Do Potatoes Count as 30 Plants a Week? The Surprising Rules of Plant Diversity

November 1, 2025 •

3 min read

Research from the American Gut Project found that people who eat 30 or more different types of plants each week have a more diverse gut microbiome. This has led many to question the rules for counting, particularly for common staples like the humble potato: do potatoes count as 30 plants a week?

Quick Summary

This article clarifies how potatoes and their different varieties count toward the 30 plants a week goal, explaining the key focus on diversity over quantity for optimal gut health.

Key Points

Variety is Key: Eating 30 different plants, not a high volume of one type, is the goal for gut health.
Standard Potatoes Count: Both white and sweet potatoes count as one plant point, unlike the stricter 5-a-day rules.
Different Varieties Add Points: You can count different types of potatoes, like red, purple, and sweet, as separate plant points.
Preparation Matters: Cooking and then cooling potatoes increases beneficial resistant starch, which supports gut bacteria.
Expand Your Horizons: Go beyond potatoes by including wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and herbs for easy plant point accumulation.

Debunking the "30 Plants a Week" Challenge

The 30 plants a week challenge, championed by gut health experts, is a nutritional approach that shifts the focus from simply eating five-a-day to eating a wide variety of plant foods. The ultimate goal is to increase the diversity of your gut microbiome, which is linked to better overall health, improved immunity, and a lower risk of chronic disease. While the premise is simple—eat 30 different plants in seven days—the counting rules for certain foods can be confusing, particularly when it comes to potatoes.

The Potato's Place in Plant Diversity

Contrary to the stricter 5-a-day guidelines, where starchy vegetables are often excluded, potatoes absolutely count towards your weekly plant tally. However, a key principle of the challenge is variety. This means that if you eat a standard white potato on Monday, it counts as one plant. If you eat the same type of white potato on Tuesday, it does not add a new plant to your weekly total. The key lies in seeking out different types of potatoes and preparing them in different ways.

How to Maximize Your Potato Points

To increase your plant point count using potatoes, you need to diversify beyond a single russet or new potato. Here's how different potato types contribute:

White Potato: One point for the week. Opt for a nutrient boost by leaving the skin on for extra fiber and potassium. Cooking then cooling potatoes also increases resistant starch, which is excellent for feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
Sweet Potato: A distinct botanical family from white potatoes, sweet potatoes count as a separate plant point. They are rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A.
Purple Potatoes: These also count as a separate point due to their unique nutritional profile. Their vibrant color comes from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants beneficial for heart health.
Red Potatoes: With their own distinct nutrients, red potatoes can be counted as another plant variety.

Comparison Table: White Potatoes vs. Sweet Potatoes


Feature	White Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)	Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)
Botanical Family	Nightshade family	Morning glory family
Appearance	Typically beige, russet, red, or gold skin	Usually orange or purple flesh
Key Nutrients	High in Vitamin C, Potassium, and resistant starch (when cooled)	High in Vitamin A (beta-carotene), fiber, and antioxidants
Glycemic Index	Higher GI than sweet potatoes, leading to quicker blood sugar spikes	Lower GI, digested slower, leading to reduced blood sugar spikes
Count Towards 30?	Yes, count once per week unless a different colored variety is consumed	Yes, count as a separate plant from white potatoes

How to Achieve a Diverse Plate Beyond Potatoes

Reaching 30 plants a week is more achievable than you might think when you expand your view beyond just fruits and vegetables. The goal includes a wide range of plant-based foods, such as:

Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, and edamame all count as one point each. A three-bean mix is an easy way to add three points to a single meal.
Wholegrains: Switch from white rice and pasta to wholewheat options, brown rice, quinoa, barley, and oats.
Nuts and Seeds: A simple handful of mixed nuts or a sprinkle of mixed seeds can add multiple points at once. This includes almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds.
Herbs and Spices: These are an easy way to add variety. Each distinct herb or spice counts as a quarter of a plant point, so a curry with coriander, turmeric, and cumin adds a significant boost.
Frozen and Tinned: Using frozen bags of mixed vegetables or tinned legumes and tomatoes is a budget-friendly and waste-conscious way to hit your numbers.

Incorporating diversity is key. Don't eat the same single plant item repeatedly; instead, mix and match. For example, a single smoothie could contain multiple plant points from spinach, frozen berries, chia seeds, and almond milk.

Conclusion: Variety, Not Volume, is the Goal

So, do potatoes count as 30 plants a week? No, a single potato does not, but different varieties of potatoes—such as white, sweet, red, and purple—can each be counted separately towards the 30-plant weekly total. The core principle of the challenge is not about eating 30 potatoes, but about maximizing the variety of plant-based foods to nurture a diverse and healthy gut microbiome. By focusing on variety across all plant groups, you can easily and deliciously achieve the 30-plant goal and reap the associated health benefits.

For more great nutritional tips, check out this guide on plant points from the BBC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Each different variety of potato you consume in a week counts as one point. For example, eating a white potato counts as one point, and eating a sweet potato counts as another, separate point.

No, you only get one point per distinct plant type per week. Eating the same type of potato, such as a russet, multiple times during the week only counts as one point towards your total.

Yes, they are. Sweet potatoes belong to a different botanical family than white potatoes, so they count as two separate plant points for your weekly total.

Yes, different colors of potatoes, such as purple, red, and gold, contain different nutrients and can be counted as separate entries, just like different colored bell peppers.

While eating the skin is an excellent way to boost fiber and nutrients, it doesn't change the plant count. A peeled white potato and a white potato with the skin still count as the same single plant.

Make a mixed roast or salad featuring several types of potatoes, such as white, sweet, and purple. This will add multiple plant points from a single dish.

Some restrictive diets exclude potatoes due to their starchy content. However, the 30-plant challenge focuses on microbiome diversity, and potatoes, especially with their skins on and prepared to increase resistant starch, are a valuable part of that diversity.