Marika Day: Why – and how – you should be eating 30 plants each week

A healthy gut isn’t just about what we eat, it’s about the variety of food we consume. Different nutrients feed different bacteria – leading to optimal gut health.

A study, which looked at the diversity of the gut microbiome (bacteria that lives within our digestive tract), found that people who consumed at least 30 different plants each week had a more diverse gut microbiota than those who didn’t.

A healthy gut microbiota has a range of benefits, like a reduced risk of chronic disease and reduced risk of obesity. In comparison, poor gut health is linked with depression and anxiety, among other negative health outcomes.

30 plants a week might sound like a lot, but it’s actually pretty achievable. Keep in mind that this study incorporated all plants, things like brown rice, chickpeas, tofu and soy milk are all on the menu. So, if you’re having stir fry for dinner, and you’re throwing in garlic, onions, a few different herbs and brown rice – along with your veggies – you’re potentially getting 10 different plants in just one meal.

This is the age-old question: what exactly is a serving size? One spinach leaf in your morning smoothie isn’t going to cut it, but a handful of basil or parsley chucked into your pasta sauce absolutely counts as one (or two!) of your plants.

It’s all about feeding your gut bacteria different types of nutrients. Even though you might not be having large portions of, say, rice, leafy herbs, sweet potato and green beans, the nutrients of all those veggies and herbs combined will feed different bacteria in your gut and help diversify the microbiota.

When you’re planning your weekly meals, look to high-fibre options. Choose whole grains, like brown rice, wholemeal pasta or wholegrain bread over the white stuff. And when it comes to fruits and veggies, the key is variety. Aim to eat a rainbow of produce with every meal.

Make sure the produce you’re buying is in season, and has been locally grown (imported veggies are generally more expensive, not to mention their high carbon footprint). You can usually get your fruit and vegetables much cheaper at the market, so visit as often as you can.

Vegetable mixes are another easy way to get in a bunch of variety. Pick up a bag of vegetable mix next time you’re at the supermarket – it’s packed with broccoli, carrot, beans and cauliflower and is a great way to up your veggie intake in one meal. Mission Nutrition also have a few handy tips and tricks to eating well on a budget.

Have a few bags of frozen peas, corn and broccoli on hand too. Because they’re snap-frozen, they retain their nutrients.

Here are some easy ways to boost your plant intake and make sure you’re hitting the target of at least 30 plants per week. Oh, and before starting any new meal plan, please speak to your health practitioner to make sure changes to your diet are appropriate for you.