The #40plantfoodschallenge starts today! Are you ready?! I’m really excited for this challenge not only for myself, but also for everyone out there inspired to participate. It’s always more fun to participate in a challenge with a group. We can encourage and support each other the whole way!
I’ve gotten some questions about the “rules” of the challenge, so I thought I’d answer all the questions in one post so everyone is clear.
The 40 Plant Foods Challenge FAQs
How big is a serving?
We are not counting servings. We are counting variety. So each and every whole, unprocessed plant food that goes in your mouth counts as one, whether it’s one strawberry or five. But once you count that plant food for the week, you don’t count it again. So following the same example, if you ate a strawberry on Monday, you write it down on your list. If you eat strawberries again on Wednesday, you do not count it.
Am I only counting fruits and vegetables?
No, we are counting all whole, unprocessed plant foods. Included in this group is fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes, nuts, seeds, and intact whole grains.
Can I count flours?
No, we are not counting flours as they are not intact whole grains. I wrote about intact whole grains here if you’d like to learn more about what that means. Some examples of whole, intact grains are oats (preferably steel cut, but old fashioned rolled oats count, too), millet, bulgur, buckwheat groats, barley, cracked wheat, or brown rice.
I am not on social media. Can I still participate?
Of course! Instead of posting your list on a social media site, you can come back to the original post and leave a comment and type out your list instead of posting a picture of it.
How do I share my results again?
If you are on social media, post a picture of your list at the end of each day this week with the hashtag #40plantfoodschallenge. You can post it on your personal Facebook page or on the Happy Healthy Mama Facebook page (or both!). Facebook now allows you to search hashtags, so we can all find each other through the hashtag. I will also be sharing my lists on Instagram and Twitter, so if you are on either of those, share away! Make sure you use the hashtag #40plantfoodschallenge so I can find you and cheer you on!
Can I share on my blog?
Yes, I would love that! You may use my picture if you’d like, but please link back to my original post about the challenge.
What do I get if I make it to 40?
A great feeling! haha! I hadn’t thought of offering prizes, but maybe that’s something I’ll do in the future if I host another challenge.
Did I answer all of your questions? If you have more, leave them in the comments!
That definitely helped! And it helped raise my numbers a bit too : ) I’m at 34 with some known new things that I’ll have this weekend!
Spices count too even though they aren’t whole? Do different varieties of the same thing count? Example – green grapes/red grapes, red onion/sweet onion?
Thanks!
Yes, spices and herbs count as do different variations of the same foods. Hope this helps!