What is the 30 vegetables a week app?

November 15, 2025 •

4 min read

Research from the American Gut Project suggests that consuming at least 30 different types of plants each week can lead to a more diverse and resilient gut microbiome. The 30 vegetables a week app is a digital tool designed to help users achieve this specific nutritional goal by tracking their intake of various plant-based foods. This simple yet powerful concept has gained popularity as a way to focus on dietary variety and improve overall well-being.

Quick Summary

The '30 plants a week' app is a tracker that helps users log their consumption of diverse plant-based foods, supporting a healthier gut microbiome. It encourages dietary variety beyond just vegetables by including fruits, nuts, seeds, and herbs. Several versions exist, including 'Thirty Plant Tracker' and 'Plant Points,' each with different features and user interfaces.

Key Points

Based on Science: The concept is rooted in research linking a diverse gut microbiome to consuming a wide variety of plant foods.
Encourages Diversity: It moves beyond the '5-a-day' rule by focusing on variety, not just quantity.
Tracks Progress: Users can easily log and monitor their intake of different plant-based ingredients.
Includes All Plant Foods: The count includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.
Supports Gut Health: By promoting diversity, the app indirectly helps feed beneficial gut bacteria.
Several App Options: There are multiple apps available, including 'Thirty Plant Tracker' and 'Plantversify', each with unique features.
Simplifies Healthy Eating: It gamifies the process of healthy eating and makes it less overwhelming.

The Science Behind the '30 Plants a Week' Challenge

The core of the '30 plants a week' concept is based on the idea of feeding the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is a complex community of trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes living in your digestive tract. A diverse microbiome is linked to a wide array of health benefits, including improved digestion, stronger immunity, and even better mental health.

Eating a wide variety of plant-based foods—not just vegetables—provides a broad spectrum of fibers and polyphenols, which are the primary food sources for these beneficial gut microbes. Different plants contain different types of fiber and nutrients, so consuming a diverse range helps support a diverse microbial community. The number 30 is a target, originating from findings that those who ate more than 30 different plants per week had a more diverse gut microbiome compared to those who ate fewer.

How the App Works: Tracking Your Plant Intake

Various apps have been developed to help users track their progress, moving beyond the simple concept of five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. While the names may vary (e.g., "Thirty Plants," "Plantversify"), the fundamental function is the same: providing an easy way to log and monitor your intake.

Key Features of a 30-a-Week Tracker

Extensive Database: Apps often include a vast list of hundreds of plant-based foods, from common vegetables and fruits to lesser-known legumes, grains, herbs, and spices.
Daily and Weekly Tracking: Users can log each new plant food they eat throughout the week. The app automatically counts the total and displays progress toward the 30-plant goal.
Insights and Analytics: Many apps provide metrics and summaries, allowing users to analyze their dietary habits and see patterns over time.
Meal Creation: To simplify logging, some versions allow you to group common ingredients into a custom 'meal' that can be added with a single tap.
Custom Plants: Users can often add unique or obscure plant foods that might not be in the default database.
Motivating Elements: Features like streaks, achievements, and reminders help keep users engaged and motivated to continue the challenge.

Comparison of Popular 30-a-Week Apps

Several apps are available to help you track your progress. While they share a core goal, they differ in features, design, and cost. Here is a comparison of some popular options based on user feedback and advertised features.


Feature	Thirty Plant Tracker	30 PLANTS: Eat Better	Plantversify: Gut Health
Availability	Web App (30plantstracker.com)	iOS App Store	iOS App Store
Tracking Method	Simple text entry and categories	AI-powered photo analysis	Text entry and custom meals
Key Motivators	Easy logging, progress insights	Reminders, streaks, achievements	Streaks, analysis, easy logging
Privacy	Not explicitly detailed	User data stored on device	Not explicitly detailed
User Complaints	Reportedly had issues with resetting weekly counts	Occasional reports of glitches	Some users desire more food suggestions
Cost	Not specified	Subscription model with free trial	Not specified

The Role of the App in Promoting Dietary Variety

The primary role of a 30 plants a week app is to gamify and simplify the process of diversifying your diet. Without a tracking tool, it can be easy to lose track of what you've eaten and fall back into repetitive eating patterns. The app provides a clear, numerical target that gives users a sense of accomplishment.

Furthermore, the app educates users on what counts as a plant food. This goes beyond the usual vegetables and fruits to include:

Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, beans
Whole Grains: Quinoa, oats, brown rice
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, chia seeds, pecans
Herbs and Spices: Basil, turmeric, cinnamon
Other Plant-based Foods: Olives, capers, avocados

By including these categories, the app encourages a more holistic view of plant-based eating and highlights the hidden diversity in many common recipes. For instance, a chili with multiple types of beans, tomatoes, onions, and spices can contribute several points to your weekly total. This reframing of how to think about meals can inspire more creative and health-conscious cooking.

Conclusion

The 30 vegetables a week app is an innovative tool that helps users translate the science of gut health into practical, daily actions. By simplifying the tracking of plant food intake, these applications encourage dietary diversity, which is a powerful strategy for improving the health and resilience of the gut microbiome. While not all apps are created equal and some user experience issues may arise, the core concept remains sound: a more varied plant intake is a simple, effective path to better overall health. The proliferation of these apps and the underlying research show that modern technology can play a significant role in helping people make healthier, more informed dietary choices.

For more information on the health benefits of dietary fiber, visit the NIH website: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5954204/.

Frequently Asked Questions

A 'plant' is defined broadly and includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and spices. The idea is to track distinct types, not just the volume of consumption.

While '5-a-day' is a good goal, the 30-plant challenge focuses specifically on diversity, which is crucial for nourishing a wide variety of gut microbes. Different plants contain different types of fiber and nutrients, benefiting your microbiome in distinct ways.

Yes, several apps exist, each with its own features. Popular examples include 'Thirty Plants,' 'Thirty Plant Tracker,' and 'Plantversify,' available on different platforms.

Yes, canned, frozen, dried, and fresh plant foods all count towards your goal, as long as they are distinct types. For example, fresh spinach and frozen spinach only count once.

Many of these apps include a feature to add your own custom plants, ensuring you can accurately track your intake of unique or lesser-known ingredients.

No, the challenge is not a dietary restriction but a goal for plant food variety. It can be integrated into any diet, including omnivorous ones, and is designed to increase plant diversity for better gut health.

The health benefits are tied to improving the gut microbiome and include better digestion, improved immunity, enhanced nutrient absorption, and potential links to improved mental health.

References

1
American Gut Project: Dietary diversity is associated with species richness of the gut microbiota