Eat 30 of these & Your Gut will THANK YOU

Mar 13

Spring is hands down my favorite season…but you might hear me say that about the FALL in a few months! I guess my goal is to find good in any season. That’s a simple key to happiness.

As a Nutrition Coach, I get asked often what foods to eat to improve overall health and my go-to answer is to eat locally and in season. Sure I LOVE my berries and do eat them year-round, but I do focus more on the majority of what I eat being food that I could grow in my garden that day. Why? That’s how our bodies were designed. Before we had grocery stores or even a way to ship items across the country safely, humans ate what was available to them.

Your gut microbiome has millions of bacteria, all of which thrive on the diversity of nutrients from nature’s medicine cabinet: fruits, veggies, herbs, and fungi. Micronutrients provide the body with more than we give them credit. I call them nature’s medicine cabinet for a reason. These powerful plant foods:

Are food for your gut bacteria
Tell your brain you are full.
Help with DNA repair
Help to fight bacteria and pathogens
Lower inflammation
Can inhibit fat synthesis and storage

In order for your body to absorb the nutrients best from the food you eat, you need to provide it with a variety of foods each week. In fact, I recently heard a study that said for optimal gut function, we need to consume 30 diverse plant foods a week! Don’t let that scare you, this also includes nuts, seeds, and spices.

So how do you get these 30 diverse plant foods each week? And eat in season? You must think I’m crazy, but I can promise you that it’s not as hard if you're intentional about it. Take a look at my week of plant foods: (*notes items in season during the spring and winter as I am currently ending winter and entering spring)

Spinach*
Blackberries
Swiss Chard*
Pumpkin*
Blueberries
Bell Pepper
Banana Pepper
Onion*
Green onion*
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Carrots*
Avocado*
Oranges*
Acorn Squash*
Golden Beets*
Broccoli*
Baby Bella Mushrooms*
Sweet Potato*
Banana
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Ginger
Pistachios
Almond Butter (single ingredient)
Peanut Butter (single ingredient)
Dried Apricots (single ingredient)
- 36. Cumin, Chili Powder, Paprika, Thyme, Oregano, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Turmeric, Corriander

So once you look at it this way, it’s not so bad, right? Of my 21 fruits and veggies, 13 are in season too! It’s not about perfect, but just looking outside your normal 3 choices and trying something new.

Here are a few images to SAVE and refer back to when you’re making that grocery list. Your goal would be to try incorporating a new variety each week that is in season and one of a different color you might not normally eat. So if you normally get a red bell pepper, try a purple if they are available. In fact, I love how colorful produce can be. Don’t be afraid to explore all the colors of the rainbow! Your gut will thank you!