Diversity Jar
Pre-mix nuts and seeds to add plant variety to everyday meals
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 99%
Tim Spector describes keeping roughly ten kinds of nuts and seeds together in a “diversity jar.” Whenever he finds a new mix or variety, he adds it, keeps the contents combined, and sprinkles some over yogurt, kefir, or salad. The mechanism is environmental design: assemble variety once, then attach it to meals already eaten regularly. Spector counts each nut or seed as a plant toward his suggested target of 30 plant foods per week, so one serving can cover about a third of that target. He also notes that nuts and seeds contain fiber and protein. The episode does not establish that the number 30 is a universal medical threshold, so the jar is best treated as a practical diversity prompt rather than a prescription.
Origin
Tim Spector demonstrates his own “diversity jar” on The Diary of a CEO as a practical way to add about ten nuts and seeds to meals.
Core principles
- 01Make dietary variety easier before mealtime
- 02Count nuts and seeds as plants
- 03Add variety to foods already in the routine
- 04Use whole foods to supply several nutrients together
How to run it
- 1
Choose the Mix
Select several nuts and seeds that are suitable for you. Favor variety rather than filling the jar with one dominant ingredient.
Pro tip Mixed packets can provide several varieties at once.
Watch out Avoid ingredients that conflict with allergies or clinical dietary restrictions.
- 2
Build the Jar
Combine the ingredients in one container and mix them. Keep it where recurring meals are prepared so using it requires little effort.
Pro tip Leave enough room to shake and remix the contents.
- 3
Attach It to a Meal
Add a handful to yogurt, kefir, salad, or another suitable meal. Use an existing routine as the cue rather than creating a separate eating occasion.
Pro tip Spector uses it at breakfast or lunch.
Watch out A handful is the episode's practical example, not an individualized portion recommendation.
- 4
Refresh the Variety
When a new nut or seed is available, add it and remix the jar. Track the different plants eaten during the week rather than repeating an identical mix indefinitely.
Pro tip Rotate ingredients as well as replenishing them.
In the wild
Spector says his jar contains about ten nuts and seeds collected from mixed packets and new finds. He sprinkles the mix on yogurt and kefir in the morning or adds it to a lunchtime salad.
→ One prepared mix makes multiple plant varieties available without rebuilding the meal each day.
Illustrative example: a worker combines walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, and flax in a jar beside the lunch supplies. Each week they replace one variety, then add the mix to salads rather than buying a separate supplement.
→ The worker turns variety into a low-friction meal-preparation habit.
Common mistakes
Treating 30 as a Medical Threshold
The episode presents 30 plants as Spector's practical target, not a universal clinical requirement established in the transcript.
Ignoring Allergies
The convenience of a mixed jar does not remove the need to screen every ingredient for personal safety.
Adding Without Rotating
The method is intended to encourage diversity, so an unchanged mix can become another repetitive routine.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for people who want a simple preparation habit that increases weekly plant variety.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for people with relevant allergies or anyone who needs individualized dietary guidance.
From the transcript
“this is what I call my diversity jar”
“there's about 10 different types of nut and seed in there”
“that's what I throw on my yogurt and kefir in the morning”
From the episode
The Food Doctor: "Extra Protein Is Making You Fatter!" The 6 Food Lies Everyone Still Believes! (Brand NEW Food Science) - Tim Spector