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

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3azeema
3azeema Posts: 17 Member
edited February 6 in Food and Nutrition
Hi MFP,

What are your tips on incorporating more fruit and (green) vegetables into your diet.

I was browsing these forums, reading about what others are eating and now I feel like I'm not getting enough nutrients.

This is what I usually eat

Breakfast - oatmeal with a spoon of honey, cup of chamomile tea
Lunch - salami sandwich, a mandarin, cup of anise tea
Dinner - soup or rice and curry , cup of cinnamon tea
Snacks - mandarins, banana, if calories are left over then something sweet

How can I improve on this?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,368 Member
    I'm not really getting your question... just eat more fruit and veggies. Have some fruit for breakfast with your oatmeal, or some veggie omelet, have a salad at lunch, or put some lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers in your sandwich (you can save some calories by having turkey or ham instead of salami too), have some veggies and dip or fruit for snack, have some meat and veggies for dinner... endless possibilities.
  • writemusic4him
    writemusic4him Posts: 312 Member
    Hi MFP,

    What are your tips on incorporating more fruit and (green) vegetables into your diet.

    I was browsing these forums, reading about what others are eating and now I feel like I'm not getting enough nutrients.

    This is what I usually eat

    Breakfast - oatmeal with a spoon of honey, cup of chamomile tea ***you could add raisins or cranberries to your oatmeal or a banana on the side
    Lunch - salami sandwich, a mandarin, cup of anise tea ***you could add lettuce & tomato to your sandwich or add a side salad
    Dinner - soup or rice and curry , cup of cinnamon tea ***add a cooked or steamed veggie
    Snacks - mandarins, banana, if calories are left over then something sweet

    How can I improve on this?

    Thanks :)
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    This is what I usually eat

    Breakfast - oatmeal with a spoon of honey, cup of chamomile tea
    Lunch - salami sandwich, a mandarin, cup of anise tea
    Dinner - soup or rice and curry , cup of cinnamon tea
    Snacks - mandarins, banana, if calories are left over then something sweet

    Am I right in understanding from this that you usually eat the same thing every day? If you are worried about getting enough nutrients then you should really be willing to mix it up.

    But anyway, here are some specific ideas of things you can add:
    1. Do you like bell peppers? I do! Especially if I am not getting enough veggies, I'll just have half a bell pepper with my lunch, it adds tons of vitamin C and (if it's red) a solid dose of vitamin A, and a bit of fiber. Crunchy and flavorful!
    2. Spinach. Many people like it raw as a salad base. I don't, so I just spritz it with a tiny tiny bit of olive oil and stir it around in a hot skillet until it's totally wilted / broken down. A little salt and pepper. Makes a good side with dinner.
    3. You're eating fruit, good. You might want to mix it up to get some higher-fiber fruit than mandarins though, they're not terribly nutritious as a diet mainstay. Pears are full of fiber! At the ripe old age of 43, I've finally learned to buy my pears green and let them ripen on the counter to ensure getting good juicy and unbruised pears. Apples are always good.
    4. It's the season for cruciferous veggies, so this is a good time to be buying broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. These veggies get a bad rap because most people overcook them, and if you know you don't like them too bad I guess. But just a tip: try coating them with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and mustard, then roasting them in a 400' oven. NICE. Toothsome. DELICIOUS.
    5. I don't know what kind of curry you're eating. I like to make a curry vegetable stir fry of whatever's around (usually cauliflower, bell pepper, onion, a tomato, a little potato, maybe broccoli) with ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, etc.
    6. Yeah, you can add some fruit to your oatmeal. Apples or bananas are the fruit of choice for many. Pre-cooked squash or pumpkin is also very nice and nutritious. Berries and peaches are out of season right now, but you can always add frozen ones to oatmeal, they're nice.
    7. Sweet potatoes! Full of vitamin A and fiber, and not as high in calories as you'd think, assuming that your portion sizes are reasonable and you're not loading them with unnecessary calories in the form of butter, sugar, maple syrup or marshmallows (gack! people sure do like to ruin sweet potatoes!). Two good ways to eat them: cube them, toss with a tsp of olive oil, roast in a 375' oven for 40 minutes or so, turning once or twice; or shredded and stir-fried in a hot skillet with a tsp of olive oil, sliced green onions, garlic, and a bit of soy sauce or fish sauce. NOM! (Oh also, you can also make a nice soup with them and spinach and say, udon noodles, maybe some sausage if that's you're thing. BAM -- new soup for you.).
    8. Your diary isn't open, but I notice you're rather young and I'll just make a suggestion based on what I often see from other young people on MFP: make sure you're eating enough. I'm not saying this is you, but anyone who thinks they don't have enough calories budgeted to eat vegetables is definitely not eating enough.
  • 3azeema
    3azeema Posts: 17 Member
    This is what I usually eat

    Breakfast - oatmeal with a spoon of honey, cup of chamomile tea
    Lunch - salami sandwich, a mandarin, cup of anise tea
    Dinner - soup or rice and curry , cup of cinnamon tea
    Snacks - mandarins, banana, if calories are left over then something sweet

    Am I right in understanding from this that you usually eat the same thing every day? If you are worried about getting enough nutrients then you should really be willing to mix it up.

    But anyway, here are some specific ideas of things you can add:
    1. Do you like bell peppers? I do! Especially if I am not getting enough veggies, I'll just have half a bell pepper with my lunch, it adds tons of vitamin C and (if it's red) a solid dose of vitamin A, and a bit of fiber. Crunchy and flavorful!
    2. Spinach. Many people like it raw as a salad base. I don't, so I just spritz it with a tiny tiny bit of olive oil and stir it around in a hot skillet until it's totally wilted / broken down. A little salt and pepper. Makes a good side with dinner.
    3. You're eating fruit, good. You might want to mix it up to get some higher-fiber fruit than mandarins though, they're not terribly nutritious as a diet mainstay. Pears are full of fiber! At the ripe old age of 43, I've finally learned to buy my pears green and let them ripen on the counter to ensure getting good juicy and unbruised pears. Apples are always good.
    4. It's the season for cruciferous veggies, so this is a good time to be buying broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. These veggies get a bad rap because most people overcook them, and if you know you don't like them too bad I guess. But just a tip: try coating them with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and mustard, then roasting them in a 400' oven. NICE. Toothsome. DELICIOUS.
    5. I don't know what kind of curry you're eating. I like to make a curry vegetable stir fry of whatever's around (usually cauliflower, bell pepper, onion, a tomato, a little potato, maybe broccoli) with ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, etc.
    6. Yeah, you can add some fruit to your oatmeal. Apples or bananas are the fruit of choice for many. Pre-cooked squash or pumpkin is also very nice and nutritious. Berries and peaches are out of season right now, but you can always add frozen ones to oatmeal, they're nice.
    7. Sweet potatoes! Full of vitamin A and fiber, and not as high in calories as you'd think, assuming that your portion sizes are reasonable and you're not loading them with unnecessary calories in the form of butter, sugar, maple syrup or marshmallows (gack! people sure do like to ruin sweet potatoes!). Two good ways to eat them: cube them, toss with a tsp of olive oil, roast in a 375' oven for 40 minutes or so, turning once or twice; or shredded and stir-fried in a hot skillet with a tsp of olive oil, sliced green onions, garlic, and a bit of soy sauce or fish sauce. NOM! (Oh also, you can also make a nice soup with them and spinach and say, udon noodles, maybe some sausage if that's you're thing. BAM -- new soup for you.).
    8. Your diary isn't open, but I notice you're rather young and I'll just make a suggestion based on what I often see from other young people on MFP: make sure you're eating enough. I'm not saying this is you, but anyone who thinks they don't have enough calories budgeted to eat vegetables is definitely not eating enough.

    Thank you!! This is exactly the advice I was looking for. Thank you for taking the time to write. :D
  • DaveneGfit
    DaveneGfit Posts: 338 Member
    I eat a lot of salads and try to with almost every meal. Getting your dark green leafy vegetables will make a huge difference.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    I just put a lot of vegetables in my omelets like bell peppers and spinach, and also my sandwiches. Just FYI, the vitamin A from plant sources are actually beta-carotene. And while this pre-cursor can be converted to vitamin A by the human body, you need to eat some fat for this conversion to happen. Just FYI.
  • shano25
    shano25 Posts: 233 Member
    Based on what you're eating already, add fruit to your oatmeal, lettuce to your sandwich, and one or two extra veggies to your soups and curries.

    Go to the grocery store and pick up fruits and veg you like. Cut up celery, carrots, peppers, etc. and wash grapes and then put them in small baggies. That way you can just easily grab a bag and snack on it or add to your meal. If it's all ready to go, you're more likely to eat it rather than having to wash, peel, cut, then eat.

    The other thing you can do is start making smoothies using fruits and green veg.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    What is that? Like 800 calories?

    Open mouth, eat food.
  • Smallc10
    Smallc10 Posts: 704 Member
    Buy them and eat them....
  • Supahvixen
    Supahvixen Posts: 50 Member
    Apple pie and carrot cake. :tongue:
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    Cauliflower and broccoli cheese is one of my faves. I normally use a packet sauce made with milk as they are often not too bad on the calories and sprinkle a little cheese over the top. You can add bacon too!

    Apart from that I just try and chuck veggies into everything-currys, stirfrys etc. If I have a burger I'll have it with a side salad.

    I used to really dislike fruit but found fruits like blueberries were nice with greek yogurt and honey and, plums were nice mixed up with a meringue nest and reduced cal thick cream-not too calorific either.

    Thanks to adding fruit to things I like I've got used to it and will happily sit and eat a piece of fruit on its own now.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I'm gonna go with, "by eating it."
This discussion has been closed.