This issue of Excess Baggage is slightly different to what I usually post as this is the first in a monthly health and fitness-themed linkup – Wellness Reimagined.
It’s the usual Excess Baggage with (going forward) monthly check-ins and, each month, a review of a health/wellness-themed book. Naturally, there’ll be a recipe – this is, after all, my blog.
Last Week …
I wasn’t as strict this week with any of my behaviours. I tracked, but not all the time and on the days I didn’t track, I didn’t eat well. You’d think I’d know by now, right? As I’ve said though, this is a long-term thing. In any case, the scales were kinder to me than I deserved.
There were plenty of ticks in boxes:
- 70,000 steps for the week
- 2 x strength/resistance sessions
- 1 x swim
- 5 x beach walks
- 4 x alcohol-free days
I’m happy with that.
Book of the Month
How to Eat Thirty Plants a Week, by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall
The introduction by Tim Spector takes us through some of the science about why we should be eating a wider range of plant products – as opposed to simply a lot of them. It’s not just about the nutritional benefit of eating the rainbow, but (in short) it’s also to do with the diversity of gut microbes.
Okay, I could talk more about this, but won’t, suffice to say it’s complex, but at the same time not.
When I began reading this, I was overwhelmed – 30 different plant-based items a week? While I understand why it’s important, practically speaking, it’s impossible … isn’t it?
Then I began counting … and realised we’d nailed the weekly total within a few days – without really trying.
Now, we’re super lucky – our climate is such that we have access to a wide range of seasonally fresh fruit and vegetables. Further, I grow a lot of herbs all year round –I have chives, basil, Thai basil, Vietnamese mint, rosemary, parsley, sage, tarragon, oregano and marjoram in the garden or in pots. A single rogue cherry tomato that was accidentally seeded from last year’s plant has provided us with cherry tomatoes for the last four or five months. The freezer is full of chillis from the garden and my Christmas present – a Vegepod – will mean I no longer have to worry about cane toads in my salad leaves or palm-sized locusts decimating the crop.
In his introduction, Tim Spector says there are around 11,000 (known) edible plants. For the purpose of this exercise, HFW (I really can’t be faffed typing out his full name the whole time) lists around 200, breaking them into categories:
- Leafy Greens – think Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, spinach, Asian greens etc
- Brassica sprouts – all the broccolis and the vegetable with the world’s best PR, cauliflower.
- Root veg – if it grows underground it’s on this list. Potatoes (even though they spike your blood sugar) are included on the list but with peel on.
- Alliums – all the onions, leeks, garlic, chives etc
- Crunchy stems and leaves – celery, fennel, asparagus, artichokes etc
- Soft salad leaves – such a variety!
- Green beans and peas – the fresh ones
- Frozen veg
- Tomatoes – fresh, tinned, passata, sun-dried
- Curcurbits and aubergines – cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, squash
- Avocado – it gets its own category
- Peppers and chillis – red, green, hot, mild
- Mushrooms – too many to list
- Preserved veg – in vinegar or oil
- Leafy salady herbs – basil, tarragon, parsley, rocket, dill, coriander, mint… you get the idea
- Pungent or harder herbs – bay, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage
- Seaweeds and Shore Veg
- Everyday fruit – including apples, pears, plums, bananas, grapes
- Citrus fruits
- Summer berries
- Mediterranean (and Tropical) Fruit Bowl
- Dried fruits
- Nuts – you can include nut butters only if they’re from nuts and nothing else.
- Tinned pulses and beans
- Dried pulses and beans
- Wholegrains – wheat, barley, oats, spelt, rye, brown rice, quinoa. Wholegrain flour, bread and pasta is included.
- Seeds
- Spices
- Unrefined (extra virgin/cold-pressed) oils
- Stimulants – coffee, tea, dark/raw chocolate, cacao, cocoa
It’s a massive list, right? The thing is, as HFW says, upping the number of plants you eat can be as simple as sprinkling herbs or seeds or nuts (or all three) onto a salad or as garnish to a side. Fill your salad with an assortment of leaves, go big on beans. It all counts.
If you’re short on ideas, HFW includes 100 recipes. So far, I’ve cooked the Black Bean, Corn and Tomato soup, but have plenty more marked and we’re having the Sichuan Aubergines with black beans and tofu tonight.
If you’re interested, you can read more about how it looks in real life here and the concept here.
Recipe of the week
Braised leeks and peas with feta and dill
This recipe (originally by Diana Henry) serves four, so use fewer leeks, peas, stock and feta for two. Not garlic, though – where’s the point in half a clove of garlic?
Ingredients
- 4 leeks, tops trimmed, outer leaves removed, washed well and cut into 4cm lengths
- 75ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 75ml light stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 165g frozen peas
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
- 100g feta, crumbled
Method
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan or sauté pan, then add the leeks and cook gently over a medium heat for about 7 minutes. Don’t let them colour. Add the stock and garlic, bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down, season and cover with a lid.
Leave the leeks to cook for 10-12 minutes, until they are just tender (check with the point of a knife).
Add the peas and cook until they are tender (they really just need to heat through). Sprinkle on the lemon zest and check for seasoning.
Transfer to a bowl and scatter the dill and feta on top. Drizzle with more oil and serve.
Wellness Reimagined Link-up
Why not link up below if you’re blogging about health and wellness? The linky will be open for 48 hours and is open to those bloggers who are tracking their health, wellness and activity.
Meet Your co-hosts
- Debbie Harris from Deb’s World
- Donna Connelly from Retirement Reflections
- Jennifer Jones from The Retirement Phase
- Sue Loncaric from Women Living Well After 50
And Anyways... 
I heard about that 30 plants a week on a podcast – when you look at the list it is definitely achievable – I have 5 different ones in my lunch alone.
Hi Jo, I always learn so much from your posts. And great minds think alike! After watching the Netflix documentary earlier last year, Hack Your Health, I was also inspired to increase the number of plants I eat each day. Like you, I found it to be easier than I first imagined.
Your Bean-Corn-Tomato soup looks excellent. Today, I made a super quick and easy Bean-Corn-Tomato-Avocado Salad for lunch. Richard has already asked me to be sure I make that again. I will surprise him next time with the soup!
I look forward to continuing to follow your health and wellness posts (and all your posts, actually). I also look forward to catching up with you very soon.
Well done on ticking so many boxes so far in January. I reserved the HFW book after you mentioned it previously and did do a test of how many vegies I eat in a week. Last week was 20 without trying so I’m sure I could get up to 30. I’ve started sprinkling nuts on my salads and loving that. Looking forward to the book arriving, hopefully soon. Thanks for the tips.
Another food challenge for you to conquer with excellence Jo – I always enjoy seeing how you go about eating well while working at reducing your calorie load. You are certainly starting the year off on a high note with your exercise and eating regimes.
That sounds like a good book and as explained by you, a doable goal. I will also check out the Netflix documentary Donna mentioned, Hack Your Health. See? I’m already learning tips from your new wellness linkup! 🙂
I love the idea of introducing more variety of plants into my diet. I tend to eat the same vegetables all the time. So thank you for the inspiration from this book and well done on achieving your goals for the week. I’m just about to kickstart my year with some health-related goals.
I like the idea of introducing more vegetables to my diet as I usually don’t try something new. Sometimes it is dependent on what’s available and the price. I’ve found vegetables horribly expensive. Thank you for the inspiration and well done on achieving your goal for the week. I’m kickstarting my health plan today. Wish me luck!
Good luck! We’ll be cheering for you! Veggies can be so expensive – especially when they’re out of season – but it’s good to know that sometimes frozen can be just as good.
I’ve heard about the 30 plants a week, Jo and over the last year or so, Mike and I have been having more plant based foods. We don’t eat red meat as often which I think was reflected in my last blood tests which showed my Iron had dropped from 70 to 43. No need for concern until it drops under 30 but I need to keep an eye on it. Love the recipe and I might just buy the book to encourage Mike. You’ve ticked off a few boxes and if we can tick off at least one that’s better than none, right? Thanks for being a co-host with me to present #WellnessRemagined I’m inspired by everyone’s posts. x
Oh, dear, we really don’t eat enough veggies at all. I would eat more but PC doesn’t like most vegetables. Grrr. Corn is good, creamed corn, hominy and that’s about it!! I need to just worry about myself and get back to eating my spinach salads at lunch with nuts and dried fruit mixed in. And I love peas!! PC won’t touch peas with a 10 foot pole.
Would love the recipe for the Black Bean, Corn and Tomato soup. Googled it and found a number of delicious options. Not sure which one is the recipe you like.
Great job staying so active. I am eager to get back to swimming in our pool. We were just developing a swmming routine last summer. PC had never been willing to swim – really swim – until last year!! 70K steps is fabulous. I am still hobbling on my healing broken foot so I don’t often get 10K steps a day for the time being. Hope that will soon improve.
Bravo!!
another successful week Jo.
I’m very fortunate that I have always loved eating fruit and veg. I remember work colleagues always laughing at my lunch which was usually seasonal fruit from the local grocers.
That’s a good list of different plants to eat. I’m good with my macros but I know we need to up the veggies in our meals. Lately I’ve been eating a nice nut and seed mix as snacks and I’m better with fruit than I used to be but I need to find interesting ways to prepare veg. We usually mix peppers, onions and tomatoes in whatever form with our chicken, but that’s it.
Looks like you’re doing a good job of staying on top of your weekly fitness goals!
Half a clove of garlic 🤣🤣. Waiting for my soup to cook while eating some cucumber and radishes. By the end of this meal alone, that’s 10 of my 30! I love veggies and so I am quite certain easily get 30 a week. I likely get 30 nuts and seeds a week besides that. Having a garden and a well stocked freezer and cold storage room helps. The base of this soup is what you would call a winter squash from said garden.
Thanks for hosting this. I love the accountability it Will help provide as well as info shared.
This is a great post Jo and an eye-opener on the number of veges required. Thanks for breaking down HFW’s book (I can’t be faffed writing his name in full either) and it’s an area we need to look at. I’m not an adventurous cook at the best of times but I do enjoy seeing your ideas and you inspire me to be better! What a great linkup! I’m enjoying seeing everyone’s goals, ideas and motivations.