Eating 30 different plant-based foods each week is becoming a popular nutrition goal, with research suggesting that greater dietary diversity may support a healthier gut microbiome. In a BBC experiment, health journalist Melissa Hogenboom challenged herself to reach the target and ended up consuming an impressive 51 different plants in just seven days.
Surprisingly, the challenge required only small changes to her usual meals.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices all count towards the total, making variety easier to achieve than expected.
Research published in 2018 found an association between eating at least 30 different plants weekly and greater gut microbial diversity, although experts emphasise that 30 is not a strict scientific threshold.
Adding berries to breakfast, seeds to salads and extra vegetables to dinner could be a simple way to improve dietary variety without dramatically changing everyday eating habits.