What if your goal this week wasn’t to eat less—but to eat more variety?
One of the simplest changes you can make for your health is also one of the easiest to overlook:
Eat 30 different plants each week.
Not 30 servings.
Not 30 new recipes.
30 different plants.
An apple counts once. Blueberries count once. Broccoli counts once. So do spinach, avocado, carrots, walnuts, chia seeds, garlic, cinnamon, and lentils.
Why 30?
Research from the American Gut Project found that people who reported eating 30 or more different plant foods each week tended to have a more diverse gut microbiome than those eating fewer than 10. And newer research continues to support the idea that both the amount and diversity of fruits and vegetables influence the gut microbiome.
But I don't think the story stops at your gut.
Your cells need variety, too.
I’ve been reading Heal Your Cells by Dr. Will Cole and Dr. Josh Axe, and one of the ideas that keeps coming back to me is this:
Health begins at the cellular level.
Their new book focuses on cellular function, inflammation, mitochondrial health, nutrition, and the idea that we need to move upstream and support the body at its foundation—not simply chase symptoms.
And one of the most practical ways we can do that is through the food we eat.
Every plant comes with its own unique combination of vitamins, minerals, fiber, polyphenols, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients.
Blueberries aren't broccoli.
Broccoli isn't garlic.
Garlic isn't an avocado.
And spinach isn't a pomegranate.
They each bring something different to the table.
So instead of obsessing over whether one particular food is the ultimate "superfood," what if we simply started eating a greater variety of whole foods?
This is where Jordan Rubin's message fits beautifully.
Jordan Rubin has spent decades talking about food as part of God's design for health—returning to nutrient-dense, whole foods and nourishing the body rather than simply trying to suppress symptoms.
His current work emphasizes the connection between healthy soil, nutrient-dense plants, the gut, and the body's ability to thrive. He also frequently emphasizes colorful plants, cruciferous vegetables, berries, herbs, spices, and other plant foods as sources of compounds that support the body's natural repair and defense systems.
That idea resonates deeply with me:
We weren't designed to eat the same five foods over and over again.
We were designed to eat from a garden.
So let's make this ridiculously practical.
You don't need to completely overhaul your diet.
Just start keeping a little tally.
For example:
Monday
Eggs + spinach
Blueberries
Avocado
Broccoli
Sweet potato
Garlic
Apple
That's already 7 different plants.
Add walnuts and chia seeds to your breakfast.
Add carrots and arugula to lunch.
Have roasted Brussels sprouts and a few raspberries with dinner.
Suddenly you're at 12–15 without doing anything complicated.
By the end of the week, you may be surprised how quickly you get to 30.
And here's the part I really want you to remember:
You don't have to eat perfectly to eat well.
Frozen vegetables count.
Fresh vegetables count.
Herbs and spices count.
Different colors count.
A handful of berries counts.
A few tablespoons of seeds count.
You don't need an exotic superfood from another country.
Start with what you already love—and then add a little more variety.
Think color. Think diversity. Think whole foods.
Your ROOTED Challenge
This is one of the practices I'm beginning to incorporate into what I'm working toward as my ROOTED approach to health.
I'm still developing the framework, and I'll be sharing more about it with you in the months ahead.
But at its heart, ROOTED is about getting back to the foundations of health:
real food, nourishment, movement, connection, and living in alignment with the way our bodies were designed.
And this is a simple place to start:
Can you eat 30 different plant foods this week?
To make it easy, I've created a printable 30 Plants a Week chart you can put right on your refrigerator. Keep a pen nearby and add each new plant as you eat it throughout the week. There's something surprisingly motivating about watching that list grow!
And don't worry if you don't hit 30 the first week.
If you normally eat 10 different plants and you get to 18, that's progress.
If you get to 25, celebrate it.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is to give your gut, your cells, and your body more of the raw materials they need to thrive.
And if you're thinking, "Okay, Amber, I love this idea, but I have no idea how to actually get 30 plants into my week,"that's exactly the kind of thing I want to help you with.
Sometimes we don't need more information.
We just need a little handholding and a simple plan.
So print the chart, stick it on your fridge, and start keeping track.
One simple practice. One week at a time.
And stay tuned—I'll be sharing more about what I'm building with ROOTED soon.
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