Rinse the vegetables. Keep the crunch.

Fresh vegetables do not need to arrive with a promise to repair your gut. A cucumber can be welcome because it is crisp. A carrot can make a bowl more interesting because it needs a little chewing.

The preparation can stay ordinary too.

Start at the sink

Wash your hands before preparing produce. Rinse vegetables under plain running water, including before peeling them. FDA guidance recommends rubbing the surface gently, using a clean brush for firm produce, and drying with a clean towel. Soap or a special produce wash is not required. [1]

Leaving soil on food is not a recommended way to collect beneficial microbes. The same guidance explains that soil, water and handling can introduce contamination. Washing reduces risk; it does not make raw food sterile. [1]

Make something you want to eat

For a simple side, try thin pieces of washed cucumber and carrot with a little lime juice and chopped coriander. Add them alongside rice and tofu, or serve them with a meal you already make.

This is an untested serving idea, with no measured yield or nutritional calculation. Adjust the flavour to your preference rather than to an imagined dose for your microbiome.

There is genuine research into food and gut microbes. That does not establish deliberately dirty vegetables as a treatment.

A fresh side can have a straightforward job: bring texture and flavour to dinner.

Sources, evidence and limits

Evidence basis: FDA fresh-produce safety guidance read in full. The original’s advice to retain soil organisms is not a tested health intervention here. No clinical study of the proposed side dish was reviewed.

Least certain: Contamination in a particular item and individual tolerance; washing cannot establish zero risk.

Contrary evidence and context: Microbiome research is legitimate, but a potential benefit from specific microbes does not establish safety or benefit of consuming soil. Raw food may be unsuitable in some clinical contexts.

What would change the conclusion: A recall, clinical food-safety restriction or unsafe water source changes what is appropriate. Follow product and local safety instructions.

Reading behind this piece

• FDA — Cleaning fruits and vegetables (full guidance read)

Topic inspiration: 7 Foods You Didn’t Know Could Heal Your Gut — Dr. Josh Axe, 2016-05-22. Full archived article body read, including the ending; not a newsletter-only reading.

Original wording for Everyday. A focused evidence check, not a systematic review.