The 30 Plants A Week Challenge

Sep 19, 2022

Eat 30 different plant foods in a week...

Sounds like a lot huh? I know when I first heard about this challenge I said there was absolutely no way I would get there.

But then I learned the why behind it.

It goes without saying that eating plant foods is good for us, but what's even better is eating a large variety of plants. That's right... you don't have to eat broccoli with every meal anymore!

Eating a large variety of plant foods is good for the gut!

Why? Because it encourages the growth of different types of bacteria which improves our overall gut health.

And why is our gut health important?

The health of your gut affects your immune health, endocrine health, brain health, cardiovascular health, metabolic health, mental health, detoxification health and so much more! The gut is at the forefront of our health and so taking care of it is of utmost importance.

The Challenge

The challenge itself is fairly simple - eat a minimum of 30 whole, unprocessed plant foods in a week. Each time you eat a new plant food, check it off the list.

Each food only counts once, so if you eat the same thing a few times in a week, that is totally OK but it only counts once.

But what you may not know is just how many foods count as plant foods.

What counts as a plant food?

If the food comes from a plant and is unprocessed, it counts!

Plant foods include all fruits and vegetables, legumes (peas, lentils, tofu and canned or dried beans), grains, milks made from nuts or grains, nuts and seeds.

Fruits and Vegetables

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, apricots, sweet potatoes, peaches, plums, melons, eggplant, lemons, lettuce, green beans, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, corn, Swiss chard, celery, beets, onions, cauliflower, cherries, bananas, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, oranges, apples, rhubarb, leeks, pumpkin, green peas, peppers and more!

Legumes

Split peas, pinto beans, chickpeas, mung beans, white beans, red beans, pinto beans, broad beans, red lentils, green lentils, fava beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, lima beans, soy beans, tofu, and more!

Grains

Wild rice, dried corn and cornmeal, barley, oats and oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, wheat, rye, millet, brown or white rice and rice milk, popcorn and more!

Nuts and Seeds

Cashews, pumpkin seeds, flax, hemp, chia, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, tahini, almonds or almond butter or almond milk, walnuts, Brazil nuts, coconut, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts and more! Herbs and Spices Parsley, mint, sage, saffron, turmeric, thyme, basil, lemongrass, fennel, cumin, cinnamon, chives, pepper, cardamon, caraway, chili powder, cloves, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, rosemary, oregano, lavender, ginger, dill and more!