Unlike our ancestors, we don’t eat a large variety of plants.

Imagine this: the world has a buffet with thousands of dishes – in fact, over 300,000! But somehow, we’re all just eating from the same dozen plates. Out of all those dishes, about 75% of our food comes from just 12 types of plants.

Why does this happen? Well, the crops we eat most (think rice, wheat, and corn) are super convenient for big farms. They grow fast, store well, and can travel long distances. But here’s the problem: if we keep putting all our “food eggs” in just a few baskets, we’re in trouble.

The Hidden Danger of Fewer Crops

The Health Factor	-	Imagine if you only ate broccoli all day. Sure, it’s good for you, but you’re missing a bunch of other nutrients from other foods. Eating the same limited plants means we’re missing out on tons of vitamins and minerals that make our bodies strong and healthy.
Vulnerability to Pests		Growing just a few types of plants in massive fields is like putting up a giant sign for pests, saying, “Eat here!” If one nasty bug figures out how to munch on corn, it could wipe out huge fields at once, which might leave us with a lot less food.
Climate and Weather Risks		In the past, farmers grew many different kinds of plants in different shapes, sizes, and colours. This variety helped protect them from things like diseases or weird weather because if one crop didn’t do well, another might still thrive. But today, most farmers are growing just a handful of plants. While this helps farmers make a lot of food, it also reduces the number of different types of crops in the world. This is dangerous, especially with climate change causing more extreme weather like floods, droughts, and storms. If all our crops are the same, and one gets wiped out by a disease or bad weather, we could have a major food crisis.

Ancient Diets Were All About Diversity

Long ago, people didn’t have massive supermarkets, so they got creative. Indigenous groups in North America, for example, didn’t just eat corn. They had nuts, herbs, berries, and plants that suited the land, making their diets nutritious and flavorful. In Asia, people added native greens, beans, and spices to their food. Each plant contributed something special to their health and survival.

So, next time you eat a meal, think about all the other plants out there, just waiting to be tasted!

🌿 How many types of green veggies can you name?

🍏 How many types of fruits, vegetables, and grains do you eat regularly? Sometimes? 

🥦 How many greens are there that you don’t eat? Why? (e.g., taste, cost, or they’re just not your thing!)

🧃 What’s the most unusual vegetable or fruit you’ve ever tried? Would you eat it again?

🥕 Do you think you eat the same fruits and veggies as your grandparents did? Why or why not?

🥬 Pick one vegetable you eat often—can you think of two different ways to cook it?

🌾 Can you think of 3 different grains that you’ve eaten? Do you have a favorite?

🌱 If you could try any wild edible plant, what would it be?