Hannah Neville-Green is a Riverford co-owner and nutritional therapist.
After the happy indulgences of the festive season, January feels like a natural time to recalibrate and focus more on health and wellbeing. But it’s also dark, chilly, and many of us are still hunkering down for winter… and perhaps in need of a little more joy? For me, any efforts to prioritise my health (especially at this time of year) need to be based on fun & abundance, rather than restriction.
Which is why we’re kicking off 2025 with a focus on good gut health. Did you know that gut health is the foundation of our overall health, influencing everything from digestion to immunity? Around 70% of your immune system is located in your gut, and 90% of the body’s ‘happy hormone’, serotonin (a key player in regulating mood), is also produced there. Improving your gut health can have a profoundly positive effect that goes well beyond better digestion.
I imagine I’m preaching to the converted when I tell you that eating a diverse array of fruit and veg is one of the best things you can do for gut health. A veg box is a brilliant starting point, because with the changing rotation of seasonal produce, it naturally fosters diversity, and keeps cooking exciting. At Riverford, we’re inviting you to join our 30 Veg Pledge and see if you can reach 30 different plant-based foods a week. This isn’t just about veg either – fruits, pulses, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and whole grains all count. Challenge yourself to tot them up over the week – it’s surprisingly satisfying, and a great activity to share with family & friends (or find us on social @riverford for daily tips & recipes).
Why 30? There’s evidence that people who eat 30 plants a week tend to have a more diverse microbiome (crucial for robust gut health) than those who eat 10 or less. Fruit and vegetables are rich in prebiotic fibre, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut, helping them flourish. They are also full of polyphenols – antioxidants that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and reduce inflammation. We also get different polyphenols and types of prebiotics from different produce, which encourages diversity of gut microbes – so when it comes to veg, it’s a case of the more the merrier.
Love this idea, so much easier and interesting to follow than 5 a day. And I am vegetarian so feels quite easy for me!
This is lovely to hear, we’re all enjoying doing it so much too!
Does marmalade count? And chocolate??
Hi Jenny, chocolate counts if it contains at least 70% cocoa. We’d say that marmalade is probably a stretch due to the sugar content, but if it does have a lot of peel in, that’s definitely beneficial.
If I were to buy 30 different veg from Riverford, the smallest quantities on offer, for how many days would that feed one vegetarian person, assuming everything remained fresh?