Plant points
and how to earn them

The importance of plants in our diet is no secret.

Long before ‘Veganuary’ became a thing and ‘plant-based diets’ boomed in popularity, we learned how getting our ‘5-a-day’ helps us stay healthy.

You’ll find the phrase all over, from supermarket ads to food labels – and it remains a good rule of thumb for planning what we eat.

But the truth is ‘5-a-day’ is not the whole story, and while it’s a good place to start it doesn’t take into account the needs of the 40 trillion microbes of bacteria that live in our gut.

Different types of bacteria perform different jobs, and each likes to be fed with different plants – which means it’s not just about getting the right amount of fruit, veg and other plants but also the right variety.

That’s where ‘plant points’ come in…

What counts as a plant?

When we talk about ‘5-a-day’ we often think about fruit and vegetables… but in fact there are six main plant groups – known as the ‘Super Six’ – that should all ideally form part of our diet.

The others are wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices.

All these plant types bring different benefits for our health, so achieving a good mix is key for our health.

What is a plant point?

Plant points are basically a handy way of keeping track of how many different plants we’re getting in our diet.

Each plant counts as one point, while extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and herbs and spices are all ¼ of a point each.

The aim for good health is to ‘score’ 30 points or more in a week.

But here’s the important thing to remember: it’s not about how many plants you eat, but the variety.

For instance, two bananas only counts as one plant point. This scoring system means we have to seek more variety in our diet in order to hit our target.

Note: Different coloured fruit and vegetables (such as red and green apples, or orange and yellow peppers) count separately. So, one red apple and one green apple equals two plant points. This is because they contain different compounds.

What does and doesn’t count?

The good news is that dried, canned and frozen plants all count – so you don’t have to be eating fresh in order to get your 30 points.

However, refined plants such as fruit and vegetable juices and white grains (e.g. white rice) don’t count as many nutritional benefits are lost in the processing – so make sure to try and stick to whole foods.

Remember, wholegrain products DO count… so make sure to choose wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and brown rice to boost your plant point tally!

Tofu also counts as it’s made from soya.

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The good news is that dried, canned and frozen plants all count – so you don’t have to be eating fresh in order to get your 30 points.

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Is 30 plant points per week realistic?

Absolutely! Although it does sound like a lot at first, when you start to break things down it begins to seem achievable.

Basically, to hit your target, you’ll need to aim for an average of four or five plant points each day.

On Monday, let’s say you have a bowl of porridge (one point). You can score a quick win by adding some raspberries (one point), seeds (one point) and cinnamon (1/4 point), and before you know it you’re already on three-and-a-quarter points from your first meal of the week.

Even if you stick to porridge the whole week, you can score more points by swapping the fruit (bananas, dates, blueberries, strawberries are all yummy!) and switching up the seeds (sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds etc. all count as one plant point each) – and all that’s just from your breakfast alone.

If that sounds all too much effort first thing in the morning, you may find it easier to achieve variety in your main evening meal, even if it’s just a case of rotating which bags of frozen veg you drag out of the freezer!

You can rack up points while snacking too. Usually take an apple to work? Next day choose a pear and then perhaps an orange (that’s another three points scored), or go nuts to increase your numbers… with walnuts, almonds, cashews etc. all counting as one plant point apiece.

Portion size matters of course (especially when it comes to things like nuts, which are high in fat and calories), and you can find out more about recommended portions with our handy digital guide, but to start with just focus on variety and working those different plants into your routine.

Why do plant points matter?

Plants contain essential nutrients our bodies need, supporting our immune system to function at its best.

By increasing the variety of plants we eat, we’re helping our gut to be healthy.

That’s good news for our body and our minds too, as research suggests a healthy gut contributes to better mental health and mood.

Plant points are just a simple way of keeping us on course and headed in the right direction.

It’s not an exact science, so don’t sweat it if you fail to hit your target and don’t regard it as a failure. Instead, keep it fun. If you’ve got kids, why not create a chart together and use it to keep score?

Fall a little short? Well, better luck next time!

The most important thing is you’ll be getting in the habit of increasing the variety of plants in your diet and, in doing so, giving your body the nutrients it needs.

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