Yes. Herbs and spices are plants, so they count.
That surprises people, because a teaspoon of cumin doesn't feel like it should be worth the same as a plate of broccoli. Which is why a lot of people give herbs and spices a quarter point instead of a full one. Either way they count. The question is only how much.
The quick rules most people use
- Dried counts. Dried oregano is still oregano.
- Fresh and dried of the same herb are one plant. Fresh basil on Monday and dried basil on Friday is still one basil.
- Black pepper counts. It's a dried berry.
- Salt doesn't. It's a mineral.
- Blends count by what's in them. Herbes de Provence is usually thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram and savory. Check the jar.
- Garlic and ginger are normally counted as plants in their own right, at full value, because you tend to eat more of them.
In Eating30
The database has more than 40 herbs and spices, from basil and bay leaf to saffron, star anise and pul biber. Log them as a full plant with one tap, or tap again for a quarter.
A detail that matters with herbs: quarters of the same herb add up across the week, up to one full plant. Use thyme four times in a week and it ends up counting as a whole plant.
The longer read
What Counts as a Plant? Foods, Herbs, Spices and More
Not sure whether oats, lentils, herbs, spices, coffee, or different apple varieties count? This guide breaks it down.
Eating30 is an app for iPhone and Android that counts the different plants you eat each week, with 30 as the target. The core tracking is free. It's a habit tracker, not medical advice.
Count your plants with Eating30
Tap the plants you eat and watch your week fill up towards 30.