30 plant points: The what, the why and the how
You may have seen the term ’30 plant points’ floating around social media or in the press over the last few years, but what is it all about?
What?
Building upon the NHS’ recommendation of 5-a-day1 and the common phrase ‘eat the rainbow’, a more recent recommendation advocated by many healthcare professionals is the consumption of 30 different plants every week. These are typically added up using a point system to keep track.
What Counts as a Plant Point?
- Fruits and vegetables = 1 point each
- Wholegrains e.g., quinoa, wholewheat pasta, oats = 1 point each
- Beans, pulses, and legumes = 1 point each
- Nuts and seeds = 1 point each
- Herbs and spices = ¼ point each
- Tea and coffee = ¼ point each
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) = ¼ point each
The idea is that each time you consume a new plant during the week, you gain another point. The key is to focus on inclusion rather than exclusion.
Why?
Let’s start with some science
In 2018, a landmark study was published2 with results showing that individuals who consume 30 or more different types of plants per week have greater gut diversity (an indicator of good gut health3) compared to individuals who consume less than 10. This led to the recommendation of eating at least 30 different plants each week to encourage diet diversity, and ultimately, a more diverse gut microbiome.
This recommendation has many nutritional benefits including increasing fibre intake4, which is our gut bugs’ favourite food. The trillions of bacteria living within our gut feed on the foods we consume, and different types of bacteria require different nutrients to thrive. By diversifying your diet, you’re supporting the trillions of bacteria living in your gut, in turn increasing the number of beneficial bacteria supporting your overall wellbeing.
In addition to this, by eating lots of different coloured plant foods you’re also providing your body with many invaluable nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Interested in learning more about eating the rainbow? Read this Love Your Gut blog here.
The exciting part? It’s not that complicated to achieve.
How?
30 plants a week may sound a little daunting, but it is achievable with planning and preparation. And for those that eat meat and fish, fear not! You don’t need to remove these from your diet but simply add in more plants. Remember, inclusion over exclusion.
To achieve 30 plants points a week, following these simple tips will do the trick:
- Experiment with wholewheat rice instead of white (or go half and half)
- Explore new salad combinations by adding in fruit and nuts
- Choose a three bean mix instead of just the one
- Not a fan of vegetables? Hide them in a blended pasta sauce
- Different colours of the same food give you extra points e.g. 1 red apple + 1 green apple = 2 points
- Challenge yourself to put a new plant in your shopping trolley every week
- Make plants the hero of your plate, not just a side dish.
Note: You can’t count the same food more than once. If you consume oats every morning for breakfast, that is 1 point for the week.
Top tip: A weekly shopping list can help you stay on track (and avoid food waste, too!), allowing you to plan your meals and plants. Tinned items such as beans and lentils are easy additions to soups and stews, and frozen fruits and vegetables can not only lower the cost of your shop but provide an easy, convenient way to bulk up meals.
References
- NHS (2024) 5 A Day: what counts? Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/5-a-day-what-counts/ (Accessed: 20 December 2024)
- McDonald et al (2018) American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research, American Society for Microbiology 3(3)
- Valdes et al (2018) Role of the Gut Microbiota in Nutrition and Health, British Medical Journal, 361
- Fu et al (2022) Dietary Fibre Intake and Gut Microbiota in Human Health, Microorganisms, 10(12):2507