We’ve all heard we should eat 5-a-day, meaning we should get at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. But have you heard of 30 plants a week? Keep reading to find out more!

Why 30 plants a week?

Eating more plants - not only fruit and vegetables but also wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds - has many health benefits, including but not limited to reduced risk of certain diseases and improved gut health.

So why 30? This isn’t a random number, it’s actually based on a study by the American Gut Project where they found that people who ate 30 - or more - different types of plants each week have a more diverse gut microbiome compared to those who ate 10 plants or less.

Our gut microbiome is all the micro-organisms - a.k.a microbiota or microbes - that live in our digestive tract and work harmoniously to keep us healthy. A happy and diverse gut microbiome has been shown to support digestion & immunity, regulate hormones, reduce inflammation, balance our blood sugar, and help prevent certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

So the more diverse plant foods we eat, the more diverse our gut microbiome is, and the more health benefits we get.

How does it work & what counts?

All plants count - fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes (beans & pulses), nuts & seeds, herbs & spices.

The concept is simple: add the plant points to get 30 different plants a week.

Each different type of plant counts as 1 plant point, while herbs and spices count as one-quarter (1/4) plant point:

• Fruit & vegetables - all fruit & vegetables count, including potatoes. Each variety can count as one separate point.

• Legumes - lentils, chickpeas, and all the different kinds of beans count.

• Wholegrains - oats, buckwheat, millet, rye, wheat, quinoa, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, and wholemeal bread count. However, white pasta, rice and bread don’t count as they have undergone processing to remove the wholegrain which strips them of many nutritional benefits.

• Nuts and seeds - all nuts & seeds count like almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, flaxseeds, and chia seeds.

• Herbs & spices - paprika, coriander, cumin, chilli, or parsley count for 1/4 plant point. We tend to eat these in small amounts, so each is only worth a quarter of a plant point.

Each item only counts once in the week, meaning if we eat 2 apples during the week, it will only count as 1 plant point that week, the key is variety.

Tips to add more plants and hit that 30 target!

Eating 30 different types of plant food a week might sound like a challenge. However, when we take into account that it’s around 4-5 plants a day and wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices count too, it may actually be easier than we think. 

Here are a few tips to get started:

1. Start slowly & go gradually - completely changing our diet overnight doesn’t tend to work, so before making any changes it’s best to check how many plants we are already eating. From there, aim to add an additional 5 plant points each week until reaching 30.

2. Stay hydrated - adding a variety of plant foods means we are adding more fibre, which is great but can also lead to increased gas production and bloating. Make sure to stay hydrated as this will boost digestion and minimise bloating.

3. Add to meals - think of what can be added to meals, like fruits on porridge, mixed seeds in salads, nuts for snacks, and beans, lentils or chickpeas to soups, stews or curries - these are just a few examples.

4. Frozen, dried & tinned fruits and vegetables - all of these count towards plant points. They are a great way to have nourishing foods at hand while avoiding food waste.

5. Simple swaps - make some simple swaps like getting a bag of mixed salad leaves instead of just one type of salad, using beans or lentils instead of meat in certain dishes, or going for different colours of the same veg - bell peppers of different colours count as a plant point each.

What’s the take-home?

1. Eating more plants has many health benefits and aiming for 30 plants a week really helps diversify our gut microbiome.

2. Different types of plants count as 1 plant point, while herbs & spices count as one-quarter plant point. Each item only counts once in the week.

3. There are many ways in which we can add more plants to our diet, the key is diversity.

Check out these other Nutrition & Lifestyle posts…

References

1. McDonald, D., et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. mSystems, 2018. 3(3), e00031-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00031-18

2. World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). Could you eat 30 plant-based foods each week? Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.wcrf-uk.org/our-blog/could-you-eat-30-plant-based-foods-each-week/ 

3. MyNutriWeb. Eating to improve gut health - do we need to eat 30 plant foods per week? Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://mynutriweb.com/eating-to-improve-gut-health-do-we-need-to-eat-30-plant-foods-per-week/