Doesn't anyone each fruit and veg anymore?

kimwig

Having been on fitness pal for over 8 months and lost over 35lb, getting my BMI into the normal range, I have been looking at how others are either losing weight (or not in some cases) and it seems to me that people don't eat veggies and fruit anymore. There seems to be a lot of processed and takeaway foods, and lots of excuses as to why it is too hard to get and prepare veggies
Is this the case, have we stopped realizing how good veggies are for us! What happened, is this why we are seeing such increases in obesity.

ZebraHead

I eat Fruits (some) and veggies (alot) like a crazy person. I am sure many others on MFP do the same.

No junk processed foods for me (almost never).

smuehlbauer

You're not looking at the right food journals then.
I eat a crap load for veggies and fruit.
I try to eat as much of the real food as possible.
I have my quick nights, like tonight where I eat my turkey burgers, but I usually have some a veggie with it.
I try to eats the least amount of processed foods as I can.
(baby steps sometimes!)
Steph:flowerforyou:

VeryKerri

I eat tons of fruits and veggies every day. Not going to lie and say I don't eat processed foods also, but if you look at my diary, you will def see fruits and veggies galore! 80 pounds down couldn't be done without them!

jessieleah

I didn't used to eat fruits and veggies, but I've started putting them into my every day diet. I'm still not very into that many veggies, but I'm working on it! I love fruits, though. Sadly allergic to apples, peaches and cherries.

AnaNotBanana

As someone who avoided veggies at all costs before I can say that it would be very difficult to lose weight without eating ANY fruits or veggies. I know I should probably eat more veggies but I eat two piece of fruit a day at least. I think it's difficult to generalize EVERYONE in one category or another. For every person that only eats frozen meals, there is someone who only eats "whole"/unprocessed/organic foods.

lizb59

I think salad is always looked at as a "diet" food - so people on diets think they have to eat it, then get sick of it! There are other ways to go besides salad - green beans and walnuts, Persian eggplant stew, baked sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower....the possibilities are endless...

TheMaidOfAstolat

I eat tons...every day. I have to, it makes up the bulk of my diet. I'm a vegetarian and I couldn't imagine just living off of breads and protein sources.

NoAdditives

I eat almost no processed foods and don't eat fast food. We rarely eat out at restaurants. We cook all our food and eat fruits and vegetables, though we could be eating more.

ctheslayer

I have not perused a lot of food diaries to come up with good data points but from what I see in my own diary, I average 3 fruits a day, cook my own dinners using ingredients close to the source and organic and at least 1 bowl of fresh veggie salad everyday. The most processed food I consume are dairy products just because I don't have a cow to milk and I don't know how to churn for my own butter and cheese.

Speaking of .... there is a large organic Fuji apple and 2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges sitting on my work table with my name on it.

HeatherBunnell

I think salad is always looked at as a "diet" food - so people on diets think they have to eat it, then get sick of it! There are other ways to go besides salad - green beans and walnuts, Persian eggplant stew, baked sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower....the possibilities are endless...

Ok, now I'm hungry! That sounds yummy!!

Mindful_Trent

I eat a good about of veggies most days and one (occasionally two) servings of fruit some days - not every day. Maybe you're just not looking at the right food diaries!

NuclearGirl

I love fruit & veggies - can't get enough of them!

crystal_sapphire

I agree with your thought process of eating vegetables. I love veggies and have them everyday. They should be making up the bulk of what we eat ideally.

To be honest though - who cares what others are eating? Does it really affect you personally enough to post about it? You come off kind of smug. Maybe whoever you are looking at has food allergies (and yes many people have allergies or intolerance to both). Maybe they really just hate vegetables and fruit. They are the ones losing out on the awesome benefits of eating them.

godblessourhome

i eat 1-2 servings of fruit a day and 3-5 servings of veggies. some times they are included or 'hidden' in a recipe and might not have its own entry, but they are there.

ChancyW

i eat 1-2 servings of fruit a day and 3-5 servings of veggies. some times they are included or 'hidden' in a recipe and might not have its own entry, but they are there.

Exactly!

Shash27

i eat 1-2 servings of fruit a day and 3-5 servings of veggies. some times they are included or 'hidden' in a recipe and might not have its own entry, but they are there.

That's how I am too :flowerforyou:

phitme

I eat tons of fruits & veggies. My problem is not those. It's the things I eat in addition to those.

YeaILift

I eat about three servings of spinach a day like my main man Popeye. :smokin:

ladyhawk00

I eat a lot of fruits/veggies. They're so easy! Just had 4 asparagus spears with lunch!

Ok, now I'll get on my soapbox.

I think one of the main reasons so many people don't eat (or don't eat enough) fruits, and especially veggies, is the way we train our kids from the very beginning. There are studies that show that our tastebuds/pleasure pathways are already beginning to be trained during pregnancy and before an ounce of "food" ever passes our lips. This means what mom eats also already starts training baby for preferences toward tastes - sweet, bitter, savory, etc. So if she's not eating veggies, or only eating certain veggies, baby will be more inclined toward not eating them as well.

The other issue is the foods we start babies on. It has become common since jar baby food came on the scene to start babies on fruits (bananas, anyone), rather than veggies. Or even if veggies are given, they are the "sweet" tasting ones (peas, carrots). Babies tend to like the sweet flavors better (don't you?) so they eat them easier/better (see above where baby's tastebuds have already been effected.)

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking those fruits and veggies. But the first foods baby tastes should at the very least be a variety of flavors. Our tastebuds are generally fully trained in the first year or two toward certain flavors. There is some variance for personal likes/dislikes, but we will tend to follow those preferences set in the first couple years. Tastebuds can also be retrained some, but it can be extremely difficult.

My son, 7, likes cookies and ice cream and candy, like most kids. But he also LOVES broccoli, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, and many others. The only vegetable we've found that he doesn't like is mushrooms. When I began feeding him solid foods, he started with a variety of flavors and didn't have any processed sugar at all until a year old. He only had what was in fruits. (Yes, I know, ironic that I was so intent on his healthy eating and have become so lax about mine - but I'm changing it.)

Fruits and veggies are important - even before we're born!

*climbs down* Thank you for listening! :bigsmile:

jrbanta

That looks like my cat weight and all! Yes I do eat fruits and veggies every day. 1-2 fruits and 2-3 veggie servings on a good day! It's the only way to fill up with fewer calories and get my food in for the day. I try to stay away from processed foods and always read labels for fat, calorie, fiber and carb content. Love sweets though which is why I'm on this site and working to lose.

songofserenity81

I cook from fresh veg to finished meal alot of the time, things like soup, hotpots in the crockpot, chilli, lasagne etc. We always have bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomatoes in the crisper drawer . But as another member said when items are included in recipes which is how I add them , they cannot be seen

TheMaidOfAstolat

I eat a lot of fruits/veggies. They're so easy! Just had 4 asparagus spears with lunch!

Ok, now I'll get on my soapbox.

I think one of the main reasons so many people don't eat (or don't eat enough) fruits, and especially veggies, is the way we train our kids from the very beginning. There are studies that show that our tastebuds/pleasure pathways are already beginning to be trained during pregnancy and before an ounce of "food" ever passes our lips. This means what mom eats also already starts training baby for preferences toward tastes - sweet, bitter, savory, etc. So if she's not eating veggies, or only eating certain veggies, baby will be more inclined toward not eating them as well.

The other issue is the foods we start babies on. It has become common since jar baby food came on the scene to start babies on fruits (bananas, anyone), rather than veggies. Or even if veggies are given, they are the "sweet" tasting ones (peas, carrots). Babies tend to like the sweet flavors better (don't you?) so they eat them easier/better (see above where baby's tastebuds have already been effected.)

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking those fruits and veggies. But the first foods baby tastes should at the very least be a variety of flavors. Our tastebuds are generally fully trained in the first year or two toward certain flavors. There is some variance for personal likes/dislikes, but we will tend to follow those preferences set in the first couple years. Tastebuds can also be retrained some, but it can be extremely difficult.

My son, 7, likes cookies and ice cream and candy, like most kids. But he also LOVES broccoli, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, and many others. The only vegetable we've found that he doesn't like is mushrooms. When I began feeding him solid foods, he started with a variety of flavors and didn't have any processed sugar at all until a year old. He only had what was in fruits. (Yes, I know, ironic that I was so intent on his healthy eating and have become so lax about mine - but I'm changing it.)

Fruits and veggies are important - even before we're born!

*climbs down* Thank you for listening! :bigsmile:

Totally agree with this. My daughter loves veggies and fruits because it was the bulk of my diet when I was prenant with her. She loves things like asparagus, brussels sprouts, and edamame...where most kids wouldn't touch these veggies.

Fat_Chopper

To be honest though - who cares what others are eating? Does it really affect you personally enough to post about it? You come off kind of smug. Maybe whoever you are looking at has food allergies (and yes many people have allergies or intolerance to both). Maybe they really just hate vegetables and fruit. They are the ones losing out on the awesome benefits of eating them.

Wow... well for one I like to seem how others eat, I have learnt so much seeing how NOT to eat being on here. I think your comments are off the mark, I don't see anything smug in the post. 517 posts for 3 pounds lost, is that from typing?

NjTex

I try to eat at least 1-2 fruits a day and several servings of cooked fresh veggies. I prepare all of my food on Sunday that way I don't have to cook all week long. I also prepare enough tilapia for at least 1 weeks worth of lunches along with white and sweet potatoes. They all hold up well in the frig and it makes eating health easy.

NjTex

Its so funny you say that! I grew up on a farm and fresh meat, eggs, fruit, veggies and nuts were so plentiful....

halobender

To be honest though - who cares what others are eating? Does it really affect you personally enough to post about it? You come off kind of smug. Maybe whoever you are looking at has food allergies (and yes many people have allergies or intolerance to both). Maybe they really just hate vegetables and fruit. They are the ones losing out on the awesome benefits of eating them.

This is actually basically what I intended to post at first.

But ya know, if people did eat more fruits and veggies, and less processed food and fast foods, the latter would be less prevalent in our society.

The problem being, of course, that we can't just regulate the fast food people eat. But I'm sure that San Francisco will find a way.

meanbmc

i can't live without my fruits and veggies! an apple with breakfast, bags of steamed veggies for lunch and dinner! and usually an apple or 2 during the day, and other stuff if i have it! at least half of lunch and dinner (most of the time!) is veggies. it's the only way i can fill up on something good for me!

fromaquasar

I eat tonnes, of veges! half my plate for lunch and dinner is always a salad or steamed veges, plus I normally eat a couple of pieces of fruit a day (though I try to keep that down so that my sugar doesn't go over!)

Went to a bbq the other day and saw a friend who is a notoriously bad eater by pass the 4 salads to eat chips, meat and white bread ONLY just looking at his plate made me feel queezy!

kimwig

My post was one of curiosity, and having interacted with many who are overweight and complain that they just can't lose weight and ask how I have done it.

When I ask what they eat they rarely seem to mention fruit/veg, they seem to have a lot of dairy (milky drinks, cheese etc), large portions of meat products, snacks (which they eat without being aware of the calorific content) etc, and they don't seem to be aware of what a correct food portion is.

As for smug - maybe I am based on what the word means. Had a look at the definition of smug "1. contentedly confident of one's ability or correctness 2.trim; spruce; smooth; sleek", so based on that yep I am.

Having been through the "weight loss journey" and finally (after many years of being a bad eater), realized how to beat my addiction to the wrong foods (yes I LOVED salty, sweet, fatty foods),

I felt I could "ask the question" regarding fruit and veg, as a (non-practicing) Dr I felt I had some knowledge on the impact of foods on the human body (which -yes- I had chosen to completely ignore for too long).

I think you would be surprised with those who say they are trying to lose weight but chose not to moderate what they eat... And too many use the "food allergies" as an excuse when they have no medically confirmed allergy (I have a sibling that did just that to get out of eating fruit).

Well I will step (stumble) down from my soapbox now (probably not to the applause of the masses )

crystal_sapphire

To be honest though - who cares what others are eating? Does it really affect you personally enough to post about it? You come off kind of smug. Maybe whoever you are looking at has food allergies (and yes many people have allergies or intolerance to both). Maybe they really just hate vegetables and fruit. They are the ones losing out on the awesome benefits of eating them.

Wow... well for one I like to seem how others eat, I have learnt so much seeing how NOT to eat being on here. I think your comments are off the mark, I don't see anything smug in the post. 517 posts for 3 pounds lost, is that from typing?

Actually I have a diagnosed eating disorder and have lost and gained approx 20 pounds 4 times within the past year. I have a wealth of knowledge regarding nutrition, but it does not mean I can put it into use when I'm in a dark place of my ED.

Just a few weeks ago I had to change from 17 pounds down (lost in a healthy way back in the fall) to 3 because I'm coming back and working on recovery.

but thanks for the typing joke directed towards my weight loss. I hope you feel very good about yourself right now. It's so unfortunate how much MFP message boards have changed for the worse since I joined a while ago. The amount of food policing on this website since diaries can now be made public is astounding.