10 a Day (800g) Veggie&Fruit Challenge Participants Check in!

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,166 Member
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    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    I was wondering where they got that number also! While I do eat a lot of vegetables on a regular basis the amounts do vary and I don't eat a whole lot of fruit. I have made sure to get at least what this requirement states and I have put in a bit of fruit where I previously was not. I wonder if the powers that be have tried meeting the requirement themselves? I have never kept track of how many servings I eat in total so some days I likely ate 800 g or more other days less. I have also had a day or two in the week of having very little if any vegetables.

    That being said I have discovered that:
    1) While I do eat a good many vegetables on a regular basis I do feel the physical difference with meeting this lofty requirement daily.
    a. A more full feeling for a longer time.
    b. A bit of bloating.
    c. Not drinking as much water because my stomach feels full. This may be where some people find sluggish
    bowels I think. Not enough hydration to move it along.
    2) I am able to stuff my self with less vegetables than junk food. Likely the fiber I am guessing. A pack of cookies or quart of ice cream is not a challenge. LOL!
    3) I think people who haven't made vegetables and fruit a part of their regular diet would struggle here. Maybe lack of knowing how to prep the stuff. Maybe they are trying to eat a lot of things like a carrot, or salad and not incorporating the vegetables into meals. (Say, vegetable soup, or a veggie lasagna or other casserole type of thing, maybe a quesadilla with veggies, veggie pizza etc... ) I assume this can feel daunting and tedious for people who are not proficient in the way of the vegetable. This also goes for fruit. I am thinking of the man in the article that was posted further up. He had a grapefruit, apple and banana for breakfast. Most of us could only maintain such intensity for so long.
    4) The sense that all these servings must be eaten ASAP may loom over some folks. Instead of trying to spread it out through out meals and snack some folks may find that they are trying to get in 400+ g of vegetables or fruits in a single sitting. This may be part of what brings on some of the problems such as constantly feeling stuffed, bloated, gassy, and just sick of the vegetables and fruits. It takes about 2 hours for food to leave the stomach, and another couple for it to head through the small intestine. Trying to cram all this through there is going to leave one feeling a little like Santa Clause.

    Just some things that came across my mind. I hope people who have not typically been vegetable eaters do not get turned off of vegetables because it feels impossible or difficult or inconvenient. I think they could offer some creative and more user friendly ways to help people get on with an increase without it feeling like a chore.

    Hate to say it, but despite routinely living "the way of the vegetable", I'm not sure I have tips, other than that "ramp up slowly" one. For the record, I do eat like this pretty much all the time, though I was a little more careful than usual not to have one of my occasional lower days during the challenge (it's most likely to be lower if my day includes a restaurant dinner - sigh).

    I do incorporate lots of veggies into my meals as ingredients - I eat very few of what I consider "filler carbs" like pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, etc. (This is not a dietary religion - they just aren't my favorite kind of calories.) So, I might have something more like a veggie stew or omelet, vs. veggies on pasta or a sandwich.

    But I do eat quite a few big salads, and almost daily plates of raw veggies (small plate, but heaping) . . . and most often, the majority of my daily veggies are part of a single meal.

    For a lot of people, prepping helps - like someone suggested, cutting up veggies in big batches, to eat raw, so they're ready for a few days (some, like carrots, celery or radishes, keep really well in a covered container of cold water in the fridge). I have a bunch of winter squash and cooked dry beans in 2C glass bowls in my freezer - easy to microwave. I also use canned legumes and jar tomatoes; frozen peas and sweet corn; occasionally frozen mushrooms; dried tomatoes and some dried fruit; and preserved things like kim chi, sauerkraut and pickles (though I don't think I've had any/many of those last during the challenge). I haven't done it, but some of my friends swear by those make-ahead quart-jar salads.

    Another idea is to oven-roast a big pan or two of various veggies on the weekend, and put those in the fridge. They're good re-warmed as a side, on sandwiches, in casseroles, and cold on or as salads.

    I think that after one's system gets used to the fruits & veggies, gassiness and bloating isn't so much an issue (at least for me, AFAIK). As far as being sick of them, not gonna happen - I loooove my fruits'n'veggies, so it's a clear eating preference, for me. I'm not sure whether feeling stuffed is a personal satiation issue, or an adaptation issue. They make me feel full and satisfied, but not unpleasant.

    Hope you'll find a way to continue eating a good bit of them, even if not quite so many as this week! ;)

  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    @crzycatlady1 Thanks a bunch for starting this challenge. It has been a learning experience.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I forgot to add my thanks for the challenge. It was a lot of fun and got me thinking of ways to increase what was already a pretty good veggie/fruit consumption rate.

    I did find that I went a bit too far and replaced some of my starchier foods with veggies and that by the last day I wasn't as satisfied doing that. I need some starch in my diet. I still get significant veggie intake, though. I'm going to keep working to find just the right balance.

    I never slacked on protein, I'm pretty consistent on always hitting at least 100-110 grams.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    Today is looking like it will be a lower day for me, nearly 3 in the afternoon and I'm only at 421g. Dinner will get me to 800 though.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
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    100 g salsa
    185 g blueberries
    [80] g green machine
    [160] g sweet potato chips
    40 g carrots and beans
    57 g guacamole
    80 g pickled peppers
    160 g bananas
    125 g green pepper

    987 g total....and much hungrier today, although that is both a blessing and a curse. I also managed to get 119 G protein so that is good, although I am over on my calories.

    Thank you @crzycatlady1 for putting this together...it has been a lot of fun comparing notes with everyone, and I appreciate having an audience for my whinging and moaning!
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Aw man, I typed everything out and my post disappeared. Well, suffice to say I got 987 g in today and my appetite seems to have returned, which is both a blessing and a curse. Thank you @crzycatlady1 for putting this challenge together, and to everyone for putting up with my whinging and moaning!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    lulalacroix wrote: »
    I also wanted to agree with those that spoke about being too full to drink liquids. I found myself in that situation as well. And I would have guessed that the water in the fruit and veg would make up the difference however I did having notice darker urine at one point. So just something to think about for anyone who may drastically increase their plant intake.

    I think it must be something you get used to?

    I have to consciously drink less water (I can drink 5+ litres a day easily), and eat less vegetables (or choose less fibrous ones).

    @AnnPT77, I could have written your post above - we sound like we have a similar approach to food, with the exception of meat! I can't imagine eating less fruit or vegetables - I get sad when Im prepping for comps and need to cut carbs as it means I get to eat less of them!
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited March 2017
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Hate to say it, but despite routinely living "the way of the vegetable", I'm not sure I have tips, other than that "ramp up slowly" one. For the record, I do eat like this pretty much all the time, though I was a little more careful than usual not to have one of my occasional lower days during the challenge (it's most likely to be lower if my day includes a restaurant dinner - sigh).

    I do incorporate lots of veggies into my meals as ingredients - I eat very few of what I consider "filler carbs" like pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, etc. (This is not a dietary religion - they just aren't my favorite kind of calories.) So, I might have something more like a veggie stew or omelet, vs. veggies on pasta or a sandwich.

    But I do eat quite a few big salads, and almost daily plates of raw veggies (small plate, but heaping) . . . and most often, the majority of my daily veggies are part of a single meal.

    For a lot of people, prepping helps - like someone suggested, cutting up veggies in big batches, to eat raw, so they're ready for a few days (some, like carrots, celery or radishes, keep really well in a covered container of cold water in the fridge). I have a bunch of winter squash and cooked dry beans in 2C glass bowls in my freezer - easy to microwave. I also use canned legumes and jar tomatoes; frozen peas and sweet corn; occasionally frozen mushrooms; dried tomatoes and some dried fruit; and preserved things like kim chi, sauerkraut and pickles (though I don't think I've had any/many of those last during the challenge). I haven't done it, but some of my friends swear by those make-ahead quart-jar salads.

    Another idea is to oven-roast a big pan or two of various veggies on the weekend, and put those in the fridge. They're good re-warmed as a side, on sandwiches, in casseroles, and cold on or as salads.

    I think that after one's system gets used to the fruits & veggies, gassiness and bloating isn't so much an issue (at least for me, AFAIK). As far as being sick of them, not gonna happen - I loooove my fruits'n'veggies, so it's a clear eating preference, for me. I'm not sure whether feeling stuffed is a personal satiation issue, or an adaptation issue. They make me feel full and satisfied, but not unpleasant.

    Hope you'll find a way to continue eating a good bit of them, even if not quite so many as this week! ;)
    I'm in a similar position, though I'm not a vegetarian and I rarely eat salads. But I have been eating healthy for a while and I can say it's much easier now than it was at first. A big challenge is finding recipes and dishes you like - they taste good to you, you don't mind making them (or someone else will make them for you), and they fit your budget and lifestyle. As you find more and more, it should get easier. Until then there may be a lot of experimenting.

    You mentioned another helpful skill, which is incorporating vegetables as ingredients - or increasing the amounts of vegetables in foods that already have vegetables in them. An example for me is omelets or frittatas. I used to use 3 or 4 eggs at least. Now it's just two eggs and the rest is vegetables - onions, mushrooms, and anything else I want to add. It ends up being half the size of the plate and very filling, but still low in calories and high in vegetables and all the good stuff that goes with those.

    For anyone trying this kind of challenge in the future, I'd suggest preparing for it by trying some new vegetables and either finding someplace you can buy healthy vegetable dishes or learning to make some yourself. In case you're stuck for ideas, one way to prepare is to watch a lot of cooking videos or shows that feature vegetables.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
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    Checking in for today. Yesterday afternoon I started feeling ill (nothing related to my diet!) and didn't eat much. So just about 600g for the day.

    Today has been a vegetable-palooza, though:

    170g sauteed onions and mushrooms
    420g crudites (radish, red bell pepper, celery, cucumber, sugar snap pea pods, grape tomatoes)
    85g broccoli and pearl onions
    350g tomato braised cauliflower
    85g black beans
    200g eggplant caponata
    85g half a baked pear
    For a total of 1395g!

    (Question: Is it OK for me to post links to the recipes? I don't have any connection to the sites the recipes are posted on.)

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,166 Member
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    dfwesq wrote: »
    Checking in for today. Yesterday afternoon I started feeling ill (nothing related to my diet!) and didn't eat much. So just about 600g for the day.

    Today has been a vegetable-palooza, though:

    170g sauteed onions and mushrooms
    420g crudites (radish, red bell pepper, celery, cucumber, sugar snap pea pods, grape tomatoes)
    85g broccoli and pearl onions
    350g tomato braised cauliflower
    85g black beans
    200g eggplant caponata
    85g half a baked pear
    For a total of 1395g!

    (Question: Is it OK for me to post links to the recipes? I don't have any connection to the sites the recipes are posted on.)

    I've seen other people post recipe links here.

    Nice veggie total, BTW! :)
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    I'm just off to work but I hit 790 grams yesterday.
    I'll write up every thing I thought about the challenge later but in short it's been fun but the UK government can kiss my *kitten*! :p
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
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    OK thanks. :) Here are the recipes I use for tomato braised cauliflower and eggplant caponata. They both make regular appearances on my menu. Except for olive oil, spices, and pine nuts, they're basically all vegetables and very delicious. They don't taste anything like "diet food". They're also easy to make ahead of time for the week.
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/classic-caponata-232539
    http://www.adayinthebite.com/tomato-braised-cauliflower/
    (I have no connection to either of these websites, btw!)

    You don't need to use nearly as much olive oil as the recipes call for - I find that if I spray the pot with cooking spray to prevent sticking, 2 tablespoons is probably enough for each recipe. For the cauliflower recipe, I don't break it up into florets. I just core the cauliflower head and put it in whole. It's easy to break apart with a spoon after it has cooked.
  • earthnut
    earthnut Posts: 216 Member
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    My goal is 8-10 servings of fruits and veg a day. In my last diet I ate 8 servings a day. For this diet, I'm trying a higher protein diet, but my fruit and veg intake has plummeted as I've tried to figure out more protein. Now that I've gotten used to that, I am starting to turn my attention back to fruits and veg.

    Today I had a big salad, an orange, and I loaded up on vegetables at a Thai restaurant. I'd estimate 5 servings today.
  • earthnut
    earthnut Posts: 216 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    This challenge taught me I would make a bad vegetarian/vegan. I've learned about the food I eat as in what is an actual fruit/vegetable (chocolate and coffee don't count BOO!). I'm also unhappy that only certain amounts of things count, but maybe I'm being too anal about it.

    When I was a vegetarian, I didn't actually eat all that many fruits and veggies. Mostly grains and dairy. a lot of vegetarians I know are the same. And for vegans, grains and soy. You wouldn't be a bad vegetarian, just an average one. :tongue: My top fruit and veg intake happened after I stopped being a vegetarian and just focused on eating fruits and veg.
  • earthnut
    earthnut Posts: 216 Member
    edited March 2017
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    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    I was wondering where they got that number also! While I do eat a lot of vegetables on a regular basis the amounts do vary and I don't eat a whole lot of fruit. I have made sure to get at least what this requirement states and I have put in a bit of fruit where I previously was not. I wonder if the powers that be have tried meeting the requirement themselves? I have never kept track of how many servings I eat in total so some days I likely ate 800 g or more other days less. I have also had a day or two in the week of having very little if any vegetables.

    That being said I have discovered that:
    1) While I do eat a good many vegetables on a regular basis I do feel the physical difference with meeting this lofty requirement daily.
    a. A more full feeling for a longer time.
    b. A bit of bloating.
    c. Not drinking as much water because my stomach feels full. This may be where some people find sluggish
    bowels I think. Not enough hydration to move it along.
    2) I am able to stuff my self with less vegetables than junk food. Likely the fiber I am guessing. A pack of cookies or quart of ice cream is not a challenge. LOL!
    3) I think people who haven't made vegetables and fruit a part of their regular diet would struggle here. Maybe lack of knowing how to prep the stuff. Maybe they are trying to eat a lot of things like a carrot, or salad and not incorporating the vegetables into meals. (Say, vegetable soup, or a veggie lasagna or other casserole type of thing, maybe a quesadilla with veggies, veggie pizza etc... ) I assume this can feel daunting and tedious for people who are not proficient in the way of the vegetable. This also goes for fruit. I am thinking of the man in the article that was posted further up. He had a grapefruit, apple and banana for breakfast. Most of us could only maintain such intensity for so long.
    4) The sense that all these servings must be eaten ASAP may loom over some folks. Instead of trying to spread it out through out meals and snack some folks may find that they are trying to get in 400+ g of vegetables or fruits in a single sitting. This may be part of what brings on some of the problems such as constantly feeling stuffed, bloated, gassy, and just sick of the vegetables and fruits. It takes about 2 hours for food to leave the stomach, and another couple for it to head through the small intestine. Trying to cram all this through there is going to leave one feeling a little like Santa Clause.

    Just some things that came across my mind. I hope people who have not typically been vegetable eaters do not get turned off of vegetables because it feels impossible or difficult or inconvenient. I think they could offer some creative and more user friendly ways to help people get on with an increase without it feeling like a chore.

    When I first greatly increased my fruit and veg intake, I relied on prepping (cleaning and chopping) large amounts ahead of time so I could just grab and eat it when I needed to. I made large fruit salads and stored them in the fridge, and I prepped a bunch of lettuce and stored that in the fridge too (tip: line a tupperware with paper towels to store moist lettuce).

    I'm not much of a cook, so I ate a lot of raw fruits and veg because they required minimal prep. I ate lots of fruit because I found it more appetizing and it's usually eaten raw. For cooked veg, I mostly relied on frozen peas and corn. Pop it in the microwave and done.

    And yeah, I threw veg into lots of dishes. I was aiming for half of my food intake to be fruits and veg so a lot of my meals had significant veg amounts. Instead of just pasta and sauce, I'd mix a half cup of peas into my portion. I didn't learn new recipes, I just added veg to old favorites. My 3 main meals were never just fruits and veg alone, but my snacks frequently were.

    Ramping up slowly is a good idea. When I first started this diet, I was already accustomed to a relatively high fiber intake from beans, compared to a lot of people I know. So a bunch of fruit and veg wasn't a great shock to my system. But for someone who is accustomed to a low fiber intake, it could certainly cause problems.

    Oh and a high raw fruit and veg intake really improved my dental health over time. I started with gingivitis and once I was used to the diet my gums stopped bleeding and I had faster cleanings because I had less plaque (fibrous fruit and veg cleaned my teeth as I ate them!).
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    Only 1082 for me today - watermelon, blackcurrants, cauliflower, baby spinach, mushrooms, beetroot, avocado and tempeh.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    dfwesq wrote: »
    Checking in for today. Yesterday afternoon I started feeling ill (nothing related to my diet!) and didn't eat much. So just about 600g for the day.

    Today has been a vegetable-palooza, though:

    170g sauteed onions and mushrooms
    420g crudites (radish, red bell pepper, celery, cucumber, sugar snap pea pods, grape tomatoes)
    85g broccoli and pearl onions
    350g tomato braised cauliflower
    85g black beans
    200g eggplant caponata
    85g half a baked pear
    For a total of 1395g!

    (Question: Is it OK for me to post links to the recipes? I don't have any connection to the sites the recipes are posted on.)

    I know I want the recipe for that tomato braised cauliflower!

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