30-Plant Point Challenge

30_plant_point_tracker.pdf

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The challenge in a nutshell

The idea behind the name is simple. We call it the 30-plant challenge because the goal is to get 30 plant points each week – and to be clear, this is not a fad diet or some social media challenge. There’s real science that backs this up. We’re not talking about 30 servings of fruits or vegetables throughout the week, either. Which, don’t get us wrong, is also a good thing, so if you’re already doing that, keep it up! More importantly, though, is the range or variety of plant-based foods we consume each week.

When we say plant-based foods we are talking about vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, as well as herbs and spices. None of those laboratory-designed, factory-made hodgepodges of isolated plant parts, chemicals, and preservatives. We’re talking good old fashioned, real foods.

And listen, we get it. At first glance, the idea of eating 30 plants in a week may seem daunting, nearly impossible, almost Herculean! But we have great news: It’s not! Before we dive into the specifics of the what and how of the 30-plant point challenge, let’s take a quick stroll down why lane. 

So where did this number come from? Why 30?

According to results published by the American Gut Project1 in 2018 – a collaborative study comprised of researchers and over 10,000 “citizen-scientists” from across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia – individuals who ate 30 or more different plants each week had a greater diversity of healthy gut bacteria than those who ate 10 or less plants per week. What’s more is that the poop samples submitted by these citizen-scientists demonstrated this as they contained higher levels of healthy chemicals produced by their gut bacteria.

While many studies2 still suggest that eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day can have a significant positive impact on your long-term health, many experts now believe that eating a variety of plants could be just as, if not more, important.

Healthy Plants + Healthy You = Healthy Poo

The consumption of natural, whole foods – particularly plant-based foods – ensures that we incorporate vital prebiotics into our diet. In laymen’s terms, prebiotics are foods that feed the community that is our gut microbiome.

For those not familiar, the gut microbiome is a vast community of “gut bugs” that help digest and facilitate digestion of the foods we consume, among their thousands of other doo-ties. This community can be made up of 50 to 100 trillion-or-so microbes, usually consisting of around 1,000 or more species of gut bacteria (not all bacteria are bad). Much like a fingerprint, the combination of specific microorganisms in our gut are specific to each one of us.

If you’re consuming at least 5 servings a day of fruit & veggies, that’s a good place to start. However, most of us tend to consume the same 5-10 plant-based foods each week – often the fruits & veg we like the most or are most familiar or comfortable preparing and consuming.

Unfortunately, this means we are ignoring trillions of those microbes that make up our gut microbiome. By limiting our plant intake, we are minimizing the polyphenols, flavonoids, and carbohydrates – specifically fiber – that these gut bugs need in order to thrive and keep us thriving. Each strain of bacteria performs a different job and, much like humans, prefer different types of food. When we provide a broad and healthy buffet to our gut bug community, they reward us in return through an “enhanced skillset” that can help to:

• Reduce the number and severity of colds and increase our resilience to infection by training our immune cells (it’s estimated that 70-80% live in our gut!)3,4

• Strengthen our gut barrier, improve gut function and resilience, and reduce gas and bloating while improving bowel consistency and regularity5

• Improve communication with our brain, via the gut-brain axis, thus improving our mood, reduce anxiety, and increase responsiveness6,7

• Aid in balancing our blood sugar, lowering blood fats, and increase vitamin production by helping to regulate our hormones (including insulin, leptin, and cortisol, all of which contribute to our blood sugar, cravings, and just about everything listed above – it’s all connected!)

• Contribute to improved ability to combat chronic disease and improve our healthspan8

Remember the American Gut Project (AGP) mentioned above? Well volunteers in that project provided not just highly detailed information about their eating habits, but they also submitted samples of their poop. The AGP researchers analyzed all of this poo (can you imagine!?) to find out which strains of bacteria were present, and, well, you probably guessed, but in case you haven’t, those volunteers who consumed more than 30 plants per week, had not only healthier, but a drastically greater number of, gut bacteria present in their poo than those who ate less than 10!

Let’s also take the time now since we haven’t addressed the elephant in the room. This 30-plant challenge is meant simply to help increase your intake of healthful plants and is by no means an attempt to convert anyone to a “vegan” or “vegetarian” diet. To further support this, even the authors of the AGP study noted that the number of unique plant species that a subject consumed was more highly associated with microbial diversity versus whether a client’s self-reported as a “vegan” or an “omnivore”, as well as being associated with a reduction in certain antibiotic-resistant genes.9

Eat the Rainbow (but please, avoid the skittles!)

Have you ever seen a purple carrot and thought, what’s the difference between that and an orange carrot? The main difference being the natural chemical composition of the plant (and in some cases the flavor too). When you choose to eat the same fruit and vegetables, but of different colors – such as green vs. purple grapes; red, yellow, orange, or green peppers; blue vs. black berries – you are introducing a wide variety and abundance of flavonoids and polyphenols to your body. These compounds don’t just determine the color of the plant, but they also provide our bodies and gut bugs those highly sought after antioxidants and anti-inflammatories we hear about so often.

One important consideration for getting these compounds into our bodies is to combat oxidation which acts like a fire, in the form of inflammation, in our body. Polyphenol-packed foods act like a fire hose, squashing wildfires ignited by acidic lifestyles; including eating too many processed and sugary foods, eating too much red meat (especially highly processed meats), drinking too much alcohol, and the sneaky, yet detrimental and omni-present fire starter: chronic stress. This variation in color doesn’t only provide increased nutritional benefits, but that the different colors of the same vegetable count twice!

When it comes to the rainbow, you may be familiar with the acronym ROYGBV, and while those colors all offer our bodies great benefits, there are some other foods you might not be considering at this point because that don’t fall into the “categories” of ROYGBV. For example, white cauliflower is a rich, powerful cruciferous vegetable high in phenolic content, and at the other end of the spectrum are some plant-based food items you probably consume daily, such as dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa) and coffee. So, yes, definitely, eat the rainbow, but don’t be afraid to eat beyond the rainbow!

What counts as a “plant”?

As we noted above, we’re not just looking to increase the number of servings, but more so the variety of plants in your diet. A particularly easy step to getting there is simply understanding what it is that counts as a plant or a plant-based food. And remember, we’re talking about whole plants and minimally processed foods (for a deeper understanding of unprocessed vs. minimally processed vs. ultra-processed foods check out the NOVA Classifications). That means, despite how delicious they may be, a Beyond burger, Impossible burger, and even most of the other pre-prepared vegetarian-style foods such as Morningstar or Boca burgers do not count toward the 30-plant point challenge.

Plant foods include all fruits and vegetables, legumes (peas, lentils, tofu and canned or dried beans), grains, nuts and seeds, as well as herbs and spices – don’t forget these! While herbs & spices may not count as full points (see below for more detail), they add up surprisingly fast over the course of a week while providing ample flavor and additional, often underrated benefits to the body, mind, and soul. So don’t be shy and add a dash of oregano, parsley, or rosemary to your meal!

Also try eating in season as much as possible to ensure freshness and minimize reliance on big agricultural production farms that rely on pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides – all of which can damage your gut microbiome. An in-depth, but not necessarily exhaustive list of plant items is included in the downloadable challenge sheet above. For the sake of conversation, though, here are some general guidelines:

• Our “big six” – fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds – each count as 1 point. Herbs and spices count as ¼ of point each.

• Points are given for each different variety of plant — so if you eat two red apples, it only counts as one point

• However, eating different colored fruit and vegetables (such as a red and a green apples) count as a new point (Remember: Eat the Rainbow)

• Fresh, dried, canned, and frozen plants all count, but try to aim for no-added salt and sugar, where possible – eating fresh green beans and canned green beans only counts as one point

• Extra virgin olive oil, tea and coffee count as ¼ point (like herbs and spices)

• Vegetable stock counts as 1/2 point (again look for low-sodium where possible (We recommend reaching for Kettle & Fire if possible (we have no affiliation with the brand, we just love the quality and transparency around ingredients and practices)

• Refined plants such as fruit and vegetable juices, white grains, etc. do not count so try and stick to your whole foods (these can also have potentially harmful impacts on your blood sugar)

• Begin by focusing more on the variety of plants, and less on portion sizes for now. That can become a larger focal point once you have reached your overall plant targets (please feel free to contact us for more information or assistance)

So, what next?

First, it’s important to remember that humans, like just about all other living beings on the planet, tend to be creatures of habit. That makes it super easy to fall into a “food rut”, especially for those of us with children, hectic schedules, and never-ending deadlines. Not to mention, online shopping and mail-order-ready-to-eat meals allows us to order the same food week after week. Just like with the same 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, many of us tend to eat the same few meals week-in and week-out. Better gut health and improved overall health doesn’t have to be a scary, time-consuming, unappealing, or expensive journey. Starting with small changes, we can make a big impact.

So, let’s get started! Think about what it is you have eaten today. Perhaps you had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Well, those oats would count for 1 point and gives you a great base to build from. Think about the other foods items you might have in the kitchen. Is there anything you could add to that oatmeal to boost your score? Maybe you have blueberries in the fridge, walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds in the cupboard, and cinnamon in your spice rack? Boom! You’ve found the key to success: That’s an extra 4 ¼ points added to your score this morning! 

And just like that, you are cruising down the path toward good gut health. Before you know it, you will be reaching your 30 plant points each week without even thinking about it.

Consider this as an unintended consequence (a beneficial one): Many folks note feeling a little better by the end of the first week, with most individuals beginning to recognize substantial improvements by the third week. So much so that we often hear – and can attest to from our own experience – that shifting back to their old habits, even for just one meal, left them feeling “gross”, “lethargic”, or “unsatisfied” after meals.

Remember to not be hard on yourself either. If you don’t hit 30 points in your first week or even the first month that is just fine (but major kudos if you have maintained the intention for a full month!). If you have increased your intake over time, though, then keep at it, you’re well on your way. Build momentum for yourself and eventually you’ll find ways to incorporate some of these plant-based food items in new ways, ways you might have thought never possible!

And for those of you who are paying close attention, you may have noticed something else about counting these points (and if you did catch this, go ahead and give yourself an extra point this week). The AGP study suggests a minimum of 30 plants per week, right? Well, if you have achieved your 30-point goal, and you have been incorporating a variety of herbs, spices, teas, and healthy plant-based oils (i.e. extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, etc.) then you probably realized you have gone well beyond that 30-plant recommendation!

Key Takeaways

• The American Gut Project demonstrated that participants eating a wider variety of plants (30 or more per week) had more healthy, diverse gut microbiomes

• Adding more plants to your diet can improve many aspects of your health, including reducing your risk of developing chronic illnesses, helping to mitigate antibiotic resistance in the gut, and stabilizing your mood

• Eating 30 or more plants per week may not be as hard as it sounds. You can count nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices — even coffee and dark chocolate — along with fruits, vegetables, and grains

• A diverse microbiome is associated with a healthier, more resilient gut contributing to better digestive function, including healthier bowel movements

• At least 2/3 of our plate should be plant foods, while the remaining 1/3 can be of meat origin (aim for a mixture of fish, poultry, and red meats), and healthy fats.

References

1. McDonald D, Hyde E, Debelius JW, et al. American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research. mSystems. 2018;3(3):e00031-18. Published 2018 May 15. doi:10.1128/mSystems.00031-18.

2. Wang DD et al., 2021. Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women and a Meta-Analysis of 26 Cohort Studies. Volume 143, Number 17. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996

3. Wiertsema SP, van Bergenhenegouwen J, Garssen J, Knippels LMJ. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):886. doi: 10.3390/nu13030886. PMID: 33803407; PMCID: PMC8001875.

4. Cohen, S. (2021, March 19). If you want to boost immunity, look to the gut. UCLA Health. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/want-to-boost-immunity-look-to-the-gut#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSeventy%20percent%20of%20the%20immune%20system%20is,professor%20emeritus%20of%20medicine%20at%20UCLA%20Health.&text=Immune%20cells%20in%20the%20gut%20interact%20with,influenced%20by%20an%20individual’s%20diet%20and%20lifestyle.

5. Lozupone CA et al. Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota. Nature. 2012 Sep 13;489(7415):220-30. doi: 10.1038/nature11550. PMID: 22972295; PMCID: PMC3577372.

6. Carabotti M, Scirocco A, Maselli MA, Severi C. The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Ann Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr-Jun;28(2):203-209. PMID: 25830558; PMCID: PMC4367209.

7. Appleton J. The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2018 Aug;17(4):28-32. PMID: 31043907; PMCID: PMC6469458.

8. Deng F, Li Y, Zhao J. The gut microbiome of healthy long-living people. Aging (Albany NY). 2019 Jan 15;11(2):289-290. doi: 10.18632/aging.101771. PMID: 30648974; PMCID: PMC6366966.

9. Andreescu M. Molecular Insights Into the Role of Gut Microbiota in Antibiotic Therapy Selection and Resistance Mitigation. Cureus. 2023 Dec 11;15(12):e50318. doi: 10.7759/cureus.50318. PMID: 38089944; PMCID: PMC10714069.