30 Plants a Week?? Why It Matters—And How to Make It Happen (Even When – Sneakz Organic

Your gut doesn't care how fancy your meals are. It just wants variety. Yes, it's the spice of life. Literally. It's impossible to reach your optimal health level without having a healthy, active gut biome. That’s why the “30 plants a week” rule is one of the smartest, simplest, and most powerful things you can do for your health.

This idea comes from the American Gut Project, one of the largest microbiome studies ever done. They found that people who eat 30 or more unique plant foods per week have a more diverse gut microbiome—and that’s a very good thing.

A diverse diet leads to a healthy gut biome which leads to:

Stronger immunity
Better digestion
Lower inflammation (Chronic inflammation is linked to various diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer)
Improved mental health (your gut and brain talk constantly)
Weight Management ( The gut microbiome influences metabolism and energy balance)

This doesn’t mean you need to go vegan or eat only kale or avoid the occasional chocolate chip cookie. It means getting more variety—from fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, and spices. Even a sprinkle of cumin or a spoonful of lentils counts.

But we're all busy people. Most of us don't have time count plants. We have jobs, carpool, sports practice, and maybe 20 minutes to get dinner on the table.

So I created a recipe for us. Well, more specifically, for those of us that want to feed our families better but don’t have the time (or the knife skills) to make it a full-time job.

🍲 The Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Soup

A one-pot, plant-powered recipe that gets you most of the way to 30 without even trying.

Serves: 4–6
Time: About 35 minutes
Plants in one batch: 22+ (with easy options to boost to 30)

🥕 Ingredients

Base Veggies (chopped small):

1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
2 garlic cloves
1 zucchini or yellow squash (or a combo)
1 red bell pepper (or a combo of red, yellow, green)
1 cup chopped spinach or kale (fresh or frozen, frozen works great and makes the chopping a little easier)
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup canned or chopped tomatoes

Legumes:

½ cup cooked lentils (I often substitute with black beans)
½ can chickpeas
½ can white beans

Grains:

½ cup cooked quinoa, brown rice, or whole grain pasta

Herbs & Flavor:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of ½ lemon
Optional: splash of apple cider vinegar

Finish:

1 tbsp ground flaxseed (stirred in at the end)
1 tbsp sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (on top)
Chopped parsley, dill, or basil (if you’ve got it)

👨🍳 Instructions

Sauté the aromatics.
In a large pot (make sure it's large enough to hold all the ingredients, this is a hearty soup), heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. Sauté 5–7 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Build the base.
Add zucchini, red pepper, peas, tomato, lentils, chickpeas, white beans, turmeric, thyme, cumin, and 4–6 cups broth (Lots of options with broth. Pick your favorite) or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add the grains & greens. (Cook grains ahead of time. Follow the directions on the package. Don't overcook)
Stir in your pre-cooked grain of choice and the spinach or kale. Simmer 5 more minutes.
Finish and flavor.
Turn off heat. Stir in flaxseed, lemon juice, and optional vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Top and serve.
Ladle into bowls. Garnish with seeds and herbs. Serve with toast, avocado, or whatever your kids will actually eat.

🌱 Want to Hit 30 Plants? Use These Add-Ins

You can easily take this soup from 22 plants to over 30 with a few smart swaps or extras:

Add or swap in:

Sweet potato
Arugula or watercress
Buckwheat or farro
Black beans or edamame
Miso or kimchi (stir in at the end)
Cashew or walnut butter (for creaminess)
Fresh ginger or lemongrass
Chia, hemp, or sesame seeds (I throw a handful of hemp seeds into almost everything)

And yes—even dried herbs and spices count.

Need help tracking your plant variety? Download our free printable:

Sneakz 50-Plant Weekly Checklist

🕒 Can I Prep This Ahead? Make It with the Kids? Freeze It for Later?

Yes, yes, and yes. This soup isn’t just nutritious—it’s a workhorse.

🧊 Meal Prep Strategy

Chop and store the base veggies in the fridge for 3 days—or freeze them.
Pre-cook grains and refrigerate for 5 days.
Freeze legumes like chickpeas and lentils in small containers.
Make a dry spice mix and store in a jar.

You can also make the full soup (leave out the grains and greens) and freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat gently with extra broth or water. And then add in the grains and greens if desired. Meal prep is a perfect way to get the kids involved.

Cooking with Kids

Toddlers (3–6): rinse beans, tear spinach, stir spices, sprinkle seeds, check off plants on the list.
Kids (7–10): measure, stir, chop soft veggies with supervision.
Tweens & Teens (11+): let them cook the whole thing—or own a weekly "Soup Night."

🍱 Batch & Flip Strategy

Make a double batch:

Night 1: Serve as is.
Night 3: Blend leftovers, stir in cashew butter, and serve as a creamy bisque.

Let me know if we can help in any way. Need downloadable mobile-friendly shopping list? A re-useable weekly plant checklist? I’m here to help you get more plants into your week—without losing your mind.

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