When we were calculating the plant intake from eating Wildly Tasty dishes, we discovered that by combining the two dishes with the most variety of plants, you are consuming 26 unique plants and 87% of your total weekly plant target! 🙌🏼
Making just two of your 21 meals a week a Wildly Tasty dish will significantly help boost your plant intake and increase diversity for your gut.
So firstly; What should we be aiming for in our diets?? 🍎🍅🍆🧅🥔🍠🥦
The concept is simple: aim for30 different plants a week.
This philosophy was something that was championed by the Zoe co-founder, Professor Tim Spector, who our founder Louisa had a chance to meet last year!
A diversity of plants in our diet enhances diversity in our gut microbiome. When talking about the power of the Microbiome, Spector said;
“Once people start seeing that there is this link between the food we eat, our microbes and our immune systems, I think that changes the way we think about food. It’s not just fuel. It really is changing the way our body works.”
He has always been passionate about spreading the power of good and diverse microbes and how they can synthesise crucial feel good hormones too.
Amazing, right?!
Why does variety in our diet matter?
It’s all aboutpolyphenols, the unsung heroes of gut health. As dietitian Catherine Rabess explains:
“Polyphenols are the bodyguards of the gut. They have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, protecting against harmful invaders and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress linked to chronic diseases.”
The more variety of plants you eat, the healthier your gut—and by extension, your entire body. Plant diversity fuels a thriving gut microbiome, which can lead to:
✔️ A stronger immune system
✔️ Balanced hormones
✔️ Stable blood sugar levels
✔️ Reduced risk of diseases like bowel cancer and IBD
✔️ Enhanced brain function
✔️ Better vitamin production
Here are the plant categories:
- Fruitseg: apples, avocados, blueberries, kiwis
- Vegetableseg: carrots, spinach, asparagus, sweet potatoes
- Wholegrains e.g: brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley
- Legumes e.g: chickpeas, lentils, black beans
- Nuts + Seeds eg: almonds, walnuts, chia, sunflower seeds
- Herbs + Spices: eg: basil, oregano, pepper, cumin, ginger
Here is a table breaking down the plants in each dish:
| Rank | Dish | Plant Variety Count | Ingredients |
| 1 | Sweet Potato and Bean Chilli | 15 | Plant-based: Tomatoes, red peppers, red kidney beans, cannellini beans, onions, sweet potato, sweetcorn, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground coriander, cinnamon, black pepper. Non-plant: Tomato puree (already counted tomatoes), salt. |
| 2 | Yellow Thai Veggie Curry | 14 | Plant-based: Cauliflower, squash, peas, courgette, creamed coconut, shallots, ginger, garlic, lime juice, ground turmeric, lemongrass, ground coriander, ground cumin, chilli powder. Non-plant: Coconut oil (already counted coconut), salt. |
| 3 | Mushroom & Lentil Bolognese | 14 | Plant-based: Tomatoes, lentils, carrots, red peppers, chestnut mushrooms, onions, courgette, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, mixed herbs (thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley), black pepper. Non-plant: Tomato puree (already counted tomatoes), water, nutritional yeast flakes (deactivated yeast), salt. |
| 4 | Apricot & Chickpea Tagine | 14 | Plant-based: Tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, sweet potato, red peppers, aubergine, extra virgin olive oil, dried apricots, garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, black pepper. Non-plant: Tomato puree (already counted tomatoes), salt, water. |
| 5 | Coconut & Sweet Potato Dahl | 12 | Plant-based: Sweet potato, onions, red split lentils, spinach, creamed coconut, garlic, ginger, ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, ground black pepper. Non-plant: Water, coconut oil (already counted coconut), salt. |
| 6 | Super Tomato & 5 Veg Sauce | 12 | Plant-based: Tomatoes, carrots, onions, red peppers, courgette, red split lentils, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, dried mixed herbs (thyme, marjoram, basil, parsley). Non-plant: Tomato puree (already counted tomatoes), salt. |
Here is an example of how you can get 26 unique plants with the Sweet Potato Bean Chilli and Yellow Thai Veggie Curry:
Shared ingredients (3):
- garlic
- cumin
- coriander
Unique to Sweet Potato and Bean Chilli (12):
tomatoes, peppers, kidney beans, cannellini beans, onions, sweet potato, sweetcorn, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper, olive oil
Unique to Yellow Thai Curry (11):
cauliflower, squash, peas, courgette, coconut, shallots, ginger, lime, turmeric, lemongrass, chilli
Total unique ingredients between both dishes: 26
This combination gives you the most diverse range of plant-based ingredients, maximising your intake of different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
The foundation of Wildly Tasty is to get kids to have a love for veggies and plants from a very young age, making it easier to have a healthier lifestyle and gut as they enter adulthood ❤️
