Specific foods and nutrients can stimulate the production of GLP-1 in the body. With increased awareness of just what these foods are, you might experience benefits like reduced hunger, delayed gastric emptying and potentially a lower caloric intake. This GLP-1 boosting meal plan is packed with gut-friendly ingredients, protein and fiber-rich meals, and healthy snacks to support your body’s natural production of this hormone.
While GLP-1 medications have a longer half-life – meaning their effects last much longer than those from food – this meal plan can still support your body’s natural GLP-1 production without the need for injections.
While we are still learning about the relationship between diet and GLP-1 production, the research is growing – with supplements now being advertised to “boost GLP-1”. No need to waste your money, though, as most of the ingredients in these supplements are found in this meal plan!
If you’re interested in a GLP-1 booster, make sure to read my GLP-1 Booster Supplement Review.
The Best Foods to Boost GLP-1
A healthy, well-balanced diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables will support your body’s natural production of GLP-1. However, there are specific foods that can really give it a boost – specifically, in regards to foods that support a healthy gut microbiome.
Below is a brief overview of foods that increase GLP-1 production. For a more in-depth look, read How to Increase GLP-1 Production Without Medications.
Overview of Foods That Increase GLP-1 Production
- Well-balanced meals with protein + fiber + healthy fats. Meals that combine protein + fiber + fat result in stronger and longer-lasting GLP-1 secretion than carbs alone. Fiber plays a dual role by slowing down digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes. When it comes to increase GLP-1 production, the type of fiber and specific foods will make a significant difference (see below).
- Prebiotic and soluble fiber. Not all soluble fiber is prebiotic, but many prebiotics are soluble fibers. Some good food sources of fiber are oats, chicory root, garlic, onions, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, and resistant starches (see below).
- Polyphenol-rich foods like berries, apples, asparagus, dark chocolate, and walnuts.
- Foods that contain butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, like hard cheeses (Parmesan, pecorino), butter, full-fat yogurt, and fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi.
- Resistant starch helps improve the overall gut microbiome, including boosting Akkermansia muciniphila, which is linked to higher GLP-1 levels. Food sources of resistant starch are green bananas, cooked and cooled potatoes, cooked and cooled rice, lentils and beans.
Sample 4-Day Meal Plan
In this sample meal plan, you will see a lot of the foods I included on the top 10 list – like eggs and oats. This meal plan focuses on well-balanced meals with protein and fiber to increase satiety and slow down the digestion of our food along with gut-healthy ingredients that produce short-chain fatty acids that directly stimulate GLP-1 production.
This meal plan is meant to be used as inspiration with descriptions for each meal so that you can understand what foods to look for when meal planning. Day 4 focuses on resistant starches like underripe bananas and cooled rice.
Day 1
Breakfast (26.5 Grams of Protein)
Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bake. This savory breakfast quinoa bake is like if a frittata and baked oatmeal had a baby. It is delicious and packed with protein and fiber to keep you full all morning long! There are eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, and black beans all contributing to the protein content.
Top with avocado slices for some healthy fats and an extra fiber boost.
Lunch (16 Grams of Protein)
Spicy Tuna Salad (Get Inspired Everyday!). Easy to meal prep, these spicy tuna salad containers are light yet filling. Each serving has 16 grams of protein. Tuna is an oily fish that is an excellent source of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. Some research suggests it may increase GLP-1 production.
Dinner (40g of Protein and 8g of Fiber)
Feta Pasta with Garlic Yogurt. This dinner recipe comes together in just 30 minutes. Inspired by the viral TikTok Turkish pasta, this recipe has it all: it’s high in protein and fiber with prebiotic fiber sources garlic and onions plus probiotics from the yogurt sauce.
Plus, the artichokes provide a good source of the prebiotic fiber inulin.
Snacks
Cottage Cheese Crisps with Nutritional Yeast (35g protein for entire recipe, about 11 chips). Crispy chips made out of cottage cheese and nutritional yeast. These are so fun and delicious – dip them into whatever you like.
Day 2
Breakfast (36g protein & 13g fiber)
Lemon Berry Overnight Oats with Kefir. This recipe provides a good balance of both protein and fiber and is a significant source of probiotics from the kefir. Berries are a rich source of polyphenols, which indirectly stimulate GLP-1 production by helping to support Akkermansia Muciniphila – a beneficial gut microbe associated with improved metabolic health, reduced inflammation, and enhanced gut barrier integrity.
And, of course, this recipe includes oats – a good source of beta-glucans which also stimulates GLP-1 production.
Lunch
Raw Asparagus Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan (Alexandra’s Kitchen). Raw asparagus is considered a good source of prebiotic fiber and the parmesan cheese contains the short-chain fatty acid butyrate.
This simple salad comes together in about 20 minutes. Pair with a protein source, like chicken or fish, to increase meal satiety and satisfaction. Then, you have a filling meal that also supports a healthier gut!
Dinner
Wild Mushroom Barley Soup (Craving Something Healthy). Barley is another good source of beta-glucans, which may stimulate GLP-1 production. This soup is high in fiber but only contains 14 grams of protein. Add some meat or pair with a plant-based protein source to increase the protein content.
Snacks
One cup of shelled edamame (18 grams of protein). Seriously, edamame is one of the most nutritious yet high protein snacks! They’re packed with fiber, too.
Day 3
Breakfast (22g of Protein & 15g Fiber)
Chia Breakfast Bowl. A super simple breakfast bowl consisting of Greek yogurt, chia seeds, mixed berries and chopped nuts. It has that perfect balance of protein and fiber for meal satiety with live, active cultures from the yogurt. Plus, polyphenols from the fruit and healthy fats from the nuts!
Lunch (30g of Protein & 6g fiber)
Mediterranean Chicken, Cucumber and Tomato Salad. With lean protein from the chicken and fiber from the chickpeas, this fresh and helathy salad is light but filling. It comes together quickly if using leftover chicken for an easy lunch.
Avocado is also one of the highest fiber sources of produce. Then, the chopped walnuts provide some healthy fats.
Dinner (27 Grams of Protein)
Apple and Brie Stuffed Chicken Breast (Haute and Healthy Living). An elegant yet super easy stuffed chicken breast with apples and brie cheese. Serve it with a salad for some added fiber.
Apples are a good source of pectin, which is a good source of soluble fiber. Consuming foods with soluble fiber creates short chain fatty acids like butyrate, which directly increases GLP-1 production.
Snacks
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Collagen Smoothie. Dark chocolate (70% cacao) is rich in polyphenols. This smoothie is high in protein from the protein powder with fiber since it is naturally sweetened with dates! Plus, it tastes amazing with the classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter.
Day 4
Breakfast (39g protein & 5g fiber)
Peanut Paradise Tropical Smoothie (PCOS Nutritionist Alyssa). A copycat recipe from Tropical Smoothie Cafe. The trick here is to use a green or underripe banana. Green or underripe bananas contain resistant starch that feeds gut bacteria and creates short-chain fatty acids, stimulating GLP-1. If that sounds very unappealing, “hiding” the taste in smoothie helps!
Lunch
Vegan Fajita Bowls with Tempeh (Melissa Traub). Tempeh provides a fermented protein and is combined with a variety of vegetables to increase the fiber content. Serve it over cooled brown rice which creates resistant starch.
Beneficial microbes in the colon ferment the resistant starch. Short-chain fatty acids are produced and GLP-1 production is then stimulated!
Dinner (33g protein and 6.5g fiber)
Chicken Lentil Curry (The Healthy Epicurean). Tender, juicy chicken and lentils are combined in a coconut milk broth with tomatoes, lime, cilnatro, turmeric, garlic and ginger. Lentils are packed with resistant starch and fiber. Serve over rice or preferred grain!
Snacks
S’mores Protein Greek Yogurt Pudding. A s’mores-inspired elevated Greek yogurt that tastes more like a pudding. It’s high in protein plus contains probiotics from the yogurt to support the gut microbiome.
A 1/4 cup of kimchi, which is a fermented food that provides live, active cultures to help improve the composition of our gut microbiome. Cooking kimchi may destroy the good bacteria so it is best to eat it cold!
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