Check-in: Our Fruits and Veggies Challenge
themedalist
Posts: 3,218 Member
For those of you participating in our fruits and veggies challenge this week, how are you doing? It's such a great time of year to eat more produce. Lots of delicious options!
Alternatively, if you're having trouble finding your veggie groove, post that as well... there is likely someone in our group who has experienced the same thing and might have some tips and suggestions for you.
Alternatively, if you're having trouble finding your veggie groove, post that as well... there is likely someone in our group who has experienced the same thing and might have some tips and suggestions for you.
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I don't really enjoy cooking too much so I try to keep it as simple as possible. In addition to a big salad, I like having raw veggies dipped in hummus. So easy and so yummy. Often I'll mix the hummus with plain Greek yogurt to make a dip that has a decent amount of protein.
But I've also discovered that brussel sprouts marinated for a few days in balsamic (or red wine vinegar), olive oil, and a little bit of soy sauce are absolutely delicious when they are roasted in the oven. Oh my! They are just amazing!4 -
Yummy!! Great alternatives and suggestions!
I do struggle with my veggie intake. I do like to add as much as I can in salads and mix it with scrambled eggs or quiches. Another way is to fry them. Yes I know it is not the healthiest thing to do but I do like my fried tomatoes and cucumber with panko crubms and greek yogurt dressing!3 -
prgirl39mfp wrote: »Yummy!! Great alternatives and suggestions!
I do struggle with my veggie intake. I do like to add as much as I can in salads and mix it with scrambled eggs or quiches. Another way is to fry them. Yes I know it is not the healthiest thing to do but I do like my fried tomatoes and cucumber with panko crubms and greek yogurt dressing!
Your fried tomatoes and cucumbers in Panko with Greek dressing sounds delicious, @prgirl39mfp.
I think of salt, sugar, and fat as potential good "connectors", connecting me with nutritious foods that I might not otherwise eat. A little Cabot Cheddar Shake that I mentioned yesterday that I put on steamed broccoli and cauliflower, is a great connector used in small quantities. I eat a lot more broccoli and cauliflower because I sprinkle it with a little cheese. The sugar in yogurt makes it more palatable and I eat more yogurt because of it. I reduce the sugar content by mixing sweetened yogurt with plain yogurt. On the flipside, the sugar in jellybeans, other candies, and most deserts connects me with no real nutrition so I try to limit my intake of these things.
I think you've found some great connectors for your tomatoes and cucumbers!
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@themedalist , aren't roasted veggies amazing. I never liked Brussel Sprouts before I tried them roasted. Beets are also amazing roasted, but I love beets so much that I usually just wrap them in foil and throw them into the oven (or on the grill).
I love freggies, and when I don't get enough, it is because I'm too lazy to prepare them. Usually, I go the the Farmers Market on Saturday and wash and prep the veggies in the afternoon. If I don't wash them, I'm less likely to eat them.
This week I've had Roma beans (there is about a 2 week window when these are available, so I hope they are still at the market on Saturday), Zuchinni and Yellow Summer squash, Beets, several varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, black beans, carrots, apples, strawberries, blueberries, orange, and even a little pumpkin.
I like lots of veggies raw, but if you don't, having the connectors like Denise suggested help to make these healthy food more palatable. I often sprinkle my steamed veggies with Parmesan cheese. Trying to eat undressed salads or plain steamed veggies (unless you really like them that way) often means that your habit of eating the veggies isn't sustainable, and you eventually replace them with chips and crackers. I was just talking with a friend about how in the past sandwiches were served with a pickle, but now they are served with chips and fries. Sure pickles are high in sodium, but the trade was not a beneficial one.3 -
I liked the concept of having "connectors" as Denise suggested: "I think of salt, sugar, and fat as potential good "connectors", connecting me with nutritious foods that I might not otherwise eat."
It can also be another food item that connects me with a freggie such as Ezekiel bread toasted begs me for some peanut or almond butter with added banana slices and raisins on top, for one example.
Having this challenge has really encouraged me want to eat more of a variety of 'freggies' again. Yesterday I made an awesome salad that I had for lunch and leftovers later on with supper. Today I sauteed some colorful peppers, mushrooms, and onion in coconut oil to go with my egg. I added a (steamed in the microwave) red-garnet sweet potato to my lunch, as well as some applesauce.
I've never roasted beets, I'm going to have to try that soon. I also like roasted veggies!
:flowerforyou:
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@77tes and @texasgardnr you both are certainly embracing the challenge! Nicely done!2
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This challenge made me more creative picking dinner choices out last night. I chose a cauliflower based taco instead of the burger that didn't really excite me. Wow I'm glad I did, it was way better than I expected. Today may be more of a struggle since the peach that I was planning on adding to breakfast is not an option. I'll have to make it up later I hope.3
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@taxmom9093 , sorry you couldn't eat the peach for breakfast today. Ah, the sad tale of when good fruit goes bad.
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I really struggle with this one. I have only had beets once many years ago (canned, I think?) and I couldn't stomach them. I am not much of a cook, so creative ways to cook veggies don't come easily to me. I like salads, so that is how I get most of my greens, but I really need to experiment more. this challenge is by far the hardest one yet for me!2
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Denise, thank you for the resources for this week's challenge.
I just finished reading through 95 Ways to Eat More Veggies from the Cooking Light website that is in our resources for this week's challenge. It was definitely an inspiring list of ideas to browse through. There were also some interesting recipe links to click on within the article.
Bonus: This article is long so I am glad that I learned about reading on my tablet while standing at the kitchen counter during the Sit Less Boot Camp, instead of sitting at the desktop computer as I was used to doing.
:flowerforyou:3 -
@OConnell5483 , my husband HATES beets, and complains that they smell disgusting, so I am familiar with your feelings. Do try some veggies roasted, though, they are so easy, and really taste much different/better. I never would have thought I would like Brussels Sprouts.2
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@OConnell5483 , my husband HATES beets, and complains that they smell disgusting, so I am familiar with your feelings. Do try some veggies roasted, though, they are so easy, and really taste much different/better. I never would have thought I would like Brussels Sprouts.
@OConnell5483, @77tes has given great advice. I'd also piggy back on something she said earlier. Freggies sustainability is key. If you''re good with salads, make it a veggie packed salad, have a few pieces of fruit throughout the day and you'll meet the 5-9 freggies that are recommended each day. It's always great to try new things and strategies, but in the end if they're not a good fit for us we won't keep doing them.
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texasgardnr wrote: »Denise, thank you for the resources for this week's challenge.
I just finished reading through 95 Ways to Eat More Veggies from the Cooking Light website that is in our resources for this week's challenge. It was definitely an inspiring list of ideas to browse through. There were also some interesting recipe links to click on within the article.
Bonus: This article is long so I am glad that I learned about reading on my tablet while standing at the kitchen counter during the Sit Less Boot Camp, instead of sitting at the desktop computer as I was used to doing.
:flowerforyou:
@texasgardnr i'm glad you found the article helpful and I love the cross pollination of challenges!2 -
My daughter made a delicious veggie frittata yesterday and that's another favorite way that my family packs in the veggies. It had Chinese cabbage (sort of kale's first cousin), Portabella mushrooms, tomatoes and some shredded cheddar. Nine eggs all baked in a pie pan to create a lovely egg and veggie breakfast pie.
And the leftovers are just as good!3 -
I made it a priority to eat at least one serving of vegetables with each meal, and I substituted my usual afternoon snack with a green smoothie sweetened with fruit. Overall, it was a successful week, and convenient enough that I should have no trouble combining this new habit.2
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@MessyApron Green smoothie! Why on earth did I not think of that? I have a NutriBullet that my husband put in the basement while he was remodeling the kitchen and I never brought it back up. I used to drink a kale or spinach smooth every morning with a few berries or half of a pear or apple in it for added flavor, with a bit of almond milk. I need to dig it back out and start this again. Between the smoothies and salads, I can totally do this! Thank you for mentioning it.
@77tes and @themedalist : Thanks for the tips! I will try roasting some cauliflower. My husband can't stand the smell of broccoli or cauliflower but he will have to get over it!
I also need to read the 95 ways to eat your veggies article above. I ran out of time and then never went back in.
thanks for the motivation and tips everyone! I really struggle with this one....1 -
@MessyApron, I'm so happy to hear that you found eating more fruits and veggies this week convenient enough to include it in your daily habits and routines. Making it sustainable is the key.
And @OConnell5483, so many of our auto pilot habits are triggered by visual cues. So it's not surprising that when your husband moved the NutriBullet to the basement, green smoothies fell off your radar... I hope he gets used to the smell of steamed cauliflower and broccoli.
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I'm kind of late (again) to the party.
I mentioned earlier about doing smoothies, and I have done several this week.
Someone posted a link in the previous thread re smoothies - sorry I can't recall who right now, but I wanted to thank you. Just prior to reading that I had came across a site called something like 7 simple smoothies. The idea is 7 (different) smoothies on 7 days using 7 ingredients total. They asked when I wanted to start my 7 days and I chose tomorrow (Mon July 3). I'm in Canada and we just celebrated Canada's 150th birthday this weekend, and I had outside activities planned. I have issues with IBS, and there is the possibility that these smoothies with all of their fruit could have bad effects for me, so I didn't want to start until the festivities were over. But I did stock up on lots of the fruits and spinach I will need, I will just be doing it a week late.
Last weekend, before this challenge started, ds and dgs (21 months) came over to help me with some things around the house and then we all went out of town. I made up egg muffins for us to have - similar to little crustless quiches, made in a muffin tin. In them I put spinach, cherry tomatoes and corn and they were very nice, and just right for adults and little ones. That was all I had to put in them but I will definitely make again and vary the ingredients (add onions, green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc).
I am not a salad fan - I prefer my veggies cooked. And I do like beets, although sometimes the pickled beets in a jar are way too vinegary.
Re broccoli, and cauliflower, and even Brussels sprouts, you can always top them with shredded cheese which may help you get used to them. When young my mom often made a white sauce and put over them, and added cheese to that, but that really ups the calories.
I've seen a lot recently about roasted Brussel sprouts, so I am going to try that in the next few weeks.4 -
@hollyhock1009 wrote: »I'm kind of late (again) to the party.
I mentioned earlier about doing smoothies, and I have done several this week.
Someone posted a link in the previous thread re smoothies - sorry I can't recall who right now, but I wanted to thank you. Just prior to reading that I had came across a site called something like 7 simple smoothies. The idea is 7 (different) smoothies on 7 days using 7 ingredients total. They asked when I wanted to start my 7 days and I chose tomorrow (Mon July 3). I'm in Canada and we just celebrated Canada's 150th birthday this weekend, and I had outside activities planned. I have issues with IBS, and there is the possibility that these smoothies with all of their fruit could have bad effects for me, so I didn't want to start until the festivities were over. But I did stock up on lots of the fruits and spinach I will need, I will just be doing it a week late.
Last weekend, before this challenge started, ds and dgs (21 months) came over to help me with some things around the house and then we all went out of town. I made up egg muffins for us to have - similar to little crustless quiches, made in a muffin tin. In them I put spinach, cherry tomatoes and corn and they were very nice, and just right for adults and little ones. That was all I had to put in them but I will definitely make again and vary the ingredients (add onions, green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc).
I am not a salad fan - I prefer my veggies cooked. And I do like beets, although sometimes the pickled beets in a jar are way too vinegary.
Re broccoli, and cauliflower, and even Brussels sprouts, you can always top them with shredded cheese which may help you get used to them. When young my mom often made a white sauce and put over them, and added cheese to that, but that really ups the calories.
I've seen a lot recently about roasted Brussel sprouts, so I am going to try that in the next few weeks.
@hollyhock1009, I think you've had a very successful week. There's no one way that will work for everyone. It requires trial and error and being committed to the process of eating more freggies until you find some strategies that work for you and are sustainable. I like what one of the bloggers wrote about finding your "gateway" vegetable.
Nice job, Everyone! We will be repeating this challenge at a later date.... eating more fruits and vegetables is important for optimal health.
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themedalist wrote: »My daughter made a delicious veggie frittata yesterday and that's another favorite way that my family packs in the veggies. It had Chinese cabbage (sort of kale's first cousin), Portabella mushrooms, tomatoes and some shredded cheddar. Nine eggs all baked in a pie pan to create a lovely egg and veggie breakfast pie.
And the leftovers are just as good!
Denise - I'm curious. What did you daughter use in the pie pan to keep the delish frittata from sticking?1 -
WILLALOUISE wrote: »Denise - I'm curious. What did you daughter use in the pie pan to keep the delish frittata from sticking?
@WILLALOUISE, we just oiled the glass pie plate with olive oil. No sticking!
Today's breakfast: individual frittatas. Spinach, mushroom, onion, chive, tomatoes and roasted red peppers (frozen). Together with a smoothie, we've already met our freggies goal for today.
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So yummy!!0
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I know we are in a new week now, but can I ask what method do most of you use to measure your servings of veggies or fruit? I eat a lot of blueberries, strawberries, and apples. I never know how much a serving is. I also don't quite know how to measure a serving of broccoli or cauliflower when it's raw?
Do you generally use measuring cups or weigh ounces on a digital scale?0 -
OConnell5483 wrote: »I know we are in a new week now, but can I ask what method do most of you use to measure your servings of veggies or fruit? I eat a lot of blueberries, strawberries, and apples. I never know how much a serving is. I also don't quite know how to measure a serving of broccoli or cauliflower when it's raw?
Do you generally use measuring cups or weigh ounces on a digital scale?
@OConnell5483, I'm sure there are lots of approaches to this, but I generally use measuring cups for most fruits and vegetables except the very calorie dense ones like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and avocados. Those I put on a digital scale (and I don't count white potatoes as a vegetable but rather a starch. Because I have to watch my sodium I eat a lot of potatoes since they are full of potassium, the nutrient that counteracts sodium). I *think* the serving size of most fruits and veggies is half a cup, but with leafy greens it's a full cup. If I were you, I'd put the brocolli and cauliflower in a measuring cup and call that a serving. You should easily find them in the MFP database.
Because I am in maintenance and also because we are all encouraged to eat more vegetables, I don't tend to worry too much about the calories in most vegetables. I'm not frying them, I'm steaming them or eating them raw. Whether I eat 3/4 of a cup of broccoli or 3 cups of broccoli in the big picture doesn't make much difference calorie wise. But eating more of any cancer fighter that is also chock-full of micro nutrients just seems a smart move to me.
My friend @WILLALOUISE (Jen) who is guiding our exercise challenges said something to me years ago that has always stuck with me. It hits the nail on the head: "Nobody is overweight because they ate too much produce". Very true!!
And no problem whatsoever returning to an earlier weekly challenge! I hope many of the weekly challenges are things people continue to work on. We can't put too much emphasis on fruits and vegetables. They are that important.
And as an aside, as a serial coffee mug collector I thought of you, @77tes, and @nebslp this weekend. I have 25-30 coffee mugs that I've collected over the years from business trips that I've taken. Some of them are unique and special, but most are "meh". This weekend I went through them all and I purged 10 of them... the ones they gave me no joy. Now there's a lot more room in my kitchen cabinet and that does give me joy! Declutter Fest 2017 lives on in my household!1 -
Phooey! I replied to youearlier, @OConnell5483, but it seems to have been lost in cyber-space.
I like weighing my fruit and veggies when I eat them plain. I also like playing with my digital scale because that is the kind of nerd I am. For instance, this morning I had 120 grams of my breakfast quiche, and 50 grams of fresh blueberries. When I have bread with peanut butter, I weigh the bread and then hit the tare button and smear on 16 grams of peanut butter. I look for foods in the database that include a listing for 100 grams. I can measure in ounces as well, and for some reason, I generally weigh my meats in ounces.
I feel like I cheat when I use cups and tablespoons, but the scale never lies (except when I weigh myself).
Besides, I don't like washing all those measuring cups, etc, and I can weigh things on my serving dish. 1 -
@themedalist , love your coffee mug purge! Yes, indeed, keep the ones that give you joy. I have Starbucks cups from New York and London, and they are hardly useable, but they stay because they give me joy every time look in the cupboard.1
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Re weighing fruits and veggies - I have to count every calorie because my calorie count is so low. (I maintain at 1200 calories but I still need to lose about 15 more pounds.)
I get my serving sizes normally from the package or can - or from the USDA (?) listing. (I Google them, then find the same in MFP database.) Some are 100, some 125 and some 85 grams per serving. And I use my digital scale, tare the plate, and add my serving according to the listing, taring between each addition - I make sure all of my MFP foods have a gram count, or I make my own listing. Most are weighed before cooking, because foods like potatoes can loose a lot of weight when baked, etc. Often I use a part portion - like if a serving is 125 grams, I may only give myself 100 grams, so I can add something else. The only thing I measure in cups and tsps. are things I use for baking - although lately I have been taring the measuring cup and adding it by weight too if the recipe includes that. I keep my scale on the counter between my fridge and my microwave. I have it down to such a routine that weighing things hardly takes any time now.1
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