Most adults eat 3-4 different plants weekly (rice, potato, onion, carrot, repeat). Aiming for 30+ different plants weekly is the most-evidence-backed dietary upgrade for gut health, microbiome diversity, and overall health markers. The target sounds large; it's not as hard as it appears.
What counts as a 'plant'
Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices. Different types of the same vegetable count separately (red onion ≠ white onion, broccoli ≠ cauliflower). Spices and herbs in cooking count.
How to hit 30 weekly
Mixed salads (5 plants per bowl easily). Curries with multiple vegetables. Multiple types of berries on porridge. Mixed grains and seeds. Herbs and spices in cooking. Most people who count are surprised they're close to 30 with light deliberateness.
Track for one week. Most adults are around 10-15 different plants. Pushing to 25-30 produces measurable microbiome diversity changes within 4-6 weeks.