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

corinasue1143

Thanks for explaining @AnnPT77.

lemurcat12

AnnPT77 wrote: »

P.S. to anyone who's doing this for the first time as a way to change what they're eating: Some of us - me, for one - are kind of cheating in that we've done this challenge before, and eat these volumes of fruits/veggies (or near to it) most of the time by preference anyway. If you're new to this WOE and working your way up to 10 servings incrementally, give yourself a pat on the back for good progress (and claim 2 exercise calories for "stretching, light" cardio when you do so. ).

This is true.

I almost always eat 10+ servings, and am doing the challenge more to make myself log and because it's a fun excuse to chat with others about vegetables. I think it's very cool for new people to join.

And I never know how to do leafy greens which I often just eyeball so am generally doing either 2 C= serving or weighing and going with 80 (although what 2 C is depends on the type of green). I'm pretty casual about that sort of thing.

lemurcat12

And yesterday:

Morning smoothie (note -- many are anti smoothie, but I enjoy them sometimes and find them filling) -- about 4 servings
avocado (85 g)
spinach (120)
strawberries (120 g)

Lunch (the rest of the curry I made as an experiment yesterday -- seemed better/spicier today, which might be from the time combining in the refrigerator) -- 5.5 servings
lentils and chickpeas (total 1 serving)
mixed kale/collards/mustard greens (75 g)
cauliflower (95 g)
butternut squash (80 g)
tomatoes (50 g)
onions (65 g)
garlic and cilantro

Dinner (leftovers from the Ethiopian meal I had the other day) -- I'll say 2 servings without the lentils, although that seems a bit conservative
lentils -- guess I can't count again, although they were a different kind of lentil
collards
cabbage and carrots

Dessert -- apple, about 170 g, so I think 2 more servings

heroyalslimness

sorry for double post--I don't know how to delete.

heroyalslimness

crzycatlady1 wrote: »

This is a spin off thread to this one-http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10520032/10-portions-of-fruit-and-veg-a-day/p1

and is based off of this article
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/23/five-day-10-portions-fruit-veg-cut-early-death

A few of us decided to challenge ourselves to try and hit the daily recommended amount of vegetables and fruit:10 servings ie 800grams. If this is something you'd like to challenge yourself to do, then please join in!

The Challenge

-aim to eat 800g of vegetables and fruit each day, in any combination, Monday, February 27th-Friday, March 3rd
-what counts? I'll be going by these guidelines http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Whatcounts.aspx
-don't worry if you can't hit 800g! This is a fun, low pressure challenge to encourage us to eat more veggies and fruit

If you're going to join in, please post in this thread with updates as the week progresses. Do you have a menu planned? Are you trying new vegetables and/or fruit? Have you found a new recipe that you're going to try? Was shopping for all your produce different than from how you normally shop? Feel free to answer any of these questions (or none at all lol).

And then if you want you can keep a daily, running total with how many grams of vegetables and fruit you're eating!

I'm in!

lemurcat12

Welcome!

abowersgirl

Carrots 125
Broccoli 350
Cauliflower 175
Onion 30
Celery 17
Corn 150
Zucchini 37.2

834.2

AnnPT77

Monday 1/15:

100g mixed berries in oatmeal

130g winter squash

Soup:
- 224g split peas, cooked (counted as 80g)
- 44g onions
Salad:
- 78g romaine (locally grown, not recalled!)
- 22g onions
- 176g cooked beets
136 berry cherry blend (with yogurt and chocolate PB2, for dessert)

100g raw celery

Total: 866g = 10.8 servings

lemurcat12

Yesterday was just so so and I didn't count well.

Breakfast was an experiment of a combination savory/sweet oatmeal, since I'm having a hard time being fully satisfied with savory oats options if I don't use eggs, but am trying to find egg alternatives for breakfast. So I did oats (half steel cut, half cauliflower rice, which I do like) with a banana and some blueberries, but added in some tofu (fine) and sauteed spinach (tasted fine but just seemed weird and I decided I did not like it). Also the cals were kind of high. Decided to go back to simpler oats (which is what I had today).

banana (105 g)
blueberries (40 g)
spinach (65 g)
cauliflower (100 g)

Just under 4 servings

For lunch I had decided in advance I would buy, decided to try Sweetgreen, which is normally crowded but I figured it would not be on MLK day. Had a super veggie filled salad (for reasonable calories, some of their stuff is high cal): organic baby spinach, shredded kale, spicy broccoli, raw beets, carrots, bean sprouts, spicy quinoa, basil, roasted sesame tofu, sweetgreen hot sauce, carrot chili vinaigrette.

Using my judgment, about 4 servings.

I had been planning to cook dinner (my sister and I usually have Sunday dinner together and moved it to Monday because she was off and I thought I'd come home early, but then I had writers block on the thing I was working on and did not and was weak when she wanted to order pizza, so!). Anyway, my sister really likes a veggie-filled pizza, thin crust with broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, and black olives, but still, pizza, so I'm only going to count one serving, plus a fraction sufficient to get my breakfast to a full four, so I will call today a 9 serving day. Low on protein too, oh well, one day.

French_Peasant

Sorry I've been MIA for a while--we have been in Chicago for the long weekend, so I haven't been in the greatest position to track my veg intake, but I would figure it's been7-ish servings a day, ranging from a large plate of fruit (and scavanging the fruit being wasted on my kid's plates) at a birthday party to paying through the nose for a wee salad at the Art Institute, to very pleasantly discovering a 250-g salad at the Museum of Science and Industry for the bargain price of $4.50 and 60 calories.

I did enjoy watching a woman wait half an hour to have a veggie burger patted up for her by the surly workers at the Art Institute. Of course, I was waiting 20 minutes for chicken tenders for my daughter, because she can't just eat a damn sammich, and they didn't have bread for grilled cheese. This was on a Sunday at one of the most highly visited art museums in the country.

I had packed a lot, but the kids stole all the easily portable freeze-dried fruit on the way, and when we got there I didn't feel like carrying plastic clamshells of cherry tomatoes and rapidly bruising apples in to see the Impressionist collection, LOL. @lemurcat12 I saw a Pret a Manger across the way from AI and wish I could have tried that.

We did eat at Tuco & Blondie for the first time in Lakeview, and between the elotes, piles of salsa, beans, and a very tasty passionfruit margarita, I think I had well over 10 servings that day. We also ate at the Emerald Loop, an "Irish" bar in one of the great treasures of Chicago architecture, the Jewelers Building, where Capone allegedly had a speakeasy back in the day. I had a very forgettable tomato bisque and a "meh" charcuterie plate. It was directly across the street from our hotel, and we didn't feel like walking any further in the bracing weather.

I did manage to have the absolute WORST salad I have ever seen at an Arby's in East Bumbletucky, Indiana, in the midst of a snowstorm. It was small, sad and browning. The Culver's in the town was inexplicably closed (where at least I can get green beans and some kind of veg soup).

Anyways, I am back to reality, and back on track today.

lemurcat12

Heh, that's funny. I actually got obsessed with Pret because a client of mine in NYC was right next to one and they would always go there for lunch. That was before everything here had calorie counts (well, most things do in those kinds of places) and I loved the convenience, the options, and the calorie counts, and so was excited when it came here. Now, of course, I'm kind of tired of it, although they do change their menu around off and on, which is good. But it's convenient, has some good choices, and is always fast, can't complain about any of that!

lemurcat12

Oh, Pret aside, I'm really close to Tuco & Blondie (that's my 'hood!) and have not been there yet. Really must go soon.

French_Peasant

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Oh, Pret aside, I'm really close to Tuco & Blondie (that's my 'hood!) and have not been there yet. Really must go soon.

My brother in law and his wife live just a few blocks away; they go there often. I really liked it, and would probably like it even better with a warm spring evening on the patio. Unfortunately they have started discussing the MTO (move to Oak Park) potentialities with my brother and his wife.

srk369

Yesterday was good. I took my plan from hiking Sunday and made a bag of veggies early and used that to snack on throughout the day.

Breakfast
77g Banana (More banana bread)

Lunch:
358g Mason Jar Salad (My family is loving having these pre-made and ready to go!) (Tomato, carrot, onion, cucumber, kale, spring mix, cabbage)

Dinner: cheese pizza...no veggie

Veggie bag:
497g (Turnip, radish, carrot, snap peas, tomato, celery)

932g

11+ servings

corinasue1143

Only about 4.7 servings today. A reminder to try harder.

French_Peasant

corinasue1143 wrote: »

Only about 4.7 servings today. A reminder to try harder.

It is definitely tough when you are first starting!

abowersgirl

Lunch
Onion 30
Mushroom 165
Chickpeas 80
Carrots 336 (that's lunch and dinner)

Dinner

Zucchini 150
Tomatoes 77
Onion 55

Equals over 800, yay

AnnPT77

French_Peasant wrote: »

corinasue1143 wrote: »

Only about 4.7 servings today. A reminder to try harder.

It is definitely tough when you are first starting!

Sometimes it's tough when you're not just starting - LOL!

100g mixed berries in lunch oatmeal

Big salad at restaurant for dinner: Maybe 4 servings?

50g winter squash
30g dry-roasted soybeans (I think these count like legumes??)
56g sauerkraut

So, just under 7 servings, maybe?

The brewpub IPA I had instead of more veggies was yummy, though.

Yep, tough. Soooo tough.

Just kidding - obviously, I hope.

It truly is tough figuring out the "lotsa veggies" thing at first. A veryvery small percentage of us (i.e. me) subsequently have self-discipline issues sometimes. But are honest about it.

French_Peasant

AnnPT77 wrote: »

French_Peasant wrote: »

corinasue1143 wrote: »

Only about 4.7 servings today. A reminder to try harder.

It is definitely tough when you are first starting!

Sometimes it's tough when you're not just starting - LOL!

100g mixed berries in lunch oatmeal

Big salad at restaurant for dinner: Maybe 4 servings?

50g winter squash
30g dry-roasted soybeans (I think these count like legumes??)
56g sauerkraut

So, just under 7 servings, maybe?

The brewpub IPA I had instead of more veggies was yummy, though.

Yep, tough. Soooo tough.

Just kidding - obviously, I hope.

It truly is tough figuring out the "lotsa veggies" thing at first. A veryvery small percentage of us (i.e. me) subsequently have self-discipline issues sometimes. But are honest about it.

This is true! As Homer Simpson says, "Mmmmmm...beer!"

French_Peasant

Here is my tally for yesterday:

85 g romaine
190 g tomatoes
440 g grapes
70 g clementine
40 g apples

825 g total
+ 1 ounce veggie chips
+ can of v-8
______
12.25 servings.

On self discipline issues, why in the heck did I take (and continue eating) a really gross cookie at a Cub scout meeting? It was not good. And why did I eat a chocolate Santa (170 calories) that I found at the bottom of a stocking when putting away the last of the Christmas stuff? I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time.