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Gut Health Goal Cards: Practitioner Guide

About the resource

The Gut Health Goal Cards are a practitioner-led consultation resource designed to help clients turn gut-health education into one small, realistic and personally relevant action.

The resource covers six evidence-informed focus areas: fibre1, plant variety2, hydration3, regular meals4, bowel habits5 and lifestyle6. Each area includes three guided goals, an easier option and the ability to create a personalised goal.

The resource is informed by the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), which recognises that intention alone may not lead to behaviour change. 7 Clients are supported to move from intention to action by selecting a meaningful goal, deciding when and how they will complete it, identifying potential barriers, creating a backup plan and assessing their confidence.

The guided goals are starting points rather than prescriptive recommendations. Their suggested frequencies are intended to make the actions manageable and do not represent therapeutic doses established by research.

Click here to download The Gut Health Goal Cards.

Watch the video tutorial below:

How to use the resource

  1. Assess suitability: Consider the client’s symptoms, medical history, current intake, treatment plan, preferences and readiness for change.
  1. Introduce the activity: Explain – “This activity will help us choose small actions that feels useful and achievable for you. We can use one of the suggested goals or create our own.”
  1. Select up to three focus areas: Invite the client to choose the area most relevant to them, with guidance from the healthcare professional. Where possible, focus on up to three areas and goals at a time.
  1. Explore the guided goals: Review the three suggested goals. The client can:
    • Use a suggested goal
    • Make the goal easier
    • View another option
    • Create a personalised goal
  1. Personalise the action plan

Discuss:

    • What will you do?
    • When will you do it?
    • How often will you do it?

For example: “Drink more water” could become a “I will have a glass of water with lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

  1. Identify barriers and create a backup plan

Ask:

    • What could make this goal difficult?
    • What could you do instead?
    • What would make the goal easier?

Where appropriate, create an “if–then” plan:

“If I forget to bring my water bottle, then I will have a glass of water when I arrive at work.”

  1. Check confidence: Ask the client to rate their confidence from 1 to 10. If confidence is low, simplify the action, reduce its frequency or choose a more suitable goal.
  1. Capture the goal: Once the goal is confirmed, invite the client to take a photo or screenshot of the completed goal screen for future reference.
  1. Review at follow-up

Ask:

    • What went well?
    • What got in the way?
    • Did the backup plan help?
    • Would you like to continue, adjust or replace the goal?

Focus on learning and progress rather than perfect completion.

Note: This resource does not replace assessment, diagnosis or individualised treatment. Goals may need to be modified or avoided in the presence of gastrointestinal conditions, eating-disorder risk, fluid restrictions, fibre intolerance, swallowing difficulties, medications or other clinical considerations.

References:

  1. McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research.ASM.2018;3(3):e00031-18. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
  2. Fu J, Zheng Y, Gao Y, Xu W. Dietary Fiber Intake and Gut Microbiota in Human Health. Microorganisms. 2022;10(12):2507. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10122507
  3. Redondo N, Gheorghe A, Serrano R, et al. HYDRAGUT study: Influence of HYDRAtion status on the GUT microbiota and their impact on the immune system. FASEB Bioadv. 2015l;29(S1):593.1. doi:10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.593.1
  4. Bajaj P, Sharma M. Chrononutrition and Gut Health: Exploring the Relationship Between Meal Timing and the Gut Microbiome. Curr Nutr Rep. 2025;14(1):79. doi: 10.1007/s13668-025-00670-z
  5. Bowel health. Wa.gov.au2021. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Bowel-health
  6. Gao R, Tao Y, Zhou C, et al. Exercise Therapy in Patients with constipation: a Systematic Review and meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. 2019;54(2):169-177. doi:10.1080/00365521.2019.1568544
  7. Zhang CQ, Zhang R, Schwarzer R, Hagger MS. A meta-analysis of the health action process approach. Health Psychol. 2019;38(7):623-637. doi: 10.1037/hea0000728