More than 90 percent of crop varieties are no longer being farmed, and 75 percent of the world’s food comes from just 12 plants (#1 is sugar!) and five animal species, based a UN study. Despite how homogenous human diets have become, prioritizing a diverse plant-based diet has several benefits.

Healthy plants make healthy people who make up healthy communities. Biodiversity is critical for thriving ecosystems and makes our food system more resilient in the face of threats like climate change. Creating demand for diverse plant foods from different cultures is also critical to preserving generational farming traditions and the local communities supported by agriculture.

The largest study to date on human microbiomes showed that participants who ate more than 30 plants per week had more diverse microbiomes and fewer antibiotic resistance genes than the participants who ate fewer than 10 types of plants per week. Consuming a wide variety of nutrient dense plants is a no-brainer when it comes to combatting nutrient deficiencies, which are becoming more common as diets homogenize.

So how can you increase the plant diversity in your diet?

1. Visit your local farmers market to pick up produce. Let the fresh, seasonal fruits, veggies, and herbs inspire your recipe, rather than the other way around.
2. Subscribe to a CSA (community supported agriculture) near you. You’ll be supporting your local farming community and will be introduced to a diversity of local, seasonal plants that may be outside of your normal grocery-store selections.
3. Choose a few fresh herbs to experiment with each week. Search for recipes that highlight your herbs of choice and find your favorite ways to use these incredibly nutrient-dense plants that add both flavor and nutrition to your plate.
4. Steep herbs with hot water for a comforting, supportive tea. Just fill a French press or a satchel with your favorite herbs (or blend of herbs), let steep for 15 minutes, and sip. A few favorites are rose petals, chamomile, lavender, honeybush, ginger, turmeric, mint, lemon balm, tulsi, and nettle, but the options are (nearly) limitless. Add some citrus to your tea for a zing of bright flavor!  
5. Grab a Goldthread Tonic or Shot! Goldthread Tonics are packed with medicinal plants, full of phytonutrients and adaptogens to support your body’s essential systems. Goldthread did all the work for you, combining medicinal plants with fresh-squeezed, organic citrus for a drink that’ll make you feel as good as it tastes.
6. Try a tincture! Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts, providing a quick and easy way to incorporate a variety of medicinal plants into your diet. While you can certainly make them yourself, look no further than your nearest Mothers Market for a variety of ready-made tinctures. Just add a dropper to water or juice and drink.
7. Meal prep: planning ahead can make it easier to be sure you’re incorporating a variety of plants into your diet. Decide what you’re going to make and count up those plant ingredients before you head to the grocery store or farmers market. Aim for at least 30 different plants per week to start, and don’t give up if it takes some time to form new habits. Remember, those herbs you’re sprinkling on your dinner or steeping in your evening mug of tea count!
8. Make any Goldthread Tonic into a spritz by topping with your favorite sparkling water and a sprig of fresh herbs. Check out this recipe for inspo!
9. Transform any Goldthread Tonic into a latte by gently heating and mixing with frothed plant milk. Check out this recipe for inspo!
10. For something a bit more fun and festive, try one of Goldthread’s plant-powered cocktail or mocktail recipes like this Turmeric Toddy or this Elderberry Mule.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.