Demystifying the '30 Plants a Week' Challenge
The concept of consuming a wide variety of plant-based foods has gained significant traction in health and wellness circles. Originating from findings by the American Gut Project in 2018, the challenge highlights the crucial link between dietary diversity and a healthy gut microbiome. While the initial focus was on eating 30 plants over seven days, the query 'what counts as 30 plants a day' points to a common misconception. The real goal is to diversify your diet throughout the week, feeding a wider range of beneficial bacteria in your gut. This approach encourages focusing on adding different plant types rather than just consuming larger quantities of a few, which is a powerful and achievable health strategy.
What Exactly Counts Towards Your 30 Plants?
The good news is that the definition of a 'plant' in this context is broad and includes more than just fruits and vegetables. Many foods you already eat can contribute to your weekly tally. Here is a breakdown of the categories that count:
- Fruits: All varieties of fruits, fresh, frozen, or dried, contribute. Different colors of the same fruit, like a red and a green apple, can be counted separately for a more diverse profile.
- Vegetables: This category includes everything from leafy greens and root vegetables to alliums and seaweeds. Fresh, frozen, tinned, and even pickled vegetables like olives and gherkins count.
- Whole Grains: Swap refined grains for whole-grain options like oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet, farro, and bulgur wheat.
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and pulses are excellent sources of fiber and nutrients. A three-bean mix can give you multiple points in one go.
- Nuts and Seeds: A variety of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) and seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin) are easy to sprinkle onto meals or eat as snacks.
- Herbs and Spices: Don't underestimate these flavor enhancers! Fresh or dried herbs and spices, such as basil, oregano, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger, each count as a quarter of a point towards your total.
- Other Surprising Additions: Coffee, tea, and dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) also contain beneficial plant compounds and count as a quarter of a point.
Practical Strategies for Hitting Your Weekly Target
Reaching 30 plants a week doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Small, mindful changes can make a big difference.
- Meal Prep with Variety: When cooking, add a few extra vegetables or a handful of different herbs. A simple soup or stir-fry can easily contain over five plant points.
- Diversify Your Snacking: Instead of eating the same snack daily, swap it for a different fruit, a small handful of mixed nuts, or veggie sticks with hummus.
- Embrace Frozen and Tinned: Frozen mixed berries for your morning oats or tinned mixed beans for a chili are easy, affordable ways to increase variety without worrying about spoilage.
- Make Your Sauces: Enhance homemade pasta sauces by adding grated carrots, zucchini, and a medley of herbs like basil and oregano.
5-a-Day vs. 30 Plants a Week: A Comparison
| Feature | 5-a-Day (UK Recommendation) | 30 Plants a Week Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Quantity and minimum portion size (at least five 80g portions of fruit and veg daily). | Diversity and variety of plant types, regardless of portion size. |
| What Counts? | Fresh, frozen, tinned, or dried fruit and veg. Restricted categories (e.g., beans/pulses count only once) and no potatoes. | A much broader range including fruits, veg, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, coffee, and dark chocolate. |
| Tracking Method | Monitoring portion sizes of specific food groups per day. | Tallying the number of unique plant types consumed over a seven-day period. |
| Primary Goal | Ensuring adequate intake of fruits and vegetables for key nutrients and fiber. | Maximizing the diversity of the gut microbiome to improve overall health. |
| Benefit Focus | General health improvements, chronic disease risk reduction. | Stronger emphasis on gut health, resilience, and function. |
A Sample Meal Plan
Here’s how a diverse week could look, easily tallying up your points:
- Breakfast: Rolled oats, almond milk, banana, blueberries, chia seeds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon (6 points)
- Lunch: A large salad with mixed greens, rocket, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, mixed nuts, sunflower seeds, and a dressing made with lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs like dill and parsley (11+ points)
- Dinner: Chicken chili with kidney beans, black beans, tinned tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onion, and spices like cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Served with brown rice and topped with fresh coriander (10+ points)
- Snacks: A handful of mixed nuts and seeds (1-3 points), an apple (1 point), and a cup of green tea (1/4 point)
As this example shows, it’s not difficult to rack up a high count without dramatically changing your entire diet. You can reach your target without counting out 30 separate items every single day; the challenge is about consistency and adding variety over the full week. For more insight into the microbiome, read about the original research here.
Conclusion: The Power of Plant Diversity
Ultimately, the goal is not to fret over the precise number but to recognize that a diverse diet fuels a more resilient and balanced gut microbiome, contributing to better overall health. The concept of 'what counts as 30 plants a day' is a misnomer, but the underlying principle of seeking variety across your week's meals is a robust strategy for enhancing your diet. By consciously including a wider range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and even herbs and spices, you are providing your gut bacteria with the diverse fuel they need to thrive. Start small by introducing one or two new plant foods each week, and you’ll find the process is both simple and highly rewarding for your health.
