Getting enough veggies & fruit- how?

Missashley9

I've been trying to get in my 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of veggies each day, but it's hard. I did pretty well the past 2 weeks but I am losing my mojo. The fruits are easy-- 1/2 cup watermelon, canteloupe, grapes, a banana & apple.... no problem. I cut up the fruit at the beginning of the week & munch on the stuff throughout the day. I thought I could do the same with the veggies, too, but it's not as simple. Throwing some spinach & tomatoes in my turkey wrap is fine, but trying to eat raw carrots, cucumber, zuchinni, broccoli, etc, also...? Too much! I like green beans & steamed veggies, so I eat those at dinner. But how can I get in my 5-6 servings without feeling like I am literally "choking" down all this roughage? Any suggestions?

Meggie_pooh

salads for lunch and veggies with dinner. Also at snack time, try munching on baby carrots!

cscoggins

I am not a big fan of veggies either- and usually rely pretty heavily on frozen vegetables as well. Here are my ideas- put a handful of fresh baby spinach or cut cabbage in your wrap, salad, or sandwich. Raw Baby carrots are good and sweet for a snack. Try snow peas- sweet and crunchy! Green beans will mix well with pretty much ANY dish- just toss in 1/2 a cup. I have to sneak them into my meals... haha! Good luck!

sprinkies

try to eat a salad with dinner nightly, just a little plate of spinach/leafy green lettuce and a few cherry tomatoes/cucumbers.

i'm very guilty about not eating enough veggies also, and salads are the only way i get em in. i don't eat one daily anymore though, i just can't stand it sometimes.

Schwiggity

A serving of vegetables is actually a lot less than you'd think. 1/2 cup for everything except for leafy greens.

audjrey

Some suggestions: Either purchase yourself a really good juicer and juice your fruits & veggies. Then use the pulp of whatever you juice in high protein, low fat muffins, cakes, pancakes etc. Or go to the health food store and purchase either Naka Liquid Vital Greens or a powdered version of Greens & Berries.

Ely82010

Low sodium V8 vegetable juice. One 5 oz serving will give you the equivalent of 2 servings of vegetables/day. It is also low in calories and carbs.

You can buy it in small cans, large ones or in a plastic bottle, and many supermakerts have their own brand, which is also good and a little cheaper.

radicalreader

Check out some of the suggestions here:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/

They have recipes, budget tips, an app that determines how much you need, and lots of other interesting stuff.

Thriceshy

I toss in a lot of veggies with dinner--some dinners, I have steamed green beans, broccoli, and spinach, plus a salad for lunch, and I'm set. It's the fruit I have a hard time with--I love fruit, and yet when push comes to shove, I find myself forgetting that I have pears in the crisper or strawberries washed and ready.

Kris

bbbbb33333

Isn't it 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.... meaning 5 servings total of furits or vegetables... not 5 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables?

jimmy_jenkins

Isn't it 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.... meaning 5 servings total of furits or vegetables... not 5 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables?

I always thought this aswell, can't get too much though, i suppose.

kbw414

As someone else said, a serving of veggies is actually quite small at 1/2 a cup. I eat a mostlyplant-based diet, so my meals are planned on what delicious, fresh, organic veggies I have in the fridge. I find that when I stopped making my meals revolve around a piece of meat, it was so easy to eat plenty of fruits and veggies. I eat more than the recommended amount, I'm sure.

Have you tried stir fry? You can put a great variety of veggies in one stirfry, make your own homemade sauce, and serve it over 1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa and it's delicious.

registers

I've been trying to get in my 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of veggies each day, but it's hard. I did pretty well the past 2 weeks but I am losing my mojo. The fruits are easy-- 1/2 cup watermelon, canteloupe, grapes, a banana & apple.... no problem. I cut up the fruit at the beginning of the week & munch on the stuff throughout the day. I thought I could do the same with the veggies, too, but it's not as simple. Throwing some spinach & tomatoes in my turkey wrap is fine, but trying to eat raw carrots, cucumber, zuchinni, broccoli, etc, also...? Too much! I like green beans & steamed veggies, so I eat those at dinner. But how can I get in my 5-6 servings without feeling like I am literally "choking" down all this roughage? Any suggestions?

I have a vitamix blender, it's awesome for this.

BeHappyNHealthy

A super easy way to get your servings of vegetables and fruit is through juicing. In one juice you can get a whole serving of your 5 fruits and veggies for the day! Drinking your veggies and fruit is the best way to ensure you get a sufficient amount of nutrients from your plant based foods without having to stuff your face with plants. If you don't have a juicer, there are juices in the store that offer a bunch of servings! V8 has a serving of veggies and fruit in one serving. However, if you have a natural foods store nearby try looking in their juice section just beware of the sugar content! Odwalla may seem healthy until you turn to the label and read the sugar--yikes!

It's always best to EAT your fruits and veggies though because the fiber is super important to a healthy digestive system. Try making 50% of the meals you eat containing fruits and veggies and not only with you meet your quota, but you'll lose weight and your body and environment will thank you!

Hope this helps.

luvmybentley

I cut out the side dishes (rice, pasta, potatoes) and substituted veggies on my plate instead. Try them roasted or grilled (grilled red, yellow, orange peppers, asparagus, zucchini are delicious...just spritz/toss with olive oil and sea salt). I always eat my salad first when I'm really hungry. Add 1 Tbsp chopped nuts, shredded cheese, bacon bits, or sunflower seeds to give it a bit more texture/interest for only a few more calories.

I'm the opposite of you, I have a harder time getting my fruits. I'd rather snack on veggies and only get fruit in a smoothie.

HarperVT

I slowly incorporated specific types of veggies into my diet at first. Now it's pretty easy to get the servings I need as long as I plan meals ahead. Most of my veggie intake comes from what I add to meals/recipes for dinner and I’ll purposely make extra for leftovers for lunch the next day to double a particular serving of veggies.

Here's what I require and some basic ways on how I started to incorporate each kind of vegetable:
(I go by cups & "cup equilvalents" instead of servings, 1 cup/cup eq = 2 servings)
This is following the USDA’s MyPyramid which has just changed to MyPlate or something where they have probably updated some categories and minimum amounts.


Dark Green Veggies: 3 cup equilvalents per week minimum
2 cups of Romaine lettuce, leafy greens, or spinach equals 1 cup eq so I try to make at least 1 or 2 small salads (2 cups each) per week and I’ll make one big salad where I will add a lot more veggies from other categories. Even though I hate broccoli I can mask the taste when I mix it with seasonings if I add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of very finely chopped florets to a cup of rice or a serving of potatoes with a few meals throughout the week. I’m still working on adding other dark greens to change things up a bit, but still trying to find more ways to cover up the taste.


Orange Veg: 2 cups per week minimum
I add a cup of shredded carrots to a big salad most weeks. 1/4 to 1/2 cup to small salads occasionally. I’ll also add a cup eq of baby carrots with rosemary seasoned chicken and potatoes and bake it all together.


Dry Beans & Peas: 3 cups per week minimum
Chili takes care of various beans pretty often for me, as well as adding beans to the occasional salad and Mexican style dishes and fajitas.


Starchy Veg: 3 cups minimum
I have a cup eq of potatoes or corn/corn on the cob with a few meals each week.


Other Veggies: 7 cups minimum
I steam, bake, roast, or sauté peppers and onions with most of my dinners each week. I will add zucchini and tomatoes to various meals, cucumber to big salads, celery sticks for a snack with reduced fat peanut butter, iceberg lettuce on sandwiches or lean beef tacos & chicken fajitas, and various others with different meals.



When I first started following MyPyramid I would divide the veggie categories up in a way where I would include at least 1 cup from three different categories each day while planning my meals and making a grocery list. Now I have gotten used to it and realize that even when I change up recipes and try new ones I still end up eating the same basic ingredients and eat similar sides each week. So now I naturally include specific vegetable sides with particular meals/meats and don’t have to spend as much time planning ahead.

Everyone has there own way, this was mine, hope it helps you in finding your own! It'll be a breeze when you realize how easy it gets after some repetition. Good Luck!

Missashley9

Thank you all for the responses and ideas. A serving size is pretty small; I did know that part. And is it 5 servings of fruits & veggies total? I thought it was 5 of each. The "old" USDA food pyramid states 3-5 of veggies and 2-4 of fruit... so 5-9 total. Guess it's all in how you interpret it. I like doing the wrap at lunch. It's simple and convenient. If I can get 2 veggies then, and another 1 or 2 at dinner, I should be fine-- in addition to the fruit. I do like a lot of veggies-- spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, bell peppers, zuchinni-- but it's a matter of packing 'em all in. Thanks again guys & gals!