How can I get more fruit and veg in my diet?

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Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    .....I know it's probably as easy as people saying "just eat more veg" but need some tips if possible. Cheers :-)

    Tip 1. Just eat more fruits
    Tip 2. Just eat more veggies.
    Tip 3. Repeat tips 1 & 2
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Here's a few things I've tried over the years;

    If you like having something crunchy (chips, crackers) with your sandwich, substitute veggies. Baby carrots, snow peas (pea pods), celery, etc. It's a good sub because they're still finger food and are crunchy. If you need a little extra flavor, try some hummus or maybe a low fat dip. Just be careful of your portion control on the dips.

    For dinner, have 2 servings (1 cup instead of 1/2 cup) of veg as a side and cut down on the starch (potato/rice) side. Same idea if you're making a casserole, cut down on the rice/pasta/potato and meat and use extra veg to make up the difference so it's still filling. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of broccoli, use 2 cups. If it calls for 1/2 cup of bell pepper, use a whole bell pepper, if not 2 of them. You get the idea..

    Bring two fruits with you every day. I always have one banana a day and the second fruit is either strawberries, grapes, an orange or an apple.

    p.s. You could also google for vegetarian dishes.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,089 Member
    you can add them to everything, eat more soups or snack them
    but really the easier way to get them in is with your main meals

    my lunch today:
    baked chicken breast, potato, 3 servings of broccoli (boiled broccoli with a bit of salt) 1 apple (big one so also 3 servings)
    Boring and simple, but easier then adding half of a serving to everything you eat.

    I had my broccoli already so I can forget about veggies for the day.

    Warning: some veggies are difficult to eat in big amounts fe I could not have 3 servings of raw carrots at once, I can have 3 servings of boiled carrots though
  • CuddlyIrish
    CuddlyIrish Posts: 149
    .....I know it's probably as easy as people saying "just eat more veg" but need some tips if possible. Cheers :-)

    Tip 1. Just eat more fruits
    Tip 2. Just eat more veggies.
    Tip 3. Repeat tips 1 & 2

    No need to be a smart *kitten*!!!
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    You open up the hanger and let the airplane in. :flowerforyou:
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    You can add vegetables to your smoothies and not even taste it.

    For some great smoothie ideas, check out this facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.414986518575929.97466.282449018496347&type=3
  • dford5
    dford5 Posts: 92 Member
    You can make fruit and veggie smoothies. I drink a smoothie every morning (except weekends, that's bacon and eggs :wink: ). I use frozen fruit (strawberries, peaches, mango, pineapple...etc), avocado and spinach. You could also add kale, celery, parsley, mint...
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
    Get a basket. Fill it with fruit and/or snack veggies. Keep it next to the door where you leave to get in your car. Grab 2 - 4 pieces and take them with you each and everyday! I prefer to stop at the fresh fruit stand in the train station on my way in to work. But that may not be as convenient for you. If you put a little thought into it, a simple solution should present itself. Then work at it for a few weeks, and it will hopefully become habitual. Good luck!
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
    One thing that helps me is when I get home from the grocery store, I wash and cut up everything. I'm more likely to just grab and snack on fruits and vegetables this way. If I have to do the work when I'm hungry, I'm more likely to just grab something from the cupboard.

    I decided a year ago to go vegetarian for a month. I did a lot of research and found a lot of great recipes. After doing that, I ended up incorporating a lot more vegetarian meals into my diet because I found so many great-tasting ones and the habits just transferred over. Why not make a commitment with yourself like "I'll eat vegetarian meals every day at lunch" or "I'll do meatless dinners" twice a week. You'll learn a lot of ways that you can sneak veggies into meals and probably find more that you enjoy!
  • MariaLivingFit
    MariaLivingFit Posts: 224 Member
    I am usually very good about getting in lots of vegetables during the day, but just this year I made a commitment to always make at least 2 types of vegetables with dinner. This not only makes me eat less of the other stuff, but it also introduces my 2 kids to lots more veggies and they always have an option if they don't like one type. Also, my pre-dinner snack is always raw veg, or else I'd eat while cooking! :-) Good Luck.
  • hbm616
    hbm616 Posts: 377 Member
    I try to add vegetables to (almost) everything that I eat.

    Stir-fry, curries, stews, chili, and a tomato based pasta sauce are all easy ways to get in some extra veggies. I always try and have carrots, baby spinach, red and green bell peppers, onions, broccoli and mushrooms on hand because I've found that they are easy to add in to almost anything

    On the most recent episode of the biggest loser they suggested pureeing vegetables to conceal them if you don't like them. They made a meat loaf with a whole bunch of different veggies mixed in with the meat and seasoning.

    For snacks I truly enjoy raw veggies with hummus but I know that may be a big step for some people.

    Once I started focusing on my vegetables I found that I enjoy so many of them raw or just steamed. Good luck!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I eat a piece of fruit and a serving of veggies with lunch, and I have vegetables with dinner.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    If you like veggies and fruits then use them as snacks and additions to your current meals, pretty simple.

    But if you are not the biggest fan of one, the other or both then it might be better to find ways to sneak it in without changing up too much what you like to eat. I notice with my daughter if I cook her veggies with her meat then she scarfs them down and that might be a good option, adding the flavor of food that you like to the ones your not as fond of. Another way is smoothies, works since you don't really taste each fruit individually and you can probably find a way to make your smoothies taste like treats that you enjoy eating (ie. pumpkin pie protein shakes, black forest protein shakes, green monster smoothies). Another useful way to put veggies in your meals is to make your own breads and use vegetable puree's in it, adds your veggie content and there are recipes out that they you can tweak to add whatever veggies you'd rather incorporate. Also making sweets with veggies is another alternative. Like brownies? You can replace certain ingredients with fruits or add shredded or puree'd veggies and never notice the difference, well except it could be more moist :)

    Being creative is the fun part! Get those creative juices going and see what you can come up with to help you get those extra's in.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    You ask a question like this and expect people not to be a smart *kitten* about it? Most of the replies I have seen that are helpful are suggestions that are used on 3 year olds when they wont eat their carrots.

    If we could all be buff by eating Pillsbury cookie dough and vanilla frosting all day that would be great, but being healthy/fit/thin (whatever your goal is) is going to require lifestyle changes.

    1) I suggest you research every fruit and vegetable there is while noting the macro breakdown of each. (some fruits for example might contain too many sugars for your particular plan)
    2) Eat them all
    3) Take notes about which ones you like, dont like, and might be suitable to each with each other as well as other foods to incorporate them into your meals.

    Sounds like a lot of work and a pain in the *kitten*? Well it should be. If achieving the body you wanted was as easy as throwing veggies in a blender and calling it a day then there would be a lot less people on this board.
  • plynn54
    plynn54 Posts: 912 Member
    Ive never been much of a fruit/veggie eater, its a texture thing. So I blend them up and have a smoothie. If you blend them frozen, ad a yogurt its pretty thick almost like a milkshake. I add a few broccolli, cauliflower, and carrots, you cant even taste the veggies :P
  • fabulara
    fabulara Posts: 94 Member
    Google "Mark Bittman Vegan Till Six." The New York Times writer lost weight and gained health by eating this way.
  • Dezmodus
    Dezmodus Posts: 68 Member
    You can also sneak veggies into stuff. I like putting spinach in pasta sauce (if pasta fits in your macros, that is)
  • cgarand
    cgarand Posts: 541 Member
    I think of veggies as fast food. What is faster than just washing and eating delicious, crunchy raw veggies? I just finally organized my fridge (picture is my profile picture). I found too often I was buying the fresh veggies but getting lazy when it came time to make them. Or forgetting about the yummy sugar snap peas because they were buried in a mountain of veggies in bags.

    I went to Walmart and bought a bunch of containers with lids. I think they were like $1.33 for the smaller ones and a little more for the larger containers. I have some even bigger containers not pictured on the bottom shelf with washed and prepared lettuce and bigger things. Then I bought the usual veggies and took the time when I got home to prep them. It wasn't bad, I just put the big strainer in the sink. Big cutting board out, containers all lined up and was a washing and prepping machine for a little while. While I did that I grilled up a family pack of chicken to use for lunches and dinners for a few days. Last night I made a grilled chicken salad in just a few minutes. And, super simple clean up because I didn't have to chop up all the veggies. It was already done.

    The key to success is planning and preparation. Add veggies to your day with snacks. Raw sugar snap peas, celery sticks and carrot sticks with or without hummus and a few calamata olives are one of my favorites. And, add veggies to your usual recipes. You can do spinach meatloaf or fish florentine.

    (sorry for the long post, but I love veggies! :smile: )
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Plan your food ahead of time. Pack fruits and veggies to take to work with you. Plan on adding a frozen veggie or salad as a side with dinner. Snack on raw fruits and veggies.
  • Zuragh
    Zuragh Posts: 35 Member
    Make vegetables the main course in all your meals. Base them around the vegetable. That really seems to help me. And like a previous poster stated, put them with/on everything. Mix them into eggs or your pasta etc. Have a salad every day. And use fruit for your sweet tooth. If all else fails, start juicing (or juice anyway from the start because juicing is awesome and so beneficial to your health)!

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