'I tried to eat 30 plant points in a week – here's what happened'

Experts like Dr Rupy and Tim Spector say eating 30 different plant foods a week can improve our health – and there are scientific studies, external to back it up. So, how easy is it?

The American Gut Project carried out research, external on 10,000 people and found those who ate 30 or more different plants a week had a more diverse gut microbiome.

Science suggests this can help protect against disease, external, improve metabolic and immunological functions, external, and promote healthy ageing, external.

Where do I sign up?

There's six groups to choose from:

Tofu also makes the list as it's made from soya; ditto tea, which comes from a plant. The same goes for coffee and dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa solids or more) since they come from seeds.

Things to remember:

Consultant gut health dietitian, Kirsten Jackson, external recommends making sure each meal has a carbohydrate – oats, wild rice, buckwheat and quinoa all count. She also suggests making additions to your typical roster of dishes rather than starting from scratch.

"I think where a lot of people go wrong is they think they need new recipes or a whole overhaul," she says. "With this it's all about 'the more the merrier' and looking at what you're already eating and bringing [other] foods in."

She suggests adding vegetables or lentils to traditionally low-fibre dishes like spaghetti bolognese, or using tofu instead of red meat, to increase plant points.

With that in mind I made sure my kitchen was stocked with nuts and veg. I bought cheaper frozen fruit instead of fresh, and canned mixed beans – a clever hack since each tin counts for six points (one for each bean).

I kicked off Monday with tomatoes and spinach alongside scrambled eggs and tea (2.25 points) for breakfast, then carrot soup for lunch made with onion, garlic, stock and spices, plus an extra point for cucumber and crackers on the side (5).

Dinner's where it really stacked up: tofu with quinoa, edamame, avocado, spring onion, pak choy, two types of sesame seeds, oil and ginger, taking my daily total to 15.75 points… proof that one well-planned meal can massively boost your plant points.

Porridge on Tuesday morning (oats, banana, cinnamon and hazelnuts) earned me 3.25 points, while slow-cooked chicken thighs, leeks and peas for dinner accounted for three.

Lunch was packed with points thanks to mixed beans on my baked sweet potato with tuna and salad leaves (8 points). An apple, coffee and dark chocolate took my total to 17.25 for the day.

That's 33 in two days – challenge completed! Maintaining the variety was more tricky…

I switched cinnamon for ginger in my porridge and hazelnuts for pecans. But then I found myself eating walnuts, which I don't even like, simply for the sake of an extra plant point.

Jackson says we need to have awareness around what we're eating but not let it become all-consuming. She recommends setting weekly goals, such as buying three types of vegetables and using them up or having a pot of mixed seeds that you add to meals.

As the week went on, my enthusiasm and points tally dwindled.

I fell into the trap of thinking I needed to cook something different every day but also scored a few easy wins, such as sprinkling sunflower seeds and radish on avocado on toast (two points) and topping soup with chilli, peanuts, basil and cauliflower leaves (four points).

Wednesday and Thursday garnered 22.25 points thanks to a green fish curry and a halloumi bake.

By Friday I was eating leftovers, meaning I finished the day on two points. On the weekend, when I was visiting friends, I added only one point each day.

It was inevitable the tally would taper off. But I needn't have worried – I finished the week on a whopping 58.5 plant points, almost double what's recommended.

I found counting plant points surprisingly easy – possibly because I had the time and inclination to make meals from scratch. Eating on the go would make it far harder.

While it did feel like a rebrand of the message we've heard countless times before – eat a balanced diet that looks like the rainbow – I was reminded of the importance of variety.

Switching up nuts and spices, adding seeds, and buying fruit I wouldn't normally choose are all good habits. I just don't need to be so gung-ho next time.

Originally published October 2024. Updated February 2026.

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