Why you can trust Nutri Advanced  Every article on our site is researched thoroughly by our team of highly qualified nutritionists. Find out more about our editorial process.

In the last decade or so, research into how the balance of gut bacteria impacts overall health has been prolific. And whilst there is still much to discover and understand about this delicate internal ecosystem, what we do know for sure is that a diverse community of gut microorganisms sits right at the very foundation of pretty much every aspect of health.

One important message I share with clients is that a healthy gut microbiota contains lots of different types of bacteria. And it is possible to actively support the diversity of gut bacteria by including a wide variety of different plant foods in the diet. Instead of buying the same fruit and veg to make the same meals each week, my advice is to constantly mix it up and include lots of different types. Want to find out how? Read on for practical steps and simple tips to help increase your variety of fruit, vegetables and culinary herbs (FVH).

1. Bring your full awareness to current habits


Awareness of what you’re doing right now is crucial for habit change. Before I meet a client for their first consultation I ask them to complete a 3-day food diary. This diary was originally designed to provide me with information on current eating patterns, however I quickly realised that just the action of keeping a food diary was a catalyst for clients to make changes before they even arrived in my clinic! Writing down everything you eat and drink over a few days is a bit like shining a huge spotlight on your current habits. And I soon learnt that bringing this ‘spotlight’ awareness to any situation is a brilliant way to kick-start the process of change. Why not try it for yourself and keep a food diary for a few days. Notice how much variety of FVH you have in your diet? How many different types are you eating each week? This is your starting point. Now see if you can improve on this?

2. Write a list of 40 different fruits, veg and culinary herbs that you like


This is a simple exercise but a powerful one. Take 5 minutes, pen and paper and make a list of 40 different fruits, vegetables and culinary herbs that you like. Aim for an 80:20 balance of veg & herbs: fruit. I’ve heard people say it’s not possible to eat 40+ different FVH in a week. This exercise is here to challenge this unhelpful belief. It totally is!

3. Set a realistic target, then make a plan


Once you know where you’re at currently, and believe that it is possible, you can identify a realistic target to aim for. If you’re typically eating 10 different types of FVH in a week, perhaps you can aim for 15 to start with? Be realistic so you’re setting yourself up to succeed, not fail. The week after, add a bit more, and so on. Once you have a realistic target, it’s time to make a plan. How are you going to achieve your goal? What’s going to change in your diet to enable greater variety of FVH? Where will you fit these in? Which meals will be easiest to change to begin with? The more consideration and detail you can put in at this stage, the more likely you are to succeed. Use these tips to help you get started:

Simple tips to increase fruits, vegetables and culinary herbs intake

Veg at breakfast


You can significantly increase your weekly variety of FVH by including some veg at breakfast. Challenge the assumption that you can’t have veg at breakfast, you can! Great ways to include veg in the morning are in an omelette (try mushrooms and red pepper), with scrambled eggs (roasted cherry tomatoes and avocado), or even in a smoothie (I often add broccoli sprouts and raw spinach to mine).

Super salads


Salads are the perfect way to add significant plant variety into your diet. No longer does a salad need to be a limp piece of lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber, nowadays anything goes and the choices of what you can put into a salad are endless! A salad base could be a mix of rocket, spinach, flat lettuce, red onion, cucumber, peppers, radish, fennel, fresh parsley, fresh coriander, fresh mint, grated carrot, grated beetroot, finely chopped raw garlic and a dollop of sauerkraut or kimchi – that’s at least 15 different types of veg and herbs in just one dish! Leftover roasted veg from dinner the night before work well too; perhaps some spiced roasted cauliflower and butternut squash, the possibilities are endless…

'Never miss an opportunity to add some veg’


Get into the habit of mentally ‘upselling’ yourself some veg every time you plan or prepare a meal. Now ingrained in my head (sadly some might say!) is the mantra, ‘never miss an opportunity to add some veg’, so if I’m making any meal I’ll always try and squeeze in an extra portion of something different. Most recipes can be adapted to suit different types of veg; if you usually serve two veg with a roast, make it three; add a side salad to your favourite pasta dish, add an extra side of veg in a restaurant; you get the picture. Over time these ‘little extras’ soon add up.

Stir fries


Stir fries are similar to salads in terms of endless opportunities to add more plant food variety into your diet. And because the veg are lightly cooked in a stir fry, you’ll be introducing different types of veg than you have in your salad. Opt for a stir fry for dinner at least once a week and you’ll soon supercharge your weekly ‘variety’ total.

Challenge yourself to try something new every week


Food shopping trips / online orders often follow habitual patterns, with the same fruit and veg on the list every week. Increasing FVH variety in your diet starts by changing your food shopping habits. Remember that different varieties count towards the grand total too – so if you normally buy Granny Smith apples, go for Braeburn instead etc. Challenge yourself to try a different type of fruit / veg / herb every week and your FVH repertoire will soon increase.

Seasonal veg box


A seasonal organic veg box is a brilliant way to introduce more variety into your diet; rather than picking what you want, you can opt to receive a box of mixed seasonal veg that’s a bit different each week. This is a great way to introduce flexibility and change into your eating habits. Riverford Organic deliver a wide range of organic fruit and veg boxes weekly.

Recipe box


Many companies now offer recipe boxes, where you get everything you need to cook a specific recipe delivered to your door. This is another great way to try new dishes and introduce more FVH variety into your diet. It’s also a lovely way to encourage children to be more involved in cooking too. As well as fruit & veg boxes, Riverford Organic offer delicious recipe boxes too.

Grow your own herbs


One of my best achievements at home during lockdown was finally growing my own culinary herbs! They’ve really taken off and are growing just outside my kitchen door which means I’m constantly reminded to add lots of different types of fresh herbs to all my dishes. I’ve grown basil, coriander, rosemary, dill, thyme, parsley, tarragon, mint, sage and lovage, and I chop up a different mixed handful to add to our lunchtime salads every day. It doesn’t matter how much space you have, you can grow culinary herbs anywhere, from a windowsill to an allotment. It’s a lot easier than you might expect and a really great way to introduce more plant variety into your diet.

Need more variety? Just make a start…


Getting more plant variety into your diet not only makes for more enjoyable meals, but has the power to dramatically impact your health. As with any goal in life, the most important thing is to set a realistic target and make a start towards it, no matter how small. Keep chipping away and soon enough you’ll have created new healthy habits that support your dietary goals.

This website and its content is copyright of Nutri Advanced ©. All rights reserved. See our terms & conditions for more detail.

Nutri Advanced has a thorough research process and for any references included, each source is scrutinised beforehand. We aim to use the highest value source where possible, referencing peer-reviewed journals and official guidelines in the first instance before alternatives. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate at time of publication on our editorial policy.