A 2018 study of thousands of people found that those who ate a wide variety of plant foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, had a more diverse gut microbiome. And that's great news because a diverse gut bacteria positively influences various aspects of our wellbeing and health, including a stronger immune response (70% of the immune system resides in the gut), better digestion, improved metabolic and brain function, and healthier ageing.
As a result of this study, a new approach to diet and eating habits has developed. Instead of simply recommending ‘five a day,’ the focus has shifted to consuming ‘30 plants a week’, whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a meat eater.
If 30 sounds overwhelming, don’t worry! There are six groups to choose from: fruits, veggies, whole grains (like brown rice, oats, wheat and quinoa), legumes (such as lentils, chickpeas and beans), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices. Tea, coffee, and dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa solids or more) count too since they come from plants.
Different colours of the same fruit or vegetable are each worth separate points – think orange and yellow peppers, and green and red apples. This is due to the different chemicals and varied amounts of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients found in different coloured plants.
When it comes to counting points, keep in mind that certain foods like herbs, spices, tea, coffee, garlic and olive oil only count for ¼ point each. Plus, eating the same thing multiple times in a week won't earn you extra points. So, if you have a banana one day, eating another the next day won't count. Overly processed foods like cakes, white bread, pasta and rice, and fruit juice, don’t count since the fibre has been removed.
Here are some tips to boost your plant diversity:
- Choose mixed salad leaves rather than just lettuce. This can take you from 1 to up to 8 plant points.
- Healthy snacking: Go for a mixed bag of nuts and dried fruit, or homemade flapjacks made by combining seeds and dried fruit in with the oats, veggies and a dip, or a mixed fruit salad.
- Add more nutrition and flavour to your main meals by sprinkling nuts, seeds and dried fruits over vegetables, salads, or breakfasts. For example, if you have porridge for breakfast (1 point), slicing up a banana and sprinkling it with nuts, seeds and cinnamon adds another 3 ¼ extra plant points!
- Replace white rice, pasta, and bread with wholegrain versions.
- Mix things up by incorporating various colours of the same vegetable. Instead of three red peppers, consider buying a combination of red, yellow, and green peppers.
- Try gluten-free pastas, such as red lentil, buckwheat and chickpea.
- If you're short on time, consider products like frozen mixed vegetables or berries and tins of mixed beans or fruit (check they don’t contain added salt or sugar), they all count.
- Add a variety of beans and lentils to your dishes, either instead of meat or with it. Puy lentils work great in a Bolognese or chickpeas in a curry.
- Encourage the whole family to join in - the kids will love counting the plant points in each meal.
By following these simple guidelines, you'll be surprised how quickly you can reach 30 points for the week! Eating whole foods not only improves our health but also adds natural flavour to our meals. The fibre in these foods also helps us feel fuller, which can lead to eating less overall. A diet rich in colourful, whole foods has always been important, and the new guideline of '30 plants a week' only strengthens this timeless message.