I used to not eat until 11 am or so, practicing intermittent fasting. I was usually eating yogurt with berries and walnuts, which was nourishing but not satiating, and I’d be hungry again in a few hours.

Nutritionists are now recommending that eating at least 30 plants a week is great for the gut microbiome, boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation, improving mood and mental clarity, and lowering the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (Those healthy gut microbes play a much bigger role in our overall health and well-being than we thought!)

I switched a few months ago to eating a hearty breakfast early every morning, and I’m loving how that is working out for me: I cook once to make an oatmeal base with add-ins that provides 7 servings. Each day I add fruit, nuts and yogurt to one serving of the oatmeal base, and voila — I’m eating over 20 plants every single day.

Here are the details. I cook 3 servings of sprouted rolled oats as the package directs. I add 2-3 servings of hemp, flax, and chia seeds, and cacao, and maca powders to the hot cooked oats, stirring until well-mixed. Then I mix in 1/2 teaspoon each of Ceylon cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice.

That adds up to 10 plant foods in the base. This step (day 1) takes about 20 minutes.

I put one serving (for me, that’s about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) into a soup bowl, add fruit, nuts, and yogurt, and put the rest into a storage bowl the refrigerator.

Once it cools, I slice it into 6 wedges like a pizza and put them into a space-saving ziplock bag.

To one serving of the oatmeal base , I add the following:

• blackberries
• raspberries
• blueberries
• prunes (soaking them in water overnight softens them, and the water can then be used as a sweetener)
• pomegranate seeds
• half a banana, sliced
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (not a plant food)
• a handful of walnuts
• 2 T raw almond butter OR Nuttzo
• 1 tsp. maple syrup If needed

That’s 18 with almond butter. If I use Nuttzo, I can add cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and pumpkin seeds to the list of plants (it already includes flax and chia seeds).

When I reheat a wedge on the stovetop (we don’t have a microwave), I mash it up and add some 4-ingredient oat milk, heating until warm. (I’ve already counted oats.)

This step (days 2-7) takes about 10 minutes.

That adds up to 22 plants in just one meal.

Some other benefits: this fiber- and nutrient-heavy meal digests slowly, keeping me feeling full for hours, and it also keeps me regular and energized. I’ll retest with Function Health soon and see how my biomarkers have changed. For the better, I hope!

My other meals are usually a vegetable-based soup, salad, Buddha bowl, or curry for lunch and dinner, and I often have wild-caught fish and either salad or a steamed or roasted veggie for dinner a couple of times a week, so I probably do average at least 30 plants a day.

I feel good. I hardly ever get sick. I work out at the gym, take 3 yoga classes a week, and work part-time in my Biodynamic Bodywork practice 3-4 days a week at the age of 73. I hope to be doing this for the foreseeable future.