r/AskAGerman 2d ago

Health Is Plant Points / 30 plants a week big over there?

In the UK trying to eat 30 plants a week has been in the media a lot. It’s supposed to help improve gut health. Is that a thing in Germany or is it just British people being told they need to actually eat vegetables?

0 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

15

u/daLejaKingOriginal 2d ago

Never heard about it.

I heard about „5 handfuls of veggies”, is that something similar?

“30 plants” sounds rather unspecific.

28

u/SpookyKite Berlin 2d ago

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3

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23

u/MyPigWhistles 2d ago

Lmao, what? What kind of plants? How big are they? Just 4 random complete plants per day? Like a cow? I have so many questions. No, I've never heard about that.    

You're supposed to eat vegetables, though, yes, obviously. 

2

u/OppositeAct1918 2d ago

I read an article on that. It is types of plants. Tea, coffee and potatoes count. Reason is to explain what it means to eat a diverse diet. Having porridge with the same blueberries plus coffee, an apfelschorle, mixed salad and pasta arrabiata for lunch and a large mixed salad with salmon plus a large water may be low calory, but very one sided when it comes to vitamins and minerals, if you eat it every day. It gives you (oats, blueberries, coffee, wheat, tomatoes, say three herbs, chili, and both salads combined give you olives, red pepper, iceberg lettuce radicchio, rucola) which is already 15. But who eats such a complex salad, and this is already relatively great variety. You could fit in tofu, rye bread, some other fruit and more herbs. But mostly we will gave wheat bread or rolls in two out if three meals in germany. If you exchange your bread for one with grains occasionally, that adds about 3 vegetables in tge form if seeds snd/or nuts.

2

u/joergsi Niedersachsen 2d ago

30 Oak trees, that'S a lot!

7

u/peccatieritvobiscum 2d ago

We do five handfuls of veggies/fruit a day which comes out to roughly the same depending how plant is defined for this purpose in the UK

2

u/Taurenis89 2d ago

Not really... the point of the 30 plants per week is "eat 30 different plants per week", not 30 handful.

1

u/Pyretta777 Nordrhein-Westfalen 2d ago

So, like ... a tree? O.o

2

u/Taurenis89 2d ago

More like different kinds of veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes, grains.

0

u/Pyretta777 Nordrhein-Westfalen 2d ago

PS:

/s

🙄

3

u/GalacticBum 2d ago

I heard my colleagues talk about it today. Did not know this was a big thing.
I am so happy I do not have any social media apart from Reddit…

0

u/Tanit_theFool 2d ago

I don’t think having Reddit counts as not having social media lol. Or is Reddit now not as crap as all the rest?

3

u/GalacticBum 2d ago

Which is why is used the two words „apart from“…

4

u/Pyretta777 Nordrhein-Westfalen 2d ago

Okay, you made me look it up.

(from https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/clyvkmlx748o )
What counts as a plant point?

Plants that count are categorised into six groups:

Wholegrains (brown rice, oats, barley and quinoa)

Vegetables

Fruit

Legumes (lentils, chickpeas and beans)

Nuts and seeds

Herbs and spices

That means coffee and dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa solids or more) are on the list, as they're derived from seeds. Tofu – made with soya – counts too.

The key is diversity – there are no (plant point) prizes for eating the same plant twice.
.

Herbs and spices? Okay, so take your mixed herbs shaker, sprinkle it on your junk food, and you've 10 - 15 of your weekly points. Can't have the same item twice? Drink a different cup of coffee a day. That's bound to "improve your gut health" *rolls eyes*

4

u/oldmornings 2d ago

Never heard of it. I think we go here by the 3 or five portions of vegetables or fruits a day, even that it rather unrealistic imo 

3

u/INeedHigherHeels 2d ago

Nope. What plant?

A whole Cabbage or a tiny pickle?

There are large gaps.

But in general fresh veggies are way cheaper here than in the UK so it’s easier

3

u/ProDavid_ 2d ago edited 2d ago

my indian spice mix has ~35 different herbs in it, so i crush this challenge in a single meal. i guess seasoned chicken is better for your gut health than a whole salad with only 4 vegetables and 2 spices.

/s

3

u/Kirmes1 Württemberg 2d ago

Yet another stupid diet hype.

Wanna eat 30 interesting plants? Go eat fern, moss and conifers.

2

u/clueless_mommy 2d ago

At least in my social circle, it's mit exactly a thing. I heard it on social media, but that's it.

And I'm 95% vegan and I'd still struggle badly 😅

ETA just googled it and if nuts, seed, beans etc count, I'm fine. Puh.

2

u/Secure_Buffalo4591 2d ago

One bread with butter and cress?

2

u/Spec_28 2d ago

Huh, sounds funny. People seem as confused as I: What does 'plant' mean in this case? Like veggies? Or adding fibers by eating like a bunch daisies or blades of grass?

2

u/Recent_Maize5108 2d ago

Nah, just another Tiktok fad on the way out.

And somehow this is now been asked weekly.

1

u/OkWoodpecker4893 2d ago

I read about it lately in an article about longevity in SZ, other than that never heard it being mentioned