How to consume 30+ plant’s into your week
Includes a FREE weekly meal plan and shopping list.
Anna Tukhfatullina
First it was eat your 5-a-day, now its eat 30 + plant based foods weekly….overwhelmed at just the thought of this? You’re not the only one.
Research by the American Gut project discovered that increasing the diversity of your plant-based foods to 30 varieties linked to a more diverse gut microbiome compared to those who ate 10 or fewer (1).
The gut microbiome is simply different type of bacteria that reside in the digestive tract, mostly your large intestines. We tend to know them as our good and bad bacteria. An element of truth, yes; however, I want you to view your microbiome as a garden to tender rather than a battlefield to conquer.
The diversity of your gut microbiome is depended on different factors including; birth and feeding type, the environment you've been in contact with, foods you have eaten and are eating today, antibiotic and medication exposure, lifestyle, stress and trauma to name a few. An imbalanced microbiome is known as dybsiosis. Increasing amount of research links dybsiosis as a major factor of a wide spectrum of diseases (3).
The gut microbiome’s role in health is impressive to say the least. It has responsibilities to your mental health, protection from pathogens, immune function, inflammation, nutrient production and digestion (more of this coming up in a subsequent blog posts!).
“Diversity is Key”
The goal is plant food diversity. Research indicates that plant foods, specifically fibre’s and resistant starch’s, are metabolised by our gut microbe producing short chain fatty acids (SCFA) (including acetate and butyrate).
These SCFA’s are thought to be fuel for the cells in our gut which are know to improve the gut barrier function (2). The gut is thought to effect the body, way beyond the bowls. Consuming a diverse range of plant foods has shown to enrich the gut microbiome which is thought to to improve our immune system, produce and increase the absorption of nutrients and vitamins, reduce inflammation, improve blood glucose control, lower cholesterol, regulate our appetite and mental heath (3).
Essentially we want to feed the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut through eating a diverse range of plant based foods. It sounds simple but actioning this can be just another thing to add to the list! I have written up an example week of meals to demonstrate how to consume 30 plant foods weekly (keep reading). With 10 minutes of planning I reached 50+ varieties over the week. Tip, try to start by planning your week with recipes you cook week on week either adding or swapping in different plants. This can make it less overwhelming!
“View your microbiome as a garden to tender rather than a battlefield to conquer. ”
Olena Bohovyk
SO what constitutes as a plant food? It might surprise you!
Vegetables | Fruits | Grains (Oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, wholewheat flour) | Legumes (beans, lentils, pulses) | Nuts & Seeds | Spices.
Increasing your plant food variety doesn't have to be timely or costly. I have put together a free example week and shopping list to demonstrate how we can reach this goal (see buttons below).
Try not to overwhelm yourself and start slowly:
Count how many different plant foods you eat in a week, make a note in your phone or diary.
The following week increase your intake by 5. Week on week increase the number of plant foods by 5 until you reach to 30.
Once you have 30 plant foods in your weekly diet try and swap different varieties in and out. I have listed listed a few examples:
Purple sprouting broccoli to tender stem broccoli | Butternut squash to sweet potato | Purple carrots to orange carrots | Watercress to Rocket leaves | Cavelo Nero to Spring Greens | Walnuts to Cashews | Brown Rice to Quinoa | Plum to Apple | Pinto beans to chickpeas.
If this still proves too overwhelming or challenging Jessica May Nutrition can help support you. We provide a personalised nutritional therapy service. We listen to your individual goals along with food likes and dislikes that fit your lifestyle. Tailored individualised recipes and shopping lists aim to take the thinking out of your weekly planning, we even plan for the whole family!
Everything I publish is backed up by scientific evidence. I aim to provide you with current up-to-date research on specific topics and will always link research papers:
(1) https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
(2) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00277/full
(3) https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/35772/gut-beyond-gut-the-gut-brain-axis