Gut health
30 Plants a Week
The science-backed number that could transform your gut microbiome — plus a weekly tracker and two delicious recipes to get you started.
What Does "30 Plants a Week" Actually Mean?
If you've spent time reading about gut health recently, you've probably heard the phrase "30 plants a week." It sounds like a lot but once you understand what counts as a "plant," it becomes surprisingly achievable to implement into your week.
The 30-plants-a-week concept is backed by gut microbiome research, most notably the British Gut Project, led by Professor Tim Spector at King's College London, which found that people eating 30 or more different plant varieties per week had significantly more diverse gut microbiomes than those eating fewer than 10. Research shows that gut health is one of the strongest markers of long-term digestive and overall health.
The good news? Everything plant-based counts. Herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, legumes, wholegrains, fruits, vegetables and even coffee all contribute to your weekly tally. A pinch of turmeric on your eggs, a handful of walnuts at your desk, some sesame seeds on your noodles — it all adds up.
Why Gut Diversity Matters for Your Health
Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) collectively known as your gut microbiome. These microbes are involved in everything from digesting food and producing vitamins to regulating your immune system, managing inflammation, and even influencing your mood via the gut-brain axis.
When your gut microbiome lacks diversity, it can become "unbalanced" — a state often called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis has been linked to conditions including IBS, bloating, chronic fatigue, skin problems, poor immunity, and low mood. Feeding your gut a wide range of plant foods provides the diverse fibres and polyphenols that different microbial species need to thrive.
What Do Plants Feed in Your Gut?
Different plants contain different types of prebiotic fibre, which are indigestible carbohydrates that your gut bacteria ferment and use as fuel. This fermentation produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which nourish the cells lining your colon, reduce inflammation, and support a healthy gut barrier.
The key is variety: different bacteria feed on different plant fibres. Feeding your gut the same 3–4 plants every day starves many of your microbial species. Rotate widely, and you feed many more of them.
A high-quality prebiotic and probiotic supplement can help bridge the gap on lower-plant days. Look for strains with clinical evidence behind them.
What Counts as a Plant?
This is where it gets liberating. Almost anything from the plant kingdom counts, here are the categories:
- Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, carrots, courgette, red pepper, cucumber…
- Fruits: bananas, berries, apples, mango, dates…
- Wholegrains: oats, buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, rye, barley…
- Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, edamame…
- Nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts…
- Seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds…
- Herbs & Spices: turmeric, cumin, ginger, coriander, parsley, oregano…
The only rule is: each plant variety counts once per week, no matter how many times you eat it. So yes, eating broccoli every day still only counts as 1 of your 30 — but variety is the key.
Your Weekly Plant Tracker: 30 to Aim For
Here's a starting tally of plants you can easily build into your week. Tick them off as you go. You'll be surprised how quickly they accumulate.
5 Simple Ways to Hit 30 Plants Without Overthinking It
Build a Power Breakfast
Our kefir overnight oats with mixed seeds, almond butter, and a Medjool date = 6–7 plants before 9am, plus a probiotic hit from the kefir.
Jump to Recipe →Count Your Spices
Every unique herb and spice counts. Turmeric, cumin, coriander, and ginger in a curry = 4 plants.
Rainbow Your Bowls
Aim for 3 different colours in every lunch or dinner bowl. Colour diversity = phytonutrient diversity = microbiome diversity.
Snack Smarter
A handful of mixed nuts and seeds is 3–5 plants in one go. Keep a jar of mixed nuts mix on your desk all week.
White Mausu Black Bean Rayu
This flavour-packed condiment features fermented black beans, chilli, and toasted sesame — a shortcut to depth, umami, and gut-friendly fermented foods. We love it on our Miso Tahini Rainbow Noodle Bowl below.
Shop Black Bean Rayu →Recipe 1: Kefir Overnight Oats
Probiotic-rich, fibre-packed, and ready in the morning with very little effort. A genuine gut-health powerhouse in a jar.
200g kefir yoghurt
30g oats
1 tbsp almond butter (15g)
1 tbsp mixed seeds (10–12g) (chia, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, flax)
1 Medjool date, chopped
Optional extras
Pinch cinnamon
Small handful berries
Sprinkle cacao nibs
Add oats, kefir, milk, seeds and almond butter to a jar or bowl.
Stir well.
Refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
In the morning, top with the chopped Medjool date.
Recipe 2: Miso Tahini Rainbow Noodle Bowl
This bowl has become a firm favourite for good reason. It's colourful, quick, endlessly adaptable, and packed with gut-loving ingredients. Buckwheat noodles are naturally gluten-free and rich in fibre and plant protein. The miso tahini dressing is where the magic happens: white miso is a fermented food that contributes live cultures to support your microbiome, while tahini provides calcium, iron, and anti-inflammatory sesame lignans. Topped with raw vegetables and White Mausu Black Bean Rayu, this bowl delivers 8+ plants in one sitting.
200g buckwheat noodles
1 carrot, ribboned or grated
½ cucumber, sliced into batons
1 red pepper, finely sliced
1 tbsp mixed sesame seeds
1 egg, boiled and halved
To top: White Mausu Black Bean Rayu
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1–3 tbsp warm water, to loosen
Cook buckwheat noodles according to packet instructions. Rinse well under cold water and drain thoroughly as this stops them sticking and keeps them springy.
While the noodles cook, prepare all your vegetables: ribbon or grate the carrot, slice the cucumber into batons, and finely slice the red pepper. Boil the egg for 7 minutes for a just-set yolk.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, adding warm water one tablespoon at a time until the dressing is smooth and pourable. Taste and adjust.
Toss the cold noodles with half the dressing, then arrange the vegetables over the top. Drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Finish with sesame seeds, the halved boiled egg, and a generous spoonful of Black Bean Rayu. Serve immediately.
Why Fermented Foods Deserve a Spot in Your Routine
Both recipes above include fermented ingredients — kefir yoghurt in the overnight oats, and miso in the noodle dressing. This is intentional. Fermented foods contain live cultures (probiotics) that can help populate your gut with beneficial bacteria, supporting microbiome balance alongside the diversity you're building with your 30 plants.
Other fermented foods worth adding to your weekly rotation include: kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh, and live apple cider vinegar.
Quality matters with both of these cupboard staples. Look for unpasteurised miso (which retains live cultures) and 100% pure tahini made from hulled sesame seeds for the creamiest dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do herbs and spices really count toward 30 plants a week?
Yes, and this is one of the most encouraging parts of the 30-plants framework. Herbs and spices are some of the most polyphenol-dense plants you can eat. A teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of cumin, a handful of fresh coriander — they all count. This means a single curry or stir-fry can deliver 4–6 plant points just from seasoning.
Does frozen or tinned fruit and veg count?
Absolutely. Frozen and tinned produce is often harvested and processed at peak ripeness, meaning the nutritional profile can be comparable to fresh. Tinned chickpeas, frozen edamame, and frozen berries are brilliant, budget-friendly options for hitting your weekly count.
I have IBS — is a high-fibre diet safe for me?
If you have IBS, dramatically increasing fibre and plant diversity can sometimes cause temporary bloating as your microbiome adjusts. The key is to go slowly and build up gradually over several weeks. Some people with IBS also find certain high-FODMAP plants more triggering than others. Our in-house supplement advisor, Cheryl, is a qualified Healthy Gut Practitioner, if you wanted some more guidance here.
Do cooking oils (like sesame oil) count as plants?
Extracted oils like sesame oil, olive oil, and coconut oil don't count as the fibre and most of the phytonutrients are lost in the extraction process. Whole seeds, nuts, and olives themselves do count.
What's the fastest way to add more plants to my week?
The quickest win is a mixed seed jar: combine at least 5 different seeds (sesame, chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower, hemp and whatever you like really!) and sprinkle over everything — salads, soups, yoghurt, noodle bowls. That's 5–6 plants from one habit, with zero extra cooking. Check out our mixed seed jar on Instagram →
