Eating 30 Plants Weekly: A Gut Health Guide

Kim Schewitz, a health reporter, has successfully transitioned from a picky eater to consuming 30 different plant foods weekly for gut health. This nutritional strategy is based on findings from The American Gut Project, a 2018 study indicating that a diverse plant intake correlates with a healthier gut microbiome. Schewitz achieves this goal without traditional meal prepping by implementing four specific habits.

These habits are designed to be time-efficient and sustainable. They include stocking the freezer with leafy greens, maintaining a supply of pre-cooked grains, prioritizing a fiber-rich breakfast, and treating vegetable consumption as a game. These methods allow her to consistently consume fiber-filled, nutritious foods while managing a busy schedule.

Research suggests that a diverse gut microbiome is a healthy one, and that eating a wide range of fiber-rich foods, specifically plants, boosts this diversity. The gut microbiome, consisting of trillions of microbes living in the colon lining, is linked to overall health beyond just digestion. It is thought to influence mood, skin, hormones, immune system, weight, and possibly even cancer risk.

A 2018 study called The American Gut Project provided a specific framework for healthy eating. The study found that people who ate 30 plant foods a week had more "good" bacteria and less "bad" bacteria in their guts than those who ate 10. Fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, and seeds contain micronutrients and vitamins crucial for bodily processes, in addition to being high in gut-friendly fiber.

To ensure she always has vegetables available, Schewitz keeps a bag of spinach and a bag of kale in her freezer. This allows her to add greens to any meal that is lacking vegetables. Dark leafy greens are high in chlorophyll, the molecule that gives them their rich color, which is densely packed with essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, and nitrogen.

Reaching for a handful of frozen leaves takes seconds and involves no preparation or additional steps. Schewitz adds them to almost anything she is cooking, including:

• Pasta sauce
• Curry
• Scrambled eggs

This habit instantly makes any meal more nutritious without requiring extra time for washing or chopping fresh produce.

While Schewitz can quickly prepare vegetables and protein, she notes that the carbohydrate element of meals often takes the most time. To solve this, she makes extra whole grains like brown rice or quinoa when she cooks them, storing the surplus in sandwich bags in the freezer. She also purchases bags of pre-cooked grains to add to salads or serve with fish and veggies.

Keeping the kitchen stocked with these items speeds up the cooking process significantly. Her inventory includes:

• Pre-cooked whole grains
• Dry whole wheat pasta
• Frozen whole wheat sourdough

These items serve as great sources of fiber and eliminate the need to cook grains from scratch during busy weeknights.

Schewitz eats a high-fiber breakfast every day that consists of Greek yogurt, berries, peanut butter, and a selection of nuts and seeds. She adapts the ingredients based on what is available in her cupboard, but the combination typically provides around seven different plant foods. This single meal contributes approximately 7 grams of fiber to her daily intake.

The breakfast is quick to assemble, helping her start the day with a significant amount of fiber. By front-loading her fiber intake in the morning, she ensures she is well on her way to her weekly goal before the day has truly begun.

Schewitz sets a goal of buying at least three types of vegetables a week and ensuring she eats them before they spoil. If the vegetables do not pair well with her scheduled meals, she eats them as snacks. She describes this approach as a "helpful little challenge" that helps her build the habit of adding more plants to her diet.

For example, she recently chopped up a whole cabbage and cooked it on the stovetop with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. She warmed up small portions throughout the week whenever she felt like it, a process that took about 15 minutes. She notes that she gets dopamine from "winning" the game of consuming her purchased produce.

By developing these four habits over the past five years, Kim Schewitz has created a sustainable system for eating 30 plant foods a week. She no longer worries excessively about hitting her specific plant count because she knows she is consistently eating fiber-filled, nutritious foods. Her approach demonstrates that improving gut health does not require rigid meal prepping, but rather strategic stocking and simple daily habits.

Why does Kim Schewitz eat 30 plant foods a week?
She does this to support her gut microbiome. A 2018 study called The American Gut Project found that people who ate 30 plant foods a week had more "good" bacteria and less "bad" bacteria in their guts than those who ate 10.

How does she manage this without meal prepping?
She relies on four time-saving habits: keeping frozen leafy greens in the freezer, stocking pre-cooked grains, eating a high-fiber breakfast of yogurt, berries, and nuts, and gamifying her vegetable intake by buying three types a week and ensuring they are eaten.

What are the benefits of a diverse gut microbiome?
Research suggests a diverse gut microbiome is healthy. It is linked to better digestion, mood, skin condition, hormone regulation, immune system function, weight management, and potentially lower cancer risk.