How to Eat 30 Plants in One Week — Wholesome Health (2024)

FAQs

What counts as 30 plant foods a week? ›

If 30 sounds like a lot, you'll be pleased to hear: It's not just fruits and veggies that count. You can include grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices, too. Studies still suggest that eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day can have a significant positive impact on your long-term health.

The lentil salad I shared last week, for example, counts as 5 plants, and something simple like overnight oats with fruit and peanut butter can easily count as 6. We all get stuck eating the same meals over and over, though, so here are some tips for how to diversify and reach that 30…

Description. You can record your 30-plants-a-week with the use of the app for improved health and wellbeing. Top tips include thinking of diversity, different coloured plant-based foods, eating seasonally, vegetable and fruit mixes, mixed beans, mixed seeds – you get the idea!

Different coloured fruit and vegetables (such as red and green apples) count as a new point. Fresh, dried, canned and frozen plants all count (always aim for no-added salt and sugar) Extra virgin olive oil, tea and coffee, garlic count as ¼ point (like herbs and spices) Vegetable stock counts as 1/2 point.

Relatively simple processed foods like popcorn count, but if the food has more than a handful of recognizable ingredients, it probably doesn't count; nor do any juices.

Choosing whole plant-based snacks over highly processed snacks can be an easy way to boost your plant points. Some favourite plant snacks include veggie sticks with dip, sliced fruit with peanut butter, edamame, roasted chickpeas, and nuts.

Beneficial plants are generally categorised into six groups: wholegrains (like brown rice, oats, barley and quinoa) vegetables, fruit, legumes (think lentils, chickpeas and beans), nuts and seeds and herbs and spices. All of those will count towards your quota.

2. Coffee counts. Coffee beans are also seeds. So, your morning coffee counts as a plant, too.

piece of fruit or seeded crackers with some hummus and sliced veggie sticks. WHAT COUNTS AS A PLANT FOOD? If the food comes from a plant and is minimally processed, it counts!

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries are all loaded with nutrients and taste delicious. Better still, they contain plant polyphenols. These offer many benefits, including supporting the gut barrier and interactions with gut microbiota. Pineapple, kiwifruit and papaya all contain proteolytic enzymes.

Does wine count towards 30 plants a week? ›

This includes spices, teas, and even plant-based foods that might not immediately be considered as 'healthy' such as chocolate or red wine. The only stipulation is that you must consume a substantial amount of the plant itself.

What counts as a 'plant' food? One thing you may be surprised about is that both coffee and dark chocolate do count, thanks to the coffee beans and cocoa. However, it's important to note that this is in moderation and eating chocolate every day of the week won't count as more than a quarter of your 30 plants (sorry!).

Unlike the 5-a-day guidelines, plant foods are not just restricted to fruits, vegetables, and legumes. They include whole grains such as brown rice and oats, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices- all of which count towards the 30 a week. And it gets better- tea and coffee count too!

All whole grains such as wheat, brown rice, buckwheat, rye, quinoa, millet, oats and whole-grain products such as pasta or bread count as 1 point.

There are six main plant groups, which we call the Super Six: vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds and herbs and spices. Researchers at the University of Bergen found that eating across the Super Six can add up to a decade of healthy years to your life.

While it may seem ambitious, Rossi recommends aiming for 30 different plants a week from the super six: whole grains (think: quinoa, rolled oats, and sourdough bread), nuts and seeds (walnuts, pistachios, and pecans), vegetables, fruits, legumes (think: beans), and herbs and spices (cumin, cinnamon, and paprika).