What Counts as a Plant for the 30 Plants a Week Challenge?

According to the American Gut Project, people eating 30+ different types of plants each week have a more diverse gut microbiome, which is linked to better overall health. This article explains what counts as a plant for the 30 plants a week challenge, including surprising items like coffee, dark chocolate, and extra virgin olive oil.

Quick Summary

The '30 plants a week' challenge promotes a diverse diet for gut health. This guide clarifies which foods count as plant points, including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. Learn how to properly track different varieties and minimally processed items to easily meet your weekly goal.

Key Points

• Categorize your intake: Plant points fall into six main groups: fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices.

• Variety is key: Each different type of plant counts only once per week. Different colours of the same vegetable, like red and yellow bell peppers, count as separate points.

• Look beyond the obvious: Surprising items like coffee, dark chocolate (≥70% cocoa), and extra virgin olive oil contribute points, though often in quarter increments.

• Avoid refined and processed: Heavily processed foods, such as white bread, white rice, and sugary juices, are excluded from the count.

• Embrace convenience: Use canned mixed beans and frozen mixed vegetables to easily boost your weekly variety in a budget-friendly way.

• Herbs add up: Adding different herbs and spices to your meals is an easy way to accumulate quarter points towards your total.

• Focus on minimally processed: The more whole and unprocessed a food is, the more likely it is to contribute valuable nutrients and count towards your goal.

Understanding the 30 Plants a Week Challenge

The 30 plants a week challenge is a popular and straightforward dietary goal based on the findings of the American Gut Project, which revealed a strong link between dietary diversity and a healthy, diverse gut microbiome. Rather than focusing on strict portion sizes, the challenge prioritizes variety. The core principle is that consuming a wide range of different plant species feeds the diverse community of bacteria in your gut, leading to significant health benefits. This guide breaks down what exactly qualifies as a plant point.

The Six Categories of Plant Points

To simplify tracking, most interpretations of the challenge categorize beneficial plants into six core groups. Understanding these categories is the first step to successfully diversifying your diet.

• Vegetables: This includes a vast array of fresh, frozen, tinned, and fermented vegetables. Different colors of the same vegetable often contain different beneficial compounds, so a red bell pepper counts separately from a yellow one. Examples include broccoli, carrots, spinach, onions, and bell peppers.
• Fruits: All fruits, from common apples and bananas to more exotic options like pomegranates and kiwi, contribute one plant point. As with vegetables, different colours of the same fruit, such as a green apple and a red apple, count as separate points.
• Wholegrains: Crucially, only wholegrains count towards your total, as they are minimally processed. This includes brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa, and wholegrain bread and pasta. White rice, white bread, and traditional pasta are excluded because their processing removes much of the beneficial fibre and nutrients.
• Legumes: Beans, peas, and lentils are excellent sources of fibre and are a key component of the 30-plant goal. A tin of mixed beans can be a budget-friendly and easy way to add several points at once. Chickpeas, kidney beans, and edamame are all examples.
• Nuts and Seeds: All nuts and seeds, including nut butters and milks, are eligible. A handful of mixed nuts can quickly add multiple points to your weekly total. Think almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
• Herbs and Spices: As they are consumed in smaller quantities, each different herb or spice typically counts as a quarter (0.25) of a plant point. This makes them an easy and flavorful way to increase your diversity. Common options include basil, oregano, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin.

Additional and Unexpected Plant Points

Beyond the six main categories, several other items also contribute to your weekly tally, much to the delight of coffee and chocolate lovers. These include:

• Coffee: Both instant and freshly ground coffee count, as they are derived from a plant's seed.
• Tea: Black, green, and herbal teas are derived from plants and contribute to your total.
• Dark Chocolate (≥70% cocoa): The cocoa bean, a seed, gives dark chocolate its point, provided it has at least 70% cocoa content.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Due to its high concentration of polyphenols and minimal processing, extra virgin olive oil is also counted.
• Tofu: A minimally processed product made from soybeans, tofu also counts as a plant point.

What Doesn't Count as a Plant Point?

The focus of the challenge is on whole and minimally processed plant foods. Items that have been refined or heavily processed, often losing much of their beneficial fibre and compounds in the process, do not count. Examples include:

• White Bread, Pasta, and Rice: These are refined grains and are excluded.
• Sugary Juices: Unlike whole fruit, these lack the beneficial fibre.
• Most Highly Processed Snacks: Chips and sweets, for instance.

Maximizing Your Plant Count: Strategies for Success

Reaching 30 plants a week can seem intimidating, but with a few simple strategies, it becomes a fun and achievable goal. The key is to think about variety at every meal.

• Start the Day Strong: Add a variety of fruits, nuts, and seeds to your breakfast. Oatmeal with berries, walnuts, and chia seeds is a great start.
• Boost Your Lunches: Incorporate mixed salad greens, various vegetables, and different types of legumes into your salads or sandwiches.
• Spice up Dinners: Use a range of herbs and spices in your curries, stir-fries, and sauces.
• Mindful Snacking: Choose mixed nuts and seeds over single-ingredient options. Try vegetable sticks with hummus for multiple points.
• Utilize Canned and Frozen Goods: Tinned mixed beans, frozen mixed vegetables, and frozen berries are convenient and budget-friendly ways to increase variety.

Comparison of Plant Point Values

This table summarizes how different plant types contribute to your weekly tally.

Plant Group	Point Value	Important Notes
Fruits and Vegetables	1 point per variety	Different colours (e.g., red/yellow peppers) count separately. Only counted once per week, regardless of how often consumed.
Wholegrains	1 point per variety	Only minimally processed whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice count. Refined grains like white flour products do not.
Legumes	1 point per variety	Includes beans, lentils, and peas. A mixed tin can provide multiple points at once.
Nuts and Seeds	1 point per variety	Each type of nut or seed contributes a point. Nut butters and milks also count.
Herbs, Spices, Tea, Coffee	0.25 points per variety	Counted as quarter points due to small consumption amounts.
Dark Chocolate (≥70%)	0.25 points (typical)	Considered a plant derivative, though moderation is key. Point value can vary slightly by interpretation.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	0.25 points	Counts due to its rich plant compound content.

Conclusion

Achieving 30 plants a week is an effective, evidence-based strategy for supporting gut health by promoting dietary diversity. The definition of what counts as a plant for the 30 plants challenge extends far beyond just fresh fruits and vegetables, encompassing wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. By being mindful of food choices and embracing a wider variety of minimally processed plant-based items, hitting this goal can become a sustainable and enjoyable part of your routine. Remember that different colours of the same fruit or vegetable count as separate points, and convenience foods like frozen mixes or canned legumes can be your best friend. By focusing on variety over volume, you can supercharge your gut health and overall wellbeing.

Boost your plant intake with inspiration from the BBC's article on the 'plant points' system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do different colours of the same fruit or vegetable count as separate plant points?

Yes, different colours of the same plant, such as red, green, and yellow bell peppers, or red and green apples, count as separate plant points because they contain different beneficial compounds.

Can I count the same plant more than once if I eat it multiple times in a week?

No, each plant variety is counted only once per week. So, if you eat a banana on Monday and again on Wednesday, it still only counts as a single plant point for that week.

Do coffee and tea count towards the 30 plants challenge?

Yes, coffee and tea are both plant derivatives and count towards the weekly goal. Due to the smaller quantities consumed, they typically count as a quarter of a point each.

Do canned and frozen vegetables and fruits count as plant points?

Yes, tinned, frozen, and dried fruits and vegetables are all minimally processed and count towards your 30 plants a week. They are a great way to add variety and reduce cost.

Are highly processed foods included, such as white bread or sugary fruit juices?

No, highly processed and refined foods do not count. This includes white bread, white rice, white pasta, and fruit juices that have been stripped of fibre.

How do herbs and spices contribute to my total?

Each different herb or spice, such as cinnamon, basil, or cumin, counts as a quarter (0.25) of a plant point, making them an excellent tool for boosting your weekly variety.

Can I use nut butter or almond milk for a plant point?

Yes, nuts, seeds, and minimally processed products derived from them, like nut butters and almond milk, are included in the count. You can even count them as separate points from the whole nut itself.