Back in 2018, results were published from the American Gut Project, a collaboration of 10,000 participants and researchers from the US, UK and Australia. Those who took part would send in their poop to be evaluated in a lab and it was found that those who ate 30 or more plants a week had the healthiest gut microbiome.
Since that study, there’s been even more research detailing the importance of having a healthy gut microbiome. In each of our guts live trillions of tiny bacteria that when fed the stuff they like can help protect us from disease, aid digestion and improve our moods.
From the moment we’re born we’re exposed to trillions of microbes, some nice and some not so nice but it is becoming more and more apparent that the ones that live in our guts play a vital role in our overall health, hence, it seems important we feed them with the real, whole foods they like. In return, they’ll produce the good kind of chemicals that make us feel good and bolster our immune systems.
In recent years, I’ve tried to make sure that I make a habit of including more fruits and vegetables in my diet, something that I’m sure helped me to lose weight. But when I first heard about the instructions to “eat 30 plants a week”, I wondered how hard that really would be. After all, 30 seems like quite a large number on the surface.
However, after listening to Professor Tim Spector (the scientist who led the UK branch of the said study and founder of Zoe) on a podcast last year, I realised that it wouldn’t be as difficult as I initially thought. In fact, I was probably getting at least 30 plants in my diet each week already without even realising it.
And the good news is, it really isn’t difficult if you’re a bit prepared.
What counts when you eat 30 plants a week?
You’re probably wondering what counts as 30 plants a week so here’s an overview of what can count towards that number.
Vegetables
All kinds of vegetables can be eaten to help you reach your target or eating 30 plants a week. Of course, some will pack more nutrients than others but it’s a good idea to have a wide variety because different foods will encourage a wide variety of good bacteria in your gut.
Vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, kale, cabbage, garlic and ginger, to name a few.
Fruits
Fruits are also another food group to get you to that magic number. The thing I love about fruit is how easy and convenient it is to eat. Whether it’s grabbing a satsuma or a banana, you can always chuck some fruit into your lunch box. Again, eating a wide variety of fruits is a good idea.
Fruits include bananas, oranges, watermelon, grapes, kiwi, strawberries and blackberries.
Legumes
Legumes are one of my favourite ways to add more plants to my diet. Not only are they filling but they are packed with amazing vitamins and minerals. Legumes are also an easy thing to eat because you can simply buy a few cans of different beans and add them to many dishes.
Legumes include foods like broad beans, black beans, chickpeas, butter beans, broad beans, green beans, peas and lentils.
Wholegrains
Whole grains are unrefined and also pack a lot of vitamins and minerals. They’re also a great way to eat 30 days a week.
Wholegrains include wholewheat bread, quinoa, rye, oats and brown rice.
Nuts & seeds
Nuts and seeds also count towards eating 30 plants a week and are a really easy thing to add to many dishes including desserts. I like adding nuts to most of the dishes I eat because they are generally inexpensive.
Nuts and seeds include Brazil nuts, peanuts, cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, chia seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds.
Herbs & spices
Herbs and spices are also really easy to add to almost every dish you cook and they also count towards your 30 plants a week quota. They’re generally cheap and in most cases last a long time in your pantry.
These include; rosemary, oragano, tarragon, basil, sage, black pepper, white pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika and ginger.
Essentially, you can count any natural plant ingredient in your 30 plants a week goal. In fact, the more the better! (as explained by the experts). And if you can get a good variety of colours across all your fruits and veggies you’ll be doing a good job and encouraging a whole array of good bacteria to grow in your tummy.
It’s also worth noting that things like dark chocolate count (but it should have a high cocoa %), popcorn and coffee. But again, these foods need to be minimally processed so unfortunately toffee popcorn is off the menu! When it comes to adding 30 plant foods into your diet a week, get foods as close to their original natural state as possible.
My best tips for getting 30 plants into your week
One of the biggest game-changers for me was when I started to look at my lunches differently (and no doubt contributed to me getting back in shape). For years I would eat a typical lunch that consisted of a cheese/ham sandwich, potato chips and a chocolate bar. No plants! The bread would usually be white or refined so I was not picking up any plant points there.
So I started to view my lunches as dinners. It’s not weird to eat vegetables at dinner time so why is it weird to eat them at lunchtime? I began to design lunches that resembled dinners and my plant food intake skyrocketed. This helped to stabilise my energy levels and encouraged me to eat healthy foods throughout the day.
If you want a way to eat more plants each day, give this a try. Ditch the processed junk and eat whole foods at lunch as well as dinner. Admittedly, it takes more time to cook these lunches but it doesn’t take as long as you think. You can even batch-cook 2 or 3 lunch tubs on a Sunday evening to make your life easier.
Another tip you may find useful is buying a bunch of seeds and mixing them up in a tub so you can use them to sprinkle over different meals. This way you’re getting a variety of different minerals from different seeds on a frequent basis. To do this, grab some chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds and hemp seeds. Mix them into a Tupperware dish, and store them in your pantry. You can then sprinkle them over meals including desserts.
This can also be done with nuts. If you have a food processor, chuck a bunch of different nuts in and blend away. You’ll have a nicely grounded dust you can add to almost any dish to bolster it or to add flavour. It’ll also last a long time in your pantry so you won’t have to shell out too much too often in the pursuit of eating 30 plants a week.
Another tip that has helped me to get more plants into my diet is buying frozen fruit instead of only fresh. It lasts much longer than the fresh stuff and isn’t expensive. This is especially great when it comes to berries. They can be added to yoghurt for a quick nutritious meal.
This is also true for vegetables. You can buy frozen mixed veg or everyday bags of peas, spinach and broccoli, all veggies that go with many dishes. As your meal bubbles, sprinkle them in.
Find interesting ways to cook “boring foods”. I’ll admit, I’m quite happy to eat the same foods over and over again but I appreciate that’s not the case for everyone. That’s why I think it’s a good idea to research some different ways to cook everyday foods. For example, you could use your food processor to create cauliflower rice instead of using white or wholemeal rice. Or perhaps you could create your own homemade pesto with fresh basil, olive oil, pine nuts, Italian cheese and olive oil. This way you can merge a bunch of plant foods into one.
Meal examples for eating 30 plants a week
So what does eating 30 plants a week actually look like in practice? Below are some of my meal examples across each day to give you an idea of how you can start to sprinkle a variety of plant food throughout your week. You’ll see that it’s actually quite easy to reach that target when you load up on veggies at lunchtime as well as dinner time.
Use your herbs and spices generously and you’ll be off to the races!
Note: my diet includes meat but you could swap the meat out for even more plants.
Monday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: Bowl of Greek yoghurt with raspberries sprinkled with seeds of your choice. One satsuma on the side.
Lunch: Minced beef, diced carrots, broccoli, peas, garlic, ginger, red pepper, red onion, paprika and tomato sauce. Block of 80% dark chocolate.
Snack if needed: A handful of cashew nuts.
Dinner: 2x turkey burgers with lettuce and tomatoes in wholegrain buns.
Monday total: 18 x plants.
Tuesday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: Bowl of Greek yoghurt with blueberries sprinkled with seeds mix and a banana on the side. 2 x blocks of dark chocolate.
Lunch: Diced chicken breasts covered in rosemary and garlic seasoning, garlic, ginger, diced red onions, peas, broccoli, black pepper and hoisin sauce.
Snack if needed: A handful of cashew nuts.
Dinner: Minced turkey with paprika and cumin seed seasoning, garlic, ginger, a half tin of black beans (saving another half for Tuesday’s lunch), broccoli, peas and spinach served with wholewheat rice and one boiled egg sliced in half.
Tuesday total: 22 x plants
Wednesday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: Bowl of Greek yoghurt with frozen raspberries and 2 x blocks of dark chocolate.
Lunch: (left-overs from Tuesday’s dinner) Minced turkey with paprika and cumin seed seasoning, garlic, ginger, a half tin of black beans, broccoli, peas and spinach.
Snack if needed: A handful of cashew nuts.
Dinner: Home-made pizza with a gluten-free base. Tomato paste, grated cheese, oregano, basil, sliced tomatoes, sliced chestnut mushrooms and chopped pineapple.
Wednesday total: 18 plants
Thursday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: Bowl of Greek yoghurt with frozen raspberries and a satsuma. One more black coffee.
Lunch: Chicken breast seasoned with cumin seeds, turmeric, rosemary and a dash of black pepper. Chopped celery, kidney beans, diced carrots, tomato sauce with paprika, peas, garlic and ginger.
Snack if needed: A handful of cashew nuts.
Dinner: Turkey bolognese made with minced turkey, tomato paste, tomato passata, veg stock cube, oregano, basil, rosemary, garlic, celery, carrots, red pepper, and red onion served with wholegrain pasta.
Thursday total: 28 x plants
Friday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: Bowl of Greek yoghurt with frozen blueberries and a sprinkle of seeds mix. 2 x blocks of dark chocolate.
Lunch: Chicken breast salad with chickpeas, cumin and garlic, sliced cucumber, tomatoes, mayo, lettuce and nut mix.
Snack if needed: Banana.
Dinner: Chinese takeout with beef and mixed vegetables.
Friday total: x 13 plants
Saturday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: Black Coffee.
Lunch: Greek yoghurt with raspberries. Handful of nuts.
Dinner: Chicken curry made with cumin seeds, turmeric, passata, curry powder, garlic, ginger, peas, cauliflower and wholegrain rice.
Saturday total: 12 x plants
Sunday
Early morning: Black coffee.
Breakfast: 2 x fried eggs and avocado. Black coffee.
Lunch: Wholegrain pasta with tuna.
Dinner: Chicken, carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, garlic, rosemary, black pepper.
Sunday total: 13 x plants
So, over a typical week, I eat around 124 plants.
That’s obviously quite a lot but you don’t have to go that extreme if you don’t want to. You could simply aim for 5 fruits and vegetables a day over the week. However, that is quite a minimum, but if you don’t eat many plant foods at all at the moment, it’s a good place to start.
It’s important to note that whilst the study was across a large body of people, everyone is different which means everyone’s gut is different. But I don’t think it can hurt to add more plants into your diet if not for the fact you’ll be replacing ultra-processed foods.
My main takeaway from trying to eat 30 plants a week
Eating 30 plants a week can be very easy when spread across the whole seven days but my main takeaway from the 2018 study would be that the focus really comes down to eating natural, unprocessed foods that your gut recognises and enjoys. If you do this, you’ll naturally be eating more plants.
My own experience with eating more plants over a week has been positive. My mood seems to have improved along with my waistline. So why not give it a go? you might find you’re less bloated and feel more comfortable after meals. You might even lose a little weight if that’s your goal!
Over to you
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