Eat the Rainbow: Fuel up on 30 Plants a Week

Simply put, this is a fun and delicious way to supercharge your nutrition by enjoying a vibrant variety of plant-based foods. This includes not just fruits and veggies, but also whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and spices. 

Embracing this colourful cornucopia of foods ensures that you get a wide range of nutrients, boosts your gut health, and nurtures a thriving microbiome.

Looking back on my journey towards eating the rainbow, I can honestly say that it’s been a game-changer for my health and well-being. At first, it was a bit of a wake-up call (and quite a shock) to realise that my diet wasn’t as varied as I thought. Shaking up my routine and breaking free from my habit of eating the same veggies over and over was a challenge. But after a few tries, I'm proud to say that I’m now a plant-eating pro, often surpassing the 30-plant mark. Here are some tips that helped me along the way…

1. Plan Your Meals

Create a weekly meal plan that includes a vibrant array of plant foods to boost your nutrition. 

When you go grocery shopping, take a literal approach by selecting plants in every colour of the rainbow, ensuring a diverse variety to enjoy throughout the week. Incorporate different types of fruits and vegetables into each meal, aiming to introduce one to two new plants per meal. By doing this for three meals a day over seven days, you'll easily meet and surpass the goal of 30 different plant foods each week!

2. Track Your Intake

Keep a food diary to track the different plant foods you eat each week, and aim to add new and diverse options to your diet regularly. 

3. Cook Creatively

Try different cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, steaming, and raw preparations to keep meals interesting, and explore new recipes online or in cookbooks that emphasise plant-based ingredients. 

Whether you’re into smoothies, warm soups, or homemade pasta sauces, a blender can be a game-changer, allowing you to pack a wide variety of vegetables or fruits into just one meal. 

You can also easily combine different plant foods in dishes like salads, stir-fries, and grain bowls, and use a variety of herbs and spices to add flavour and increase the number of plants.

4. Snack Smart

Opting for plant-based snacks like fruit, nuts, seeds, and veggie sticks is an excellent way to increase your plant intake, especially on busy days.

5. Socialise to Your Advantage 

If you share a space with a flatmate or significant other, or frequently dine out with friends, you have the perfect chance to explore a variety of new plant-based options. Swapping cooking nights with your housemate can ease the load while still ensuring nutritious meals. Dining out becomes an adventure to try unique menu items, and hosting dinner nights provides an opportunity for everyone to contribute their own plant-based dish to the meal.

What could a typical day look like?

Day 1

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries, chia seeds, and milk of your choice
• Lunch: Quinoa salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and chickpeas 
• Snack: Apple slices with almond butter
• Dinner: Stir-fry with chicken, bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, peas and brown rice

Day 2

• Breakfast: Smoothie/juice with carrot, ginger, turmeric, and flax seeds
• Lunch: Spinach and broccoli soup with basil, green beans, onions, and garlic
• Snack: Handful of mixed nuts (walnuts, cashews, or pistachios)
• Dinner: Pasta with homemade marinara sauce (mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and charred grilled tomatoes)

 Day 3

• Breakfast: Homemade granola bars with dates, dried fruits, and nuts 
• Lunch: Whole wheat wrap with chicken, hummus, rocket, roasted red peppers, and avocado
• Snack: Baby carrots and hummus
• Dinner: Black bean tacos with corn tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa

Consider this your cue to upgrade your eating habits for enhanced health and vitality!