How to Eat 30 Plants in One Week
Last week, I talked about increasing the variety of plant foods in your diet to help improve gut health. Research at the American Gut Project has revealed that people who eat at least 30 different varieties of plants each week have a more diverse gut microbiome than those who eat 10 or fewer. Plant foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, spices, and herbs. How, you may ask, do you eat 30 different plant foods each week? Though this may seem like a difficult task, today’s post is dedicated to helping you increase the variety of plant foods in your diet.
Breakfast
Adding multiple plant foods to breakfast is a great way to start your day off right. Here are some ideas that include at least 4 different plant foods:
Applesauce Chia Overnight Oats - 5 plants
Hazelnut & Pumpkin Seed Granola served over milk or yogurt - 5 plants
Peanut Butter Apple Baked Oatmeal - 5 plants
Green Smoothie - 4 plants
Egg muffins made with spinach, kale, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion + whole grain toast with mashed avocado - 6 plants
Lunch
Here are some lunch ideas to get you closer to eating 30 different plants each week:
Bowl made with quinoa, black beans, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, diced green onion, chopped tomato, avocado - 7 plants
Chicken salad served on whole grain bread with romaine lettuce and tomato + side of mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries) - 9 plants
Chickpea pasta served with homemade tomato sauce and mixed greens salad - 8 plants
Almond butter and strawberry jam served on whole grain bread + chopped bell pepper, broccoli, and cucumber - 6 plants
Southwest Quinoa Salad - 12 plants
Dinner
Ending your day with lots of plant foods can help set you up right for the next day. Here are some ways to get lots of plant foods in your dinners:
Delicata Squash Tacos served on corn tortillas with avocado, cilantro, and tomato - 9 plants
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs cooked with dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme + Roasted Beets + baked potato - 6 plants
Chickpea Crust Pizza made with cheese, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, mushrooms, zucchini, and bell pepper - 7 plants
Sweet Potato Nachos topped with refried pinto beans, diced jalapeno, and black olives - 8 plants
Roasted Curry Chicken and Cauliflower - 7 plants
Black Bean Coconut Stew served over wild rice - 13 plants
Instant Pot Chili - 10 plants
Snacks
And don’t forget snacks! Snacks are a great way to fit more plants into your day. Here are some ideas:
Banana Walnut Muffins - 5 plants
Hummus + chopped cucumber, celery, and carrots - 4 plants
Whole grain toast topped with peanut butter and banana - 3 plants
Yogurt topped with blueberries, strawberries, and sliced almonds - 3 plants
Almonds + raisins - 2 plants
Sample menu
Using the recipes listed above here is a sample of what eating 30 plants in a week would look like. Remember, the goal is to eat 30 different plant foods over the course of one week. For example, if you eat onions on Monday and Wednesday, this only counts as one plant food.
Day 1 (24 different plant foods):
Breakfast - Peanut Butter Apple Baked Oatmeal
Lunch - Chicken salad served on whole grain bread with romaine lettuce and tomato + side of mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries)
Dinner - Sweet Potato Nachos topped with refried pinto beans, diced jalapeno, and black olives
Snack - almonds + raisins
Day 2 (11 new different plant foods):
Breakfast - leftover Peanut Butter Apple Baked Oatmeal
Lunch - leftover Sweet Potato Nachos
Dinner - Instant Pot Chicken Thighs cooked with dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme + Roasted Beets + baked potato
Snack - Banana Walnut Muffin
Day 3 (3 new different plant foods):
Breakfast - Hazelnut & Pumpkin Seed Granola served over milk or yogurt
Lunch - leftover Instant Pot Chicken Thighs cooked with dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme + Roasted Beets + baked potato
Dinner - leftover Sweet Potato Nachos
Snack - Banana Walnut Muffin
Total: 38 different plant foods
As you can see, there are so many ways to add plant foods to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. If eating 30 different plant foods each week sounds daunting, then start with a smaller number and work your way up. Keep in mind that spices and herbs count, as well as seasonings like garlic and onion, which are common in many dishes.
What are your favorite ways to eat more plant foods?
