30 Plant Products: Diversity is a Good Thing!

You may have heard some buzz suggesting that we should aim to eat 30 different plant products each week. With wellness and health trends constantly cycling through our social media feeds, it can be hard to decipher what’s factual and what isn’t. So, are “30 plant products” a new, soon to pass trend? Not likely. 

Results from a 2018 study showed that people who ate 30 or more different plant products each week had a more diverse population of gut micro-organisms than those who ate less than 10. Micro-organisms in your gut produce chemicals that are beneficial for your health, so a more diverse gut microbiome leads to a greater variety of these health-promoting chemicals. The end result is overall better health. (For more information about your microbiome, you can read this blog post on my website.)

How do chemicals in your gut improve your overall health? Just like people have different nutrient needs, your gut’s various bacteria and micro-organisms require different “diets.” Different types of plants contain different prebiotic fibers, which feed the micro-organisms. They also contain different phytochemicals, which benefit your microbiome by encouraging micro-organism growth and activity. This makes eating a variety of plant products, and thus the components they are made up of, important to the survival of our microbiome. 

30 sounds impossible! 

While eating 30 different plants each week might sound intimidating, remember that it’s not just whole fruits and vegetables that count. Plants are also found in grains, herbs, spices, tea, and coffee. In addition, eating different variations of the same food makes a difference. For instance, if you eat both a green and a red apple, that’s two different plant products, as is eating both orange and purple carrots. The different colors provide different phytochemicals. Salad greens are another great example: spinach, kale, arugula, romaine, curly endive and beet greens all provide slightly different nutrients and are an easy way to add plant variety to your diet. 

How to implement it

Start by taking stock of the plants you routinely eat and think about what you can add to your daily diet. Consider trying something new each week and don’t forget about frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, which are great options this time of year.

A few ideas:

• Boost your salad. Add nuts, seeds, tofu and new vegetables.

• Load your morning hot or cold cereal with a fruit and seed combo.

• Add lots of herbs and spices to your foods when cooking.

• Make a plant-heavy sandwich by using whole grain bread and adding spinach, avocado, microgreens and tomato.

• Create a snack of hummus, vegetables, and mixed nuts alongside a cup of tea.

• Instead of rice, use quinoa, barley, couscous, farro or wheatberries. 

• Scramble some eggs and add spinach, peppers, mushrooms and any other leftover vegetables to the mix. 

For more new ideas, check out the food groups below and decide what you are going to add to your grocery list. 

Grains 

Whole wheat products such as bread and tortillas, oatmeal, bulgar, brown rice, whole grain pasta, farro, quinoa, wheat berries, barley, teff, couscous and wild rice

Vegetables

Peas, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, kale, spinach, arugula, cabbage, beets, onions (red, green, yellow), peppers (all different kinds!), potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, celery, corn, microgreens, cucumbers, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, eggplant, asparagus, different types of squash, okra

Legumes 

Red and green lentils, kidney beans, soy beans, pinto beans, fava beans, navy and black beans, chickpeas, split peas, black eyed peas

Fruits 

Apples, pears, bananas, peaches, all berries, cantaloupe, cherries, kiwi, watermelon, lemons, limes, mango, pineapple, apricots, cranberries, pumpkin, apricots, dried fruits, prunes, grapes (green and red), oranges, star fruit, melons 

Tea and Coffee

Green, white, black, oolong, matcha, Pu-erh, endless herbal teas and all coffees.

Nuts 

Almonds, walnuts, peanuts (technically a legume), pistachios, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, hazel nuts, macadamias, pine nuts 

Seeds 

Chia, hemp, pumpkin, sesame, basil seeds, sunflower, flax, black cumin seed

Herbs and Spices 

Garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, mint, cilantro, parsley, cayenne pepper, paprika

Miscellaneous 

Soy products such as tofu, edamame and miso

The Bottom Line

Please note that you still need to get a minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Eating 30 plant products each week by focusing on herbs, spices, tea and coffee doesn’t take the place of getting an adequate number of fruits and vegetables. Both goals are important. 

Keep in mind that there hasn’t been a lot of research on exactly how many different plant products we should be eating, however we do know that most people don’t get enough variety and that more is better. So let’s set some goals to diversify our diets and start the new year on a healthy path.

Happy Holidays!