University of Illinois Researcher Shares Her Daily Gut-Healthy Breakfast Routine

Hannah Holscher, a registered dietitian and microbiome researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, says she begins each day with a fiber-rich breakfast to support gut health—an approach informed by her own research.

Holscher serves as Director of the university’s Nutrition and Human Microbiome Laboratory, where her team studies how microbes in the human body break down food components that human enzymes cannot digest. “I try to get my recommended amount of fiber every day, which is going to be right around 25 grams,” she told CNBC Make It in January.

Plate with toasts | Source: Pexels

Her typical morning meals include overnight oats made with rolled oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, milk, berries, and honey, as well as high-fiber cereal, or yogurt with granola. “I work really hard to try to prioritize consuming different plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes,” Holscher said.

Despite the benefits of dietary fiber, average fiber intake among U.S. adults remains low—between 10 and 15 grams per day—according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Plate of breakfast on the table | Source: Pexels

At her laboratory on the Urbana-Champaign campus, Holscher and her team analyze biological samples such as blood, stool, and urine, alongside large microbiome datasets, to guide nutritional strategies for improved health.