Gut instinct: why your spring menu should be full of plant points

There’s something about the arrival of spring – the lighter evenings, the smug joy of leaving your coat at home – that makes you want to eat a little better. Not a detox, and certainly not a diet. Just food that feels like it’s doing something for you, rather than to you.

Enter: plant points. The latest way to give your gut a helping hand – and no, it’s not another supplement. Instead, think of it as a game of edible bingo: every different plant-based food you eat, from chickpeas to chia seeds, gets you a point.

Rack up 30 different ones a week and, according to Dr Emily Prpa, registered nutritionist at Yakult, you’re on your way to a healthier gut. “Research suggests that people who eat more than 30 different plant foods a week have a more diverse gut microbiota than those who eat fewer than 10,” she says. “A diverse gut microbiota has been linked to overall wellbeing, including mood, weight and general health benefits.”

And it doesn’t take a shelf of superfoods or a basket full of kale. “Upping your intake of different plant foods and increasing your plant points doesn’t have to be overwhelming or costly,” she says. “Simple swaps like choosing mixed grains over white rice or adding an extra handful of nuts and seeds to your meals, can make all the difference. Frozen and canned options are also easy ways to increase plant diversity while keeping it budget friendly.”

To get you started, we’ve lined up three flavour-packed, gut-loving recipes that make ticking off those plant points easy – and, crucially, delicious. Think Lentil pomegranate salad, spicy baked eggs and Chicken and vegetable traybake that might just make you nostalgic for school dinners, in the best possible way.

Spicy tomato baked eggs

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Plant points: 4.5

Ingredients:

½ tbsp olive oil
2 sliced red onions
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped or a large pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 garlic clove crushed
800g tinned cherry tomatoes (2 tins)
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Coriander
4 Eggs

Method:

 1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or shallow dish with a lid and gently sweat the red onion, chilli and garlic until soft. Add the tinned cherry tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly reduced.

  2. Stir from time to time so that the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom. Then, gently crack four eggs into the pan on top of the tomato sauce.

  3.  Put the lid on and continue to simmer gently for about 6 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to    your taste.

 4.  Scatter with coriander and serve with fresh bread.

 Cooks tip: Add some smoked paprika for a smoky kick of flavour.

Photo used for an illustrative purpose. AP

Chicken and vegetable traybake

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Plant points: 8

Ingredients:

1 each of the following: sweet potato, carrot, aubergine, courgette and red pepper
1 red onion
½ tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
400g chicken mini fillets
300g brown rice, cooked

Method:

  1.  Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

  2. Dice all vegetables to approx 2-3cm. Place on a large roasting tray and toss with the olive oil, season. Bake for 25 minutes.

  3. Whisk the garlic, mustard, vinegar, soy, and honey together and combine them in a bowl with the chicken fillets.

  4. Add the chicken on top of the vegetables along with the excess juices. Return to oven for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are golden.

   5.Serve with the cooked rice.

Cooks tip: This simple dish can be made with whatever vegetables are in season or in your fridge. You can also swap the chicken for turkey fillets too.

Lentil pomegranate salad with tahini dressing

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 1-2 mins

Plant points: 15.5

Ingredients:

150g fresh pickled red onion, drained
250g pouch mixed grains
250g pouch puy lentils
80g mixed seeds and nuts, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, toasted
25g dried cranberries
25g pack parsley, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
100g tahini
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Salad to serve 

Method:

1. Combine the pickled onion, grains, lentils, seeds and nuts, cranberries and parsley in a large salad bowl.

2.  Whisk together the oil and ½ the lemon juice and pour over salad before transferring to a serving bowl.

3. For the tahini dressing, whisk together the remaining lemon juice, 4 tbsp water, cumin, a pinch of salt, and tahini. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and scatter over the pomegranate seeds to serve.

Cooks tip: Make this simple but impressive salad with your favourite grains and seeds. For extra plant points, add a wider variety of nuts and seeds.

The Independent