Count Fruits and Veggies?

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petchonka82
petchonka82 Posts: 156
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you count your fruits and veggies in your caloric intake? I have been, but I have a friend who says that she doesn't (and she has had weight loss success) and someone else told me that you don't count them when following Weight Watchers....so, I wonder if I should be counting them or if I'm taking aways from my available calories for no reason.

Replies

  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
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    Yes count them! they all have calories so they need to be logged
  • jb83
    jb83 Posts: 38
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    I count mine! But if you're going to go over your calorie goal, a fruit or veg would be the best choice!
  • erzille
    erzille Posts: 524 Member
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    I count mine, too!
  • cupcakelover103
    cupcakelover103 Posts: 197 Member
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    I was thinking about this the other day. To me it makes sense to count my fruits and veggies. Otherwise you could forget to add what you cook your veggies in! Like oils, butter etc. Also, not all fruits and veggies are low in calories such as avacados and sweet potato. But at the end of the day, if i'm hungry and have already reached my caloric intake goal for that day I don't beat myself up at all for having a small fruit salad or something like that. Even if i do go over my calories i still made a good choice at the end of the day, instead of going for the cookies. But, to keep your calorie count accurate i would suggest counting in these calories always.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    if it goes in your face, you count it. :-D lol
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Yes, I count them, not only because of the calories but also because of the sodium (celery stalk= 23 mg of sodium), and the fiber.

    Did you know that 1/2 red ruby grapefruit has 50 calories and 1/2 a pear has 43 calories? Right there you have almost 100 calories, and if you are like me and eat several servings of fruits and vegies everyday, you may have close to 300 calories /day.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    Anything with calories should be counted.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
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    If you bite it, write it!
  • alliecore
    alliecore Posts: 446 Member
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    Definitely count them. Fruits and veggies contain healthy carbs, fiber, and protein as well, all of which should be tracked. (Also consider that fruit can be somewhat high in calories....for instance, a banana can have approx 105 calories and 26 grams of carbs, both of which can make a dent in your daily intake.)

    *edited for typo*
  • beautifulalways0421
    beautifulalways0421 Posts: 9
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    If it's cooked at all, I count it.

    If it's raw, I don't. Here's why:
    Your body uses as many calories (or more) to digest most raw fruits and veggies as the foods contain. So if I eat a salad, I only count the dressing (which, for me, is calorie-and-carb-free).

    Also, I love to snack on frozen Organic mango (YUMMY), and since it's raw AND frozen, I definitely don't count it since it helps my body burn additional calories.

    Hope this post helped.
  • _Bro
    _Bro Posts: 437 Member
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    Count them without worrying about it...
    Veggies are important as they are a good source of carbs with a high fiber content.
    Sure they have sugar but it's not the same as processed sugar..

    I would focus more on:
    Balanced intake of protein carbs fat -- you need them all to fuel your body
    Get your carbs from good sources - low Glycemic
    Eat sufficiently and try to spread out your meals
    After exercise eat good carbs and protein -- carbs provide the energy and protein the repair..
    You need both :)


    End of rant !!
  • alliecore
    alliecore Posts: 446 Member
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    Count them without worrying about it...
    Veggies are important as they are a good source of carbs with a high fiber content.
    Sure they have sugar but it's not the same as processed sugar..

    I would focus more on:
    Balanced intake of protein carbs fat -- you need them all to fuel your body
    Get your carbs from good sources - low Glycemic
    Eat sufficiently and try to spread out your meals
    After exercise eat good carbs and protein -- carbs provide the energy and protein the repair..
    You need both :)


    End of rant !!
    "Count without worrying about it".....perfect wording!!! Agreed, agreed with everything! :)
  • MrsWendyQ
    MrsWendyQ Posts: 125 Member
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    I do...more importantly just so I can see just how many I am eating! If I eat a little more than I should have for the day and I had a lot of fruits or veggies I do not worry about it! Plus, my coach says if you screw up and eat crap, wash it down with an apple! Start off again w/ something good, don't fret about it!
  • leomentlines
    leomentlines Posts: 440 Member
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    I also count my fruits/veggies, but I don't really berate myself if I still stay under my calorie goal but happen to go over the carb/fiber goals :)
  • ms_april
    ms_april Posts: 21 Member
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    Definitely count everything you put in your mouth. If you don't accurately know what you have had how would you know when you have had to much?
  • jacque1109
    jacque1109 Posts: 129
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    No real theory behind my answer: I count the fruits and not the veggies.
  • petchonka82
    petchonka82 Posts: 156
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    Thank you everyone! I have been counting them, but I was wondering if I was cheating myself too. I like the the concept that if I go over because I've had a lot of fruits than not to stress. Sometimes I can eat as much at 500 calories a day in Apples/Bananas.

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