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30 plants a week

25 replies

GRCP · 18/05/2025 14:22

I was interested to see how hard this is - I wrote a list of plants I have eaten this weekend or will eat this week according to my meal plan and came out at exactly 30. This was helped a lot by the veggie chilli we’re having tomorrow so next week would come short I think. What’s on your list? I need some inspiration!

OP posts:
TheAutumnCrow · 18/05/2025 14:25

You’ll just get showy offy lists of words, @GRCP.

Don't forget to include leafy herbs and spices, if you eat a fair bit of them over the week. And red wine, apparently.

GRCP · 18/05/2025 14:26

My list:
Popcorn
Coffee
Black pepper
Wheat
Barley
Rye
Banana
Nectarine
Chia seeds
Rasberries
Basil
Pine nuts
Tomato
Spinach
Peppers
Mushroom
Dark chocolate
Satsuma
Rocket
Butternut squash
Kidney beans
Black eye beans
Paprika
Cumin
Chilli
Onion
Garlic
Potato
Strawberries
Broccoli

OP posts:
GRCP · 18/05/2025 14:26

Red wine??

OP posts:
GRCP · 18/05/2025 14:26

I want a list of words - it’ll give me ideas hopefully

OP posts:
GRCP · 18/05/2025 14:30

Forgot almonds. Next week I’ll do a Thai green curry with coconut rice so that’ll help give us a boost.

OP posts:
Annoyingsquirrels · 18/05/2025 14:31

I get a lot via my lunchtime salad. This normally has
Radishes, beetroot, carrot, watercress, mixed leaves (about 6 different types), walnuts, avocado, pumpkin seeds, saukercrat (with around 5 different vegetables/spices). I then tend to follow with apple with almond butter or blueberries with dark chocolate (which also counts!l.

Snorlaxo · 18/05/2025 14:38

Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Bean sprouts
Paprika
broccoli
Carrot
Tomato
Basil
Lemon
Basil
Thyme
Dill
Cumin
Chilli
Red pepper
cabbage
mushroom
Spinach
Parsley
coffee
potato
white Sesame seeds
black sesame seeds
Black pepper
coriander
does tea count?
pine nuts
chia seeds
Strawberry
Chinese five spice

My list is similar to yours but I had a stir fry this week which is my favourite veggie and spice heavy dish. Curries or dishes with Indian spices are good for lots of portions too.

Snorlaxo · 18/05/2025 14:39

Chinese style fried rice is also good for getting lots of veg in. I like sweetcorn, mangetout, spring onion…

Spiderwomann · 18/05/2025 14:42

I know you have a few on there but some more legumes might help bump it up? I can't eat chickpeas or most others as it flares my IBS but used to enjoy them and there are so many lovely recipes now. I haven't tracked mine before but might do next week!

Neverenoughbiscuits · 18/05/2025 14:52

I'm quite aware of what I eat but I don't think my list will vary much from yours:

Banana
Raspberry
Apple
Walnuts
Pecans
Blueberries
Chia seeds
Carrot
White cabbage
Red Cabbage
Red onion
Potato
Chives
Parsley
Gherkin
Lettuce
Cucumber
Celery
Avocado
Rocket
Sauerkraut
Tomato
White onion
Coriander
Basil
Courgette
Sunflower seeds
Strawberries
Pumpkin seeds
Grapes
Pepper
Spring onions
Mushroom
Chick peas
Lemon
Lime

Jujujudo · 18/05/2025 14:53

TheAutumnCrow · 18/05/2025 14:25

You’ll just get showy offy lists of words, @GRCP.

Don't forget to include leafy herbs and spices, if you eat a fair bit of them over the week. And red wine, apparently.

Wine is from grapes. Grapes are from a vine. Therefore plants!

Smleps · 18/05/2025 14:59

Don’t forget that tea and coffee count too.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 18/05/2025 15:00

I can’t help thinking back to my Dark Ages childhood, and wondering how many plants we might have eaten in a week, esp. in winter.

Wheat (flour, bread, Weetabix)
Pearl barley
Rice
carrots
Potatoes
Cabbage
Sprouts
Apples
Oranges (occasional)
Curry powder (also occasional)
onions
Pepper
Parsnips
Swede
Tinned peas
Baked beans
Cornflour (in chocolate blancmange)
Cocoa powder
Sugar (from sugar cane or beet)
Beetroot (probably pickled)
Cauliflower

Can’t think of any more.
But hardly any UPFs of course.

Pickingmyselfup · 18/05/2025 15:28

I'm a bit confused about this plant list, I could rack up loads but it wouldn't be a lot of them. My bolognese has passata, onion, garlic, red pepper, celery, carrots in it but when you look at how much is in each portion it's really not a lot. Chilli has the same but also 2 types of beans.

Do potatoes count?

I only think of actual fruit and vegetables and it's pretty hard to eat a variety each day when I'm the only non fussy eater in the house. I batch cook loads of stuff for me like maybe a soup to take to work but then that's my lunch for my 4 day working week.

GRCP · 18/05/2025 15:31

@Snorlaxoid also like to know if tea counts and curries are a good shout.

OP posts:
GRCP · 18/05/2025 15:34

@Pickingmyselfupa rough guide is a handful of the fruit/veg and a teaspoon of herbs and spices - but it’s more about variety I think. Yes potatoes absolutely count as it’s a plant, same as wheat in wholewheat bread

OP posts:
GRCP · 18/05/2025 15:36

I love gherkins. I think I could definitely get some more nuts in, like walnuts in salads

OP posts:
GRCP · 18/05/2025 15:39

Forgot olive oil - that counts too

OP posts:
MarkingBad · 18/05/2025 15:48

I was concerned about how much veg I thought we weren't eating and discovered we were eating 30ish plants per week because things like bread and homemade jam are included.

However it really improved a morning smoothy too by adding herbs like mint and spices like cinnamon, along with the usual fruit and veg.

You can make an apple crumble and include grated carrot, spices, and oats in the crumble.

Anything with eggs can include herbs, an omlette with broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, and chives is lovely. Or make them into egg muffins for a lunch.

Even sunday roasts you can add no end of herbs to the meat and potatoes or gravy.

If you prefer fish you can bake a fillet with a breadcrumb topping with herbs and serve with a salad. I really like a tin of mackrel with a hot potato salad with herbs and rocket, beetroot and cucumber too, very simple and easy.

Our go to occasional snack is dried fruit and nuts. You can even make your own healthy granola using root veg and spices as sweeteners rather than sugar.

James Wong books often include many more fruit and veg in the recipes than most too and in some he explains what fruit and veg have better nutrients than other similar fruit and veg.

I have recently seen a recipe for nettle and lemon cake I want to try, nettle is more nutrient dense than spinach when young, however I do see I can substitute spinach for nettle too so I may give that a go soon

Jellycatspyjamas · 18/05/2025 15:49

A rough guide is a handful of the fruit/veg and a teaspoon of herbs and spices - but it’s more about variety I think. Yes potatoes absolutely count as it’s a plant, same as wheat in wholewheat bread

If I’m making a curry or bolognese I may use a teasooon of whatever in the recipe but that doesn’t translate to a teaspoon in my meal alone. I think the principle is a good one but I’m going to guess that most people’s list will have the same combination of common fruits and veggies. I have no idea how many different plants I’ve eaten this week.

BeNiceWhenItsFinished · 18/05/2025 15:52

I don't do a meal plan. Starting today so far:
Rocket
Horseradish
Sunflower seeds (on the crust of the bread)
Wheat
Tea
Coffee

Smleps · 18/05/2025 16:16

GRCP · 18/05/2025 15:31

@Snorlaxoid also like to know if tea counts and curries are a good shout.

Yes tea does and coffee, according to Tim Spector and the Zoe study.

ButteredRadish · 18/05/2025 16:18

Geranium
Delphinium
Rhododendron….

surreyisik · 18/05/2025 16:32

Onion
garlic
avocado
cucumber
carrot
mango
raspberries
strawberries
bananas
tomatoes
coffee
cacao
oats
Potatoes
chia
black pepper
sesame seeds
basil
red pepper
lime
pistachios
Chickpeas
soy
Peanuts
pumpkin seeds
beetroot

Pickingmyselfup · 18/05/2025 17:19

GRCP · 18/05/2025 15:34

@Pickingmyselfupa rough guide is a handful of the fruit/veg and a teaspoon of herbs and spices - but it’s more about variety I think. Yes potatoes absolutely count as it’s a plant, same as wheat in wholewheat bread

So if I had...

Bio and me seeded granola with what they claim is 15 plants with fruit, raisins, flaxseed, yoghurt and honey

Stir fry with cabbage, mangetout, chicken, edamame beans, beansprouts, bamboo shoots and noodles.

Seabass with broccoli and potatoes

A banana for a snack

That would be 25 plants in one day even thought the stuff in the granola is tiny, the raisins only 15g and the other vegetables 25g each broccoli and potato aside?

This would be a fairly standard non work day for me. Work days I have seeded sourdough, prosciutto, avocado, asparagus and spinach with egg for breakfast and an orzo concoction with tomato, spinach, asparagus and broccoli for lunch.

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