Vegetables

Scamd83

What does everyone think is the amount of vegetables people should be aiming for per day? I usually have them with two meals or a lot with one meal. Never sure exactly what those serving sizes should be though.

Also, do you count the protein and carbs from vegetables towards your macros? I mean is protein from broccoli as good for muscles as protein from chicken?

jemhh

Yes protein is protein.

I aim for 1-3 servings of fruits/veggies at each meal. The recommendation is 5-8 per day, I believe.

StealthHealth

I set myself a target of a minimum amount of protein and fat (yes, I include vegetable based protein sources in those numbers) and then eat as many vegetables as I can cram into my face up to my calorific target.

I've even replaced some fruit snacks so that I can have more vegetables (not that there is anything wrong with fruit but I prefer more veg with my main meals).

With respect to protein -

Scamd83 wrote: »

I mean is protein from broccoli as good for muscles as protein from chicken?

technically no - you would struggle (not impossible) getting the amino acid profile required for muscle repair or growth from only vegetables. Additionally, and I may stand corrected on this point but, because of the high fiber content of pulse based protein sources, the adsorption of that protein is lower than the nutritional information panel on the packet would have you believe.

kommodevaran

I think it's up to preference, but guidelines say at least five servings of fruit and vegetables, half of them being vegetables. I prefer to eat 80-100 grams of vegetables for each meal, and I eat four meals a day. When I counted calories, I counted everything, so all nutrients from everything, included vegetables, got included in the totals. Amino acids from most vegetable sources are not complete, but combining them correctly would give you what you need. Protein does more than build muscles, and there are no nutrients that target muscles specifically.

jgnatca

Protein combining is an old idea that has been debunked. The wiki article on this is well written.

If you log all your meals in to MFP trust the total protein count it gives you.

blackestboo

I'm doing 21 day fix at the moment. So I've got to eat four portions of vegetables a day, which I've split into two meals. It's a low calorie way of bulking up your meals. I find if I eat them first then it's done. They do really help to fill you up. Even though I like eating vegetables there are lots of other things I'd rather have. Like chocolate and bread and some more chocolate