovered that making them porridge in the morning led to steadier, healthier eating all day.
I made big batches for the whole household. We were all broke. But I HATED oatmeal or anything with that consistency, so I called it “Fortifying Gruel.”
Pretty appetizing, right? Still had plenty of excited takers.
Why I’m Sharing This for Free
I don’t make money off this recipe. So what’s in it for me?
If one single person—especially a melanated person on Medicaid—doesn’t get messed around over borderline sugar readings or hypertension… if they have a healthier pregnancy, postpartum, and birth… then it’s worth it.
The Black maternal mortality and morbidity disparity is utter bullshit.
This is how I’m showing up: providing tools that pregnant people can use to change their outcomes for the better.
Fingers crossed.
References
- What is a Prebiotic? — Atlas Biomed
- Porridge and Mother Biome — Daily Mail
- Gut Flora and Pregnancy — Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine
- How Not to Diet by Dr. Michael Greger, pages 556-557
Pro tip: If you use the Daily Dozen app, you can knock 6-9 items off your list in one bowl.
Download This Guide
This is a free resource from Preggers Can Be Choosers LLC. Download, print, share.
More resources: Preggers.rocks
Work with Rowan: Book an appointment