30 Plants a Week for a Healthier Gut

What Counts Toward Your 30 Plants?

You have six groups to choose from:

🥦 Vegetables: Broccoli, carrots, spinach, peppers, zucchini.
🍓 Fruits: Blueberries, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries.
🌾 Whole grains: Oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley, whole wheat.
🫘 Beans & lentils: Chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, red lentils, green lentils.
🌰 Nuts & seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds.
🌿 Herbs & spices: Basil, parsley, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric.

Each different plant counts once during the week.

Eat blueberries three times? That's one plant on your list.

Eat blueberries, raspberries and strawberries? That's three!

Even herbs and spices add to your plant variety, although a pinch won't give you the same fiber and nutrients as a full serving of vegetables or beans.

How to Use Your Weekly Tracker

It's simple!

1. Print your free tracker or save it to your phone.
2. Every time you eat a different plant, mark it on your sheet.
3. Count each plant just once, even if you eat it several times.
4. At the end of the week, add up your total.

Your goal? Work toward 30 different plants over seven days.

You don't need five from every group. Mix and match whatever foods you enjoy.

And don't worry if you're nowhere near 30 yet. The idea is to see where you're starting and find easy ways to add more variety.

10 Easy Ways to Eat More Plants Without Changing Your Whole Diet

Small changes can add up faster than you think!

1. Upgrade your breakfast. Add blueberries, walnuts or ground flaxseed to your morning oatmeal.
2. Make pasta sauce more nutritious. Blend half a cup of cooked red lentils or cannellini beans into tomato sauce for extra fiber and plant protein.
3. Sneak another vegetable into dinner. Grate a carrot or zucchini into pasta sauce, chili or veggie burgers.
4. Give your salads and soups a boost. Add chickpeas, black beans or lentils for extra fiber and protein.
5. Mix up your grains. Replace half your usual rice with barley or quinoa.
6. Add flavor with herbs and spices. Try cinnamon on oatmeal, cumin on roasted vegetables or fresh basil in pasta.
7. Try a new herb each week. Fresh parsley, cilantro or dill can transform an ordinary meal.
8. Make your breakfast more colorful. Add a mix of frozen berries to oatmeal, smoothies or plant-based yogurt.
9. Add greens to meals you're already making. Stir spinach into soup, pasta or a tofu scramble.
10. Keep frozen mixed vegetables handy. Add peas, carrots and green beans to rice dishes, soups or stir-fries.

You don't need complicated recipes or expensive ingredients. Frozen and canned plants count too!

What Does Your Weekly Number Mean?

10 plants or fewer?

You've found your starting point! Try adding two different plants next week. Even small changes can help bring more variety to your meals.

11 to 29 plants?

You're building a great mix! Look for a few easy additions in the groups you don't eat as often.

30 plants or more?

Wonderful! Keep enjoying that variety and try mixing in a few different plants from week to week.

Remember: This isn't a test, and there's no failing grade. Eating a greater variety of plant foods is a habit worth building, whether your number is 12, 22 or 32.