How dietary diversity is measured, what the benchmarks mean, and what a good score looks like in practice.
Diet diversity scores translate the idea of eating a wide range of foods into something concrete and measurable. Rather than relying on a general sense of whether your diet is varied, a diversity score gives you a specific number that reflects how many different foods you are eating and how that range compares to recommended benchmarks.
Different tools measure diversity differently, but the underlying principle is the same: more distinct food species or food groups consumed over a given period produces a higher score, and a higher score is associated with better nutritional outcomes.
A diversity score turns an abstract nutritional concept into a concrete, trackable number — and gives you a way to see whether what feels varied actually is.
How diet diversity scores are measured
The most established research frameworks measure dietary diversity in one of two ways:
Food group diversity counts the number of distinct food groups included in the diet over a reference period, typically 24 hours or seven days. The Minimum Dietary Diversity Score (MDD), used in public health research, assesses whether a diet includes foods from at least five of eight food groups: starchy staples, dark green leafy vegetables, other vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, other fruits and vegetables, organ meats, flesh meats and fish, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds, and milk and dairy. This is a binary threshold measure used primarily in population health research and developing world nutrition assessment.
Plant food species counts are more commonly used in consumer health and gut microbiome research. These count the number of different plant species consumed per week. This is the framework behind the 30 plants per week benchmark from the American Gut Project, and it is the most practically useful measure for health-motivated individuals in well-nourished populations.
What a good diversity score looks like
In plant food diversity terms, the research suggests the following approximate benchmarks:
Plant diversity benchmarks from research
Plants per weekWhat it indicates
Under 10Low dietary diversity — associated with notably lower gut microbiome diversity and higher micronutrient gap risk
10 to 20Moderate diversity — common in average UK diets, leaves meaningful nutritional and microbiome gaps
20 to 30Good diversity — substantially better microbiome outcomes than lower ranges, improving micronutrient coverage
30+High diversity — the threshold associated with significantly better gut microbiome diversity in American Gut Project research
These benchmarks are based on plant food species counts, not total food groups including animal products.
The 30-plant threshold is the most widely referenced because it is the clearest inflection point in the American Gut Project data. Moving from fewer than 10 to 30 or more plant foods per week produces a measurably different gut microbiome. Moving from 30 to 50 produces a smaller incremental benefit.
How Boone measures diet diversity
Boone's diet diversity score tracks the range of different foods you eat each week through the food log and food scanner. Rather than requiring manual counting, the score is updated automatically as you log meals, giving you a running total of distinct food species consumed across the current week.
The score is connected to your micro nutrition picture, showing you not just how many different foods you are eating but which nutritional areas benefit most from the foods you are including. A high diversity score with consistent inclusion of seeds and leafy greens will show up differently in your magnesium and folate scores than a high diversity score built primarily around fruits and wholegrains.
Improving your score: practical approach
For most people in the UK, moving from a typical diet to a consistently diverse one is a matter of intentional rotation rather than wholesale dietary change. The most effective single changes for increasing a diversity score are:
Adding seeds to an existing daily meal — pumpkin, hemp, or chia seeds add three distinct plant foods with minimal change to the meal
Swapping one vegetable each shopping trip for a different one you have not had recently
Including two different legumes per week — lentils and chickpeas on separate days are two distinct plant foods
Using three to four different herbs and spices in a meal rather than one — each counts as a separate plant food
Adding a different wholegrain — oats at breakfast and brown rice at dinner are two distinct plant foods
These changes alone can move a typical UK diet from the 10 to 15 range to 25 to 30 within a week, with no dramatic change to meal structure or food budget.
In the Boone app
Boone's diversity score updates in real time as you log food, showing you your plant food count for the current week alongside your micro nutrition scores and genetic insights. It is the most practical way to track whether your variety is as broad as it needs to be.
Up to a point, yes. The research suggests diminishing returns above 30 different plants per week in terms of measurable microbiome diversity benefits. But higher diversity consistently means better micronutrient coverage, more varied phytonutrient intake, and more comprehensive fibre type supply. There is no realistic upper limit at which more variety becomes harmful.
Most diversity scoring frameworks count distinct foods rather than quantities. This reflects the understanding that the key variable for microbiome and micronutrient benefits is breadth of exposure, not volume of any single food. A tablespoon of pumpkin seeds counts as much as a large portion of pumpkin seeds for diversity purposes.
Yes. A well-planned vegan diet that includes a wide range of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods can achieve excellent plant diversity scores. The challenge is ensuring that diversity translates into comprehensive micronutrient coverage, which requires more deliberate attention on a plant-only diet.
Meaningfully, within a week. Adding seeds to existing meals, rotating your vegetable choices, and using different herbs and spices can move a typical UK diet from below 15 plants per week to above 25 within a single week with modest intentional effort.
Track your diet diversity score in real time.
Boone's food log and scanner count your distinct food species each week, connecting your diversity to your micro nutrition picture and genetic nutritional needs.
Download the Boone app and discover what your nutritional picture looks like.
