05/02/2024
Research has shown that eating 30 different types of plants each week supports a balanced and diverse gut microbiome (MacDonald et al., 2014). My challenge to you is to aim to achieve 30 different plants each week throughout February and see how it makes you feel!
Simply jot down each type of plant you eat at each meal and add up your total at the end of each week. The good news is that plant type is not restricted to fruits and vegetables, it also includes herbs and spices, nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrains. The goal is to be as diverse as possible, as each different colour brings with it its own set of benefits. Think about the range of colours on your plate, and aim to eat the rainbow!
To give you a bit of an idea about what you can include, I’ve made a list below to get you started:
o Fruit – e.g. kiwi, frozen cherries, dried figs, bananas, lemon.
o Vegetables – e.g. garlic, onion, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, kale, parsnip, carrot, radish, lettuce
o Nuts – e.g. Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamia, pistachio.
o Seeds – e.g. flaxseed (ground), chia, sunflower, pumpkin.
o Herbs – e.g. sage, basil, tarragon, parsley, fresh coriander
o Spices – e.g. cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, cumin, ground coriander.
o Pulses – e.g. lentils, beans, chickpeas.
o Legumes – e.g. soya beans (edamame), garden peas (fresh or frozen), peanuts.
o Wholegrains – e.g. buckwheat, quinoa, oats, brown rice, millet.
I look forward to hearing how you get on!
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