WAITROSE is to use a new ‘plant varieties’ logo on its packs in a bid to help shoppers eat the recommended 30 plants a week.
The move follows research by the supermarket which found that almost half (46%) of shoppers are trying to eat, or are interested in eating, 30 different plants a week – with 87% saying having a number of plant varieties on labels would help them actively try to eat 30 different plants a week.
Waitrose said that 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 in January, and added to more products throughout the year.
The plant varieties logo is hoped to be an easy tool for customers to see the number of plants in products and recipes, helping them to add more variety and feel inspired when it comes to mid-week meals.
With surprising inclusions such as herbs, spices and even 70% dark chocolate counting as plants, Waitrose said that the new logo will help highlight that introducing 30 different plants into your diet is not as difficult as you might think.
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, director of own brand at Waitrose, 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.”
