If you believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you've probably given some thought to the best thing to eat when you wake up. For example, you may choose oatmeal or berries to speed up your metabolism, or you might stick with Mediterranean diet foods like Greek yogurt and almonds to keep your heart healthy. But the latest breakfast trend making the rounds on social media is just three ingredients and promotes better gut health—and it's doctor-approved.
RELATED: 5 Gut-Healthy Foods a Gastroenterologist Eats Every Day.
The kiwi breakfast is going viral.
Last year, healthy eating influencer Emily Mariko posted a video of herself preparing a breakfast with three ingredients: sliced kiwi, greek yogurt, and lime. Despite having no voice-over and no captions, the video received 6.9 million views, with many of her followers speculating that it was a constipation hack.
Now, as we gear up for New Year's resolution season, it seems the video is having a resurgence, with one gastroenterologist weighing in on the simple recipe.
Kiwi fruit are known for their gut health benefits.
This certainly isn't the first time we've heard about the gut health benefits of kiwi fruit.
In a video posted in May, gastroenterologist Joseph Salhab, MD, shared the top five fruits to treat constipation, with kiwi fruit coming in at number one. Salhab previously explained that he eats two kiwi fruit every morning.
"It packs a whole ton of fiber and vitamin C and digestive enzymes," he said, likening the fruit to prunes or figs for its constipation-fighting abilities.
A 2023 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG) found that people suffering from constipation who ate two kiwi fruits a day experienced an improvement in their bowel movements. Moreover, the kiwi fruit led to "improvements in abdominal comfort," including less straining and better stool form.
RELATED: 7 Best Supplements for Gut Health, According to Doctors.
Here's how to prepare the breakfast.
In her video, Mariko first peels the skin off of the kiwis. (If you can, you might want to leave the skin on. As Salhab notes, it provides nearly 50 percent more fiber.)
She then slices five kiwis and arranges them flat on a plate. Next, she squeezes fresh lime juice over the kiwi and adds a dollop of Greek yogurt in the middle of the plate.
In his version, Salhab slices just two kiwis (it is possible to consume too much fiber). He also opts for vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt with probiotics and then drizzles honey over top for a little extra sweetness.
"Just so good, everything went really well together," Salhab shares.
@thestomachdoc Duet with @Emily Mariko Kiwi, lime, fiber, probiotics, and honey come together in this healthy breakfast #constipation #ibs #guthealth #kiwi #probiotics #metabolichealth
If you don't like kiwi...
If you're not a fan of kiwi fruit or if you're allergic, Salhab suggests making a similar breakfast plate with apples, pears, or dragonfruit.
He previously said of dragonfruit, "It's a natural prebiotic, so it helps the good bacteria in your gut flourish and thrive, but it packs a big punch." And of apples, "The pectin content of apples has been shown to relieve constipation by increasing the speed of the colon."
Finally, he noted that pears contain sorbitol, "which is a natural sugar alcohol and it's a natural laxative."
Papaya is another option. The gastroenterologist has recommended it for gut health because it "packs a lot of fiber and has digestive enzymes in it to help with acid reflux and to help with bloating."
