30 Plants a Week Challenge – May 2024

I was inspired while on holiday in Turkey recently to start the 30 plants a week challenge, and decided to give it a try in May to see how achievable it is.

Instead of eating 5 a day, studies show we should aim to eat 30 different types of plants a week. This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, pulses like lentils, butterbeans and chickpeas, and wholegrains like brown rice and oats, but you can only count them once. Even tea and coffee count! The emphasis is very much on variety and ‘eat the rainbow’.

The Challenge

I already eat a lot of vegetables and pulses, but for me the challenge was to introduce a greater variety of different plants into my weekly diet.

The first few days were easy and after only three days I was up to 20 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, pulses etc. Pretty good start. But then it got a bit more challenging, and I had to really think about what I was going to prepare and cook. By being a little bit more creative than usual, I made it to 30 by the end of each week.

My Top Tips

• Introduce variety into the weekly shop and your meal plans for the week.
• Switch from white rice to brown rice.
• Add oats or chia seeds to smoothies.
• Sprinkle mixed seeds onto your cereal and salads.
• Add red lentils to rice and risotto dishes.
• Make a list so you keep count, and remember to include things like nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices – they all count!

Good luck if you’re trying this and let me know how you get on.

#30plantsaweek #EatTheRainbow