This was brought to my attention by BridgeGirl and it really interested me as it sounds easy but do I eat 30 different veggies per week and the easy answer is no. So thanks for introducing this concept to us BridgeGirl. 🙏
Apparently its diversity rather than quantity that is the key and surprise surprise good gut health helps with our mental health.
I have to agree 100% with the comment that the same vegetables appear in the majority of my meals and how many others are the same as we are creatures of habit.
Here's a link to the article and I'll be counting how many different veggies I eat this coming week. And I'd be interested in how many different veggies others eat in a week. 😊
Y'all might be interested to know that the lack of diversity on the supermarket shelves is driven by two things: logistics/storage, and EU policy.
Supermarkets like things that are easy to transport and are shelf-stable. That means they select vegetables with those characteristics above all else. Taste and variety is waaaay down on the list. Anyone who's eaten home-grown sweetcorn or tomatoes knows how this works.
Did you know it is illegal to market any seed that isn't on the National List? You can give them away, and in practice the authorities will turn a blind eye to small packets sold on eBay, but you're not allowed to sell non-approved seeds for commercial cultivation, and you're not allowed to sell the plants/fruits produced from such seed.
The original intent behind this rule was, I believe, to put a lid on the proliferation of dubious "new" varieties, which was irritating but basically harmless. The net result, though, is that the seed market has been captured by big companies that can afford the high fees associated with regulatory compliance. The worldwide seed market is now controlled by a handful of mega-corporations, and in general they focus on those varieties that supermarkets (and other large consumers) like to buy.
The Heritage Seed Library sells seeds that are not on the National list as far as Im aware and Im pretty certain my organic box suppliers( a nationwide company ) often trial and sell vegetables that are unusual varieties
There are some exemptions, although I'm not sure about all the precise details. The Garden Organic range are distributed in small quantities to amateurs (there is an "amateur list" that DEFRA maintains for such things). As far as I'm aware, if you attempt to grow an unlisted seed for large-scale commercial distribution, there will be Men With Clipboards descending on your doorstep, and if you're an American, Men With Guns too (I'm serious - it happens).
Not sure about your food-box scheme. They may be Listed varieties, or possibly the government just turns a blind eye to small-volume suppliers who aren't threatening to upset the applecart.
Thanks to you, and also to BridgeGirl (for bringing this to your attention). I love veggies, but I don't eat anything like that many varieties - I will however be mindful of how many I consume this week - and will think about it a bit more - I also like benwl 's comment that pulses and nuts might count. I hope so! I agree with TheAwfulToad regarding flavour of some veggies, I much prefer to try to buy locally produced produce - when I can - as the flavour is really good - we have Hedge Veg here in Guernsey which is locally grown and I am always looking out for those.
I'll keep a tally of my veggies this week, so we can compare notes at the end of the week!
"including 30 or more different types of fruit and vegetable each week were correlated with a much higher diversity in gut microbiota when compared with a diet with a more limited variety of plant matter (10 or fewer plant types)"
But that doesnt mean counting them per month isn't fine too
Hi benwl I agree with you re: us being a 'super pedantic' group (in the main) - I've just been getting myself into a pedantic tizz in my 'Breakfast' post today - counting all items, including yoghurt and milk - but they are so good for gut diversity, alongside the fruits and veggies, nuts etc.
Thanks BridgeGirl - the information is really interesting. I was looking through people's responses the other day - some great lists of veggies and fruits.
Thanks for sharing. We have some wonderful fresh fruit & veggie and farmers markets nearby so can choose a wide variety. I’m currently cooking a curry that includes broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, onion, capsicum, potatoes, chilli and beans. My breakfast included strawberries, blueberries, almonds and hemp seeds and for lunch I just had an apple. Last night I had beetroot and asparagus with my dinner so in the last 24 hours I will have had 15 different F&V. I should make 30 easy this week 😉
I think this is fun to see how many different vegetables we eat in a week. I’m going to do it Sunday to Saturday and keep a note. Doing it for a month I would probably forget to do it but a week is do-able. I feel we are limited somewhat to what we can buy which is organic from the supermarket and also what we get delivered in our veg box so I suppose that limits some variety. Let’s see....🙂🌱
Thanks for sharing this interesting article Jerry. I will also have a go at counting up how many different fruit and veg we eat a week. Fortunately we have a regular produce market near us with local and organic food, so we do not have to rely on the supermarket.
Just one word of warning to anyone thinking of increasing their veg intake...do it slowly and pay attention to how your body is coping with it. I increased my veg fibre intake a while ago and it had the effect of giving me really bad constipation. Not what I was expecting!
Not had a chance to go through it in detail yet but it seems that the 30+ variety part was based on a very small sample of around 50 in each group and that variety was assessed by a simple questionaire. They seem to have compared the group reporting 10 or less against the greater than 30 group to maximize the chance of finding a difference and perhaps to handle the inaccuracies in self reporting.
So based on that I will certainly be trying to increase the variety I eat, but I'm not going to obsess about the 30 figure.
Well I tracked all my plant food intake for a week to see how many varieties I had and was pleased to say that the total was over 30. This included:
Fruit, veggies & herbs
1. Blueberries
2 Strawberries
3. Mangoes
4. Bananas
5. Pears
6. Apples
7. Oranges
8. Lemon
9. Coconut
10. Cabbage
11. Carrots
12. Tomatoes
13. Lettuce
14. Onions
15. Potatoes
16. Sweet Potatoes
17. Pumpkin
18. Cucumber
19. Capsicum
20. Beetroot
21. Asparagus
22. Beans
23. Cauliflower
24. Broccoli
25. Corn
26. Olives
27. Rocket
28. Spinach
29. Peas
30. Mushrooms
31. Rosemary
32. Garlic
33. Avocado
Nuts and Seeds
34. Almonds
35. Hazelnuts
36. Peanuts
37. Pepitas
38. Hemp Seeds
39. Linseed
40. Pine Nuts
At the moment I’m off work which gives me time to shop for fresh ingredients and get creative with my meal planning and cooking. I’m sure when I’m super busy back at work this task may be more challenging.
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