Waitrose is rolling out a new ‘plant varieties’ on-pack logo that aims to make it easier for people to eat the recommended 30 plants a week.
The move comes amid new research by the supermarket that shows almost half (46%) of its customers are already trying to eat, or are interested in eating, 30 different plants a week.
The logo represents a first for supermarket own-label products in the UK and will be appearing on over 50 new products, including fresh soups, snacks and cereal this month, and added to more products throughout the year.
In the survey conducted by Waitrose, 87% said that having the number of plant varieties on labels would help them actively try to eat 30 different plants a week.
With inclusions such as herbs, spices and even 70% dark chocolate counting as plants, the new logo aims to highlight that introducing 30 different plants into a person’s diet is not as difficult as expected.
Dr Joanne Lunn, Lead Nutritionist at Waitrose, said: “Eating 30 different plants each week is a delicious way to a healthier gut microbiome, taking advantage of all the nutritional benefits of different types of plants. Whether it’s mixing more different herbs and spices into your meals, snacking on mixed nuts or adding lentils into your bolognese sauce, there are lots of ways to reach 30 plants. The new logo is a great way to teach customers about plants in food and how to integrate more variety into the diet.”
Maddy Wilson, the supermarket’s Director of Own Brand, added: “When you’re a food lover, you want to make every meal one to remember but are still conscious about making good choices. Adding the plant varieties logo to our products takes the brain power away from adding variety to your diet and eating well and brings the focus back to delicious meals – which we know is so important for our customers.”
The introduction of plant varieties logo and guidance comes after Waitrose committed to helping its customers eat more plants, having also committed to increasing fibre sold from key categories by 25% by 2030.
