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30 plants a week

13 replies

HelloMist · 27/01/2025 19:01

I've only come across this idea recently. There are some older threads but I couldn't see a recent one. Does anyone want to share lists and ideas?

It is meant to be good for your gut biome and (early days!) I'm finding it fun/motivating to eat a good mix of veg/fruit/seeds etc.

BBC article about 30 plants a week

2024 thread, Another thread these have some tips. There's also a Zoe podcast and a Hugh Fernley Wittingstall book but I haven't listened to/read either yet.

Are you getting your 30 plants a week? Plant points explained

Are you getting your 30 plants a week? Plant points explained

Move over five-a-day, it’s all about 30 plants a week. But what counts as a plant point? And why aim for 30?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/plant_points_explained

OP posts:
HelloMist · 27/01/2025 19:06

My list this week (so far). Spices count for 1/4 and I'm not sure whether coffee does any more so haven't listed it. I believe different colours of pepper etc count separately because you are getting different nutrients.

By the way, this month's Waitrose food magazine has an article with ideas - free with loyalty card.

tangerine
kiwi
mushrooms
onion
broccoli
strawberries
raspberries
dried mango
baked beans
grapes, green
potato
pumpkin seeds
oats/porridge
Graze crunchy corn/beans etc
(mushy peas, small portion)
chia seeds 2
cooked apple
coconut
banana
red grapes
red grapefruit
yellow grapefruit
tomato
sweet potato
olives

OP posts:
MumChp · 27/01/2025 19:09

We wouldn't be able to eat different 30 plants a week. We would waste way too much.
We eat very plant based though.

Georgyporky · 27/01/2025 19:10

What strikes me is the quantity of fruit v veg - i.e. a lot of sugar/carbs.
Seems like another fad to me.

YourWinter · 27/01/2025 19:11

As herbs and spices, garlic and chilli, teas and coffee are among the 30 it’s actually pretty easy. You’re not buying 30 different kinds of fruit and vegetables.

HappyNewFeckingYear · 27/01/2025 20:43

Remember you count all plants. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, spices and ones we drink.
A bag of mixed nuts, a bag of mixed seeds plus super 6 fruit / veg offer takes you half way. Add in a few carbs like rice, wheat and potatoes plus the stuff you like and it is doable.

Here's the sheet I did last year. We decided that herbs / spices and drinks were best counted as a quarter.

30 plants a week
SpaceOP · 27/01/2025 20:46

I am a little obsessed by this and have been doing it for a few years now. No weight loss, sadly, but without a doubt it has benefited all of us. I've done it long enough now I don't routinely count up but do random checks to make sure we are on track. My tips for how to make it easier:

Smoothies with frozen fruit and extras- dd is particularly challenging as she is fussy and has some intolerance. So at least once a week I make a smoothie with mixed frozen berries (count it as 4), oats, banana and flaxseed. I add some oat milk, apple.juice and water to get the right consistency.

Stir fries are brilliant to.up your numbers. I often buy one pack of a pre cit stir fry mix, choosing veg we dont routinely eat (eg I will choose the one with bamboo shoots, sprouts, pak choi etc). Then add sliced "regular" veg.

My "standard" veg for steaming or sauteeing has been increased. So before we had onions, broccoli, carrot and corn as standard. Now we always have those plus at least one type of cabbage, peppers etc.

Similarly, my "standard" salad is now more varied - bag of mixed leaves, cucumber, peppers, avocado, spring onion, nuts of some sort.... that's the most basic. I regularly add all kinds of extras like chargrilled veg0

Talking of nuts, i routinely have a bag of mixed nuts on the counter for snacking and we usually have at least one kind of nut in a meal every week - pine nuts in salad, almonds in a pilaf, walnuts or pecans in something I have baked etc.

Add things like lentils, pulses, beans to curious stews, casseroles, pasta sauces.

Consciously think about meal plans requiring different veg. So a curry with butternut and sugar snap peas and a cauliflower cheese in the same week, for example. Also plan for meals.from.different cuisines as it naturally adds more variety in spices and flavourings.

Make an effort with varied fruit for breakfast or packed lunch - this week we have strawberries, grapes, watermelon and pineapple plus our "standard" options of apples and bananas.

HappyNewFeckingYear · 27/01/2025 20:58

Brunch :pea soup
Marrow fat peas 1
Urad dal 2
Broad beans 3
Home-made pesto 4
chilli
Red onion 5

Snack
Pitta bread - wheat 6
houmous - chickpeas 7, sesame 8, garlic
lettuce 9
coleslaw - white cabbage 10, carrot 11, brown onion 12, capers 13

Dinner pasta with veg and sauce
Red pepper 14, broccoli 15, mushroom 16, peanuts 17

MadameBethune · 27/01/2025 21:42

Today I had:
Breakfast muesli containing oats, barley, quinoa flakes, buckwheat flakes, chia seeds, sunflower seeds plus blueberries, all soaked in oat milk overnight = 7

Lunch: sesame seed bread with olive tapenade and sprouted mung beans plus lettuce, tomato, cucumber, baby corn, yellow peppers, grapes = 9

Coffee, red bush tea = 2

Dinner: DH made lentil and aubergine stew with onion, tahini, cumin, chilli and other spices served with soy yogurt = 6+

Snacks: peanut butter, dates and a banana =3
Total today = 26 so nearly 30 in one day.

I also had a large brownie and a bottle of beer so I’m not losing any weight!

Will have more or less the same tomorrow with a different meal for dinner and will be trying to stay off the peanut butter and dates.

Titsywoo · 27/01/2025 21:50

I am eating a lot of veg now but struggle with 30 a week mostly because I'm the only person eating it and it is hard to buy smaller amounts. I don't like fruit really so only have raspberries each week. Here is how many different things I have each week:

Carrot
Broccoli
Spinach
Babycorn
Green cabbage
Mushroom
Red cabbage
Caulflower
Onion
Green beans
Courgette
Edamame beans
Raspberries
Cashews
Seaweed
Peas
Potato
Sweet potato
Lettuce
Garlic

So 20 - not bad really. I could do with adding more lentils and grains (I have a lot of white rice so not included) and herbs.

stormacoming · 27/01/2025 22:04

Today...
Breakfast...overnight oats with chia seeds, mixed seeds, mixed berries, flax
Lunch...salad of roast butternut, roast Brussels, raw kale, pomegranate seeds, chopped apple with olive oil/vinegar dressing and feta.
Dinner...pasta with aubergine and tomatoes
Snacks...cherries, satsuma, banana, dark chocolate

HBGKC · 27/01/2025 22:18

I watched a video of HFW getting 30... into one plate of food!

What he did, which can easily be copied/adapted, was basically to double up everything. So instead of one type of nut, he'd put two (chopped over a salad). 2 types of leaves (maybe one green, one 'red'); 2/3 types of seeds. Chickpeas + butter beans... you get the idea.

SpaceOP · 28/01/2025 07:47

@titsywoo do you eat things like mince or stews/casseroles? That's v easy to add lentils, beans or chickpeas to. I sometimes add chickpeas.or white beans to rice. If you eat bread, can you buy wholemeal or sourdough? That ups your numbers. Chocolate (high cocoa) tea and coffee count! You have cashews there - can you swap to a wider variety if mixed nuts? Oats at breakfast, boosted with flaxseeds adds more. Flavourings like ginger garlic chilli lemons and lines all add to your nu.ber and are easily incorporated.

L

TinyMouseTheatre · 29/01/2025 08:24

I've done it in the past. Now I'm sort of mindful of trying to eat a variety but not counting.

When I did start counting how many I was having it was in lockdown and I was pretty close anyway.

Look up Blue Zone Minestrone as that is delicious and has a good variety of things in it. I don't eat it every week though.

And are you growing any herbs or veg? I usually have a couple of herbs growing on the windowsill and find that growing things like peas are easy and you can just snack in them when you're in the garden if I can stop DD eating them all first Grin

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