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Feb 5 Weekly Challenge: Fruits and Veggies Extravaganza
themedalist
Posts: 3,218 Member
Theme: Healthy Eating
Challenge: Fruits and Veggies Extravaganza
Sometimes there's a pretty big gulf between what we know we should do and what we actually do. I know that fruits and vegetables should make up about half of my daily food intake. I know this. But most days, my fruits and veggies consumption falls short of the recommended 5 to 9 servings per day.
I'm not alone. According to the US Center for Disease Control, about 90% of Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and are therefore missing out on these potent disease fighters. Residents in other countries may fare better than the US, I'm not sure.
If you're like me and eat some fruits and vegetables every day, it doesn't take much to boost that intake up to the recommended daily level. So that's our challenge and our goal this week...let's all make sure we are getting enough fruits and veggies to reap the many health benefits that these colorful jewels provide.
I've set an objective of eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day this week (I've dubbed them "freggies") for a total of 35 servings this week. I’m going to track my progress towards the 35, just as I did last week towards the goal of 150 exercise minutes. My main strategy for accomplishing this goal will be a big daily salad. I can easily eat 3-4 servings of freggies in just one salad. As you determine your goal for this week, please share it and your strategy for accomplishing your goal with our group. We can all support and learn from each other.
If you have a favorite recipe or two in which fruits or veggies are the star, please share!
This Week's Challenge: Whether you grill them, roast them, dip them, grab them from the fruit bowl, peel and eat them on the go, or enjoy them some other way, let's all eat more fruits and veggies this week. Decide how many servings you are going to eat each day and then make it happen!
Make it a great week!
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Suggested Resources:
How Fruits and Vegetables are Linked to Disease Prevention:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/
Ask Our Dietitian: How Many Fruits and Vegetables Should I Eat a Day?
http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/healthy-habits/how-many-fruits-vegetables-a-day
Vegetable Haters: How to Start Eating Vegetables
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables/
95 Ways to Eat More Veggies:
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/ways-to-eat-more-veggies
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Challenge: Fruits and Veggies Extravaganza
Sometimes there's a pretty big gulf between what we know we should do and what we actually do. I know that fruits and vegetables should make up about half of my daily food intake. I know this. But most days, my fruits and veggies consumption falls short of the recommended 5 to 9 servings per day.
I'm not alone. According to the US Center for Disease Control, about 90% of Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and are therefore missing out on these potent disease fighters. Residents in other countries may fare better than the US, I'm not sure.
If you're like me and eat some fruits and vegetables every day, it doesn't take much to boost that intake up to the recommended daily level. So that's our challenge and our goal this week...let's all make sure we are getting enough fruits and veggies to reap the many health benefits that these colorful jewels provide.
I've set an objective of eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day this week (I've dubbed them "freggies") for a total of 35 servings this week. I’m going to track my progress towards the 35, just as I did last week towards the goal of 150 exercise minutes. My main strategy for accomplishing this goal will be a big daily salad. I can easily eat 3-4 servings of freggies in just one salad. As you determine your goal for this week, please share it and your strategy for accomplishing your goal with our group. We can all support and learn from each other.
If you have a favorite recipe or two in which fruits or veggies are the star, please share!
This Week's Challenge: Whether you grill them, roast them, dip them, grab them from the fruit bowl, peel and eat them on the go, or enjoy them some other way, let's all eat more fruits and veggies this week. Decide how many servings you are going to eat each day and then make it happen!
Make it a great week!
.....................................................................................................................................................
Suggested Resources:
How Fruits and Vegetables are Linked to Disease Prevention:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/
Ask Our Dietitian: How Many Fruits and Vegetables Should I Eat a Day?
http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/healthy-habits/how-many-fruits-vegetables-a-day
Vegetable Haters: How to Start Eating Vegetables
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables/
95 Ways to Eat More Veggies:
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/ways-to-eat-more-veggies
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Replies
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In addition to this week’s fruits and veggies challenge, our Move It Monday challenge continues this Monday and every Monday in February. Let’s get those Monday workouts in!
And let us know how your exercise session went by posting on the Move It Monday thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10637806/jan-29-weekly-challenge-move-it-mondays
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Here’s a couple of interesting infographics:
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Yay I'm in! The recommended portion size here in the UK is 80g but despite loving my veggies, I do struggle to get 5 portions of 80g in per day. I'm not a fruit lover at all, so it's time to get creative with salads and evening meals to ensure I get my quota
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I went to a Super Bowl party last night and my friend who invited us is an exceptional cook. Almost everything that was served was rooted in fruits and veggies and it was delicious! We began with crudités and spiralized sweet potato rings that were then baked until crispy. Then a crispy lentil patty followed by a yummy Moroccan bean stew. Then baked cauliflower topped with a spicy tomato sauce. All topped off with a grilled pineapple ring and then warm toffee bread pudding.
It was all so tasty and lots of servings of fruits and veggies!
And it was Sunday when our challenge begins on Monday. Not a problem— I am primed for a great week!9 -
I will definitely try to eat more freggies this week, but I make no guarantees. I am guilty of not getting enough in.
On a good note, I am making good strides for Move It Mondays. I've been getting up every 30 mins or so and doing a least 1 min of a cardio. I also went for an 8 minute walk earlier. I want to get myself out of my chair as much as possible throughout the day.4 -
Great post! I too struggle to eat my freggies so I will make it a point this week to eat them. I have bok choi, peppers, zucchini, and green beans so I plan to use them all. I do not a lot of fruit because of my pre diabetes but I do eat them once a day and those are mostly berries. I indulge once in a while with some papaya or pine apple.
Today I am resting. Had a great time last night at a super bowl party and I only have 3 hours of sleep. Even if I wanted to I have no energy whatsoever. I will double up tomorrow. Promise.4 -
I am in. I am big on fruits and veggies daily. I am not sure what constitutes a serving size. So for this challenge I will add an extra piece of fruit and vegetable to each meal and snack.3
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I do love my veggies but could always eat more, I had an apple today instead of reaching for a choccie bar when I came in from work! Have also had tomato juice, banana, Clementine, dried fig, kale, mushrooms, carrots, sweet corn and pineapple, been a super day for me! Hope you're all doing well!3
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I am in. I am big on fruits and veggies daily. I am not sure what constitutes a serving size. So for this challenge I will add an extra piece of fruit and vegetable to each meal and snack.
@PinkyPan1, the “Ask the Dietician” link above has some info about serving sizes. Generally, a serving size for freggies is half a cup, with the exception of leafy greens (one cup) and dried fruits (a quarter cup). She also gives recommendations for how much to eat based on age, sex, and activity level.
The link had been broken, but I think it’s now fixed.4 -
@PinkyPan1 asked for the recipe for the baked carrot cake oatmeal that I posted yesterday. I am delighted to share it! I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this recipe! For one, it’s super easy to make. Mix up the ingredients, pour it into a pan, and then let it sit overnight or for several hours so that the oats absorb the milk. It’s also relatively low sugar, I only use a quarter cup of maple syrup for six generous servings. It has all the flavor notes of carrot cake, except without the cream cheese icing.
Topping it with vanilla Greek yogurt adds wonderful creaminess and a decent amount of protein. A slice of this for breakfast keeps me full until lunch. Oats are magical that way.
I have a smaller family so I make a smaller batch using 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal, 1 1/2 cups of milk, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots. I buy shredded carrots to make it even easier and microwave them slightly so they’ll soften up a bit. I also reduce the other ingredients just a bit and pour the whole thing into a lightly greased square pan. It’s a leap of faith the first time as it’s hard to believe the ingredients will set up. But they do! Overnight (or in several hours) the oats absorb the milk and it’s ready to be baked.
It smells heavenly baking in the oven and I especially love it on a cold winter day. I usually put it together Friday night and bake it Saturday morning. I have served this to a lot of people and they all raved about it. I can say that because it isn’t my recipe.
The credit goes to Angela at the Oh She Glows blog. Here’s her recipe:
http://ohsheglows.com/2014/03/19/heavenly-carrot-cake-baked-oatmeal/
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THANK YOU!themedalist wrote: »@PinkyPan1 asked for the recipe for the baked carrot cake oatmeal that I posted yesterday. I am delighted to share it! I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this recipe! For one, it’s super easy to make. Mix up the ingredients, pour it into a pan, and then let it sit overnight or for several hours so that the oats absorb the milk. It’s also relatively low sugar, I only use a quarter cup of maple syrup for six generous servings. It has all the flavor notes of carrot cake, except without the cream cheese icing. Topping it with vanilla Greek yogurt adds wonderful creaminess and a decent amount of protein. A slice of this for breakfast keeps me full until lunch. Oats are magical that way.
I have a smaller family so I make a smaller batch using 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal, 1 1/2 cups of milk, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots. I buy shredded carrots to make it even easier and microwave them slightly so they’ll soften up a bit. I also reduce the other ingredients just a bit and pour the whole thing into a lightly greased square pan. It’s a leap of faith the first time as it’s hard to believe the ingredients will set up. But they do! Overnight (or in several hours) the oats absorb the milk and it’s ready to be baked.
It smells heavenly baking in the oven and I especially love it on a cold winter day. I usually put it together Friday night and bake it Saturday morning. I have served this to a lot of people and they all raved about it. I can say that because it isn’t my recipe.
The credit goes to Angela at the Oh She Glows blog. Here’s her recipe:
http://ohsheglows.com/2014/03/19/heavenly-carrot-cake-baked-oatmeal/
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I’m in! Had my strawberries, mangoes and pineapples today yum yum yum! I love fruits!3
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I love veggies and eat lots but not much fruit maybe I should up the fruit so I have less junky food!3
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I had a serving of tomatoes but that was it. Honestly, I forgot all about it today. Lol. Definitely gonna focus on it tomorrow and the rest of the week.3
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Just now reading this week's challenge. I probably ate too many servings of fruit today. I like to eat 1 cup of frozen blueberries with 1/2 c. FF Cottage cheese for breakfast. Had 1/2 grapefruit and a hard boiled egg for lunch. Then ate an orange for an afternoon snack. Dinner had a nice size pile of asparagus, but that was it for veggies. I just really have a hard time getting veggies in. Not a big fan. So....this week I will increase my veggies intake by having a nice salad either for lunch or with dinner. That's probably a good 3 servings right there!
Move it Monday will have to start tomorrow...I'm beat tonight and just couldn't move when I got home from work!
Thanks for the links above. I'm going to be reading those for sure, and I'm also going to try the oatmeal recipe!3 -
I stared Monday well even though I overslept and couldn't do my morning match around the backyard. 97 minutes.Jinantonix wrote: »Yay I'm in! The recommended portion size here in the UK is 80g but despite loving my veggies, I do struggle to get 5 portions of 80g in per day. I'm not a fruit lover at all, so it's time to get creative with salads and evening meals to ensure I get my quota
Thanks. I always wonder what a serving size should be. 80g is a good one. 1/2 cup is often suggested, but how are you going to measure a 1/2 cup of celery sticks? After I read that, I threw my little bag of carrot and celery sticks packed for lunch and was happy to see it was close 152g.
I love fresh fruit and veggies. Today I ate or plan to eat (dates planned for dessert) 4 fruit servings. I had one of my big Mason Jar salads for lunch with most of a quart of vegetables. Then my snack of carrots and celery and Lima beans with supper. 7 or 8 servings I think.3 -
I need to grab a V8 or something. The best I did today was putting some fresh tomatoes on my thin crust beef pizza and a handful of grapes.
Hi @fatbambi2017 I noticed you're also in the UAC group. Awesome!3 -
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Good morning!
Had some baby dills with my boiled eggs this morning. For Lunch I made a salad with cucumbers, olives and onions and for Dinner spiralized zucchini.
@MmamabearR you did pretty good. Grapes and tomatoes!3 -
I've been squeezing a thick lemon slice in my water a couple times a day. Not a serving, I'm sure, but adds a little extra vitamin C and tastes really good. I do like V-8. Will have to stock up on that.4
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I added a cutie to my first meal ( I am doing IF 16:8 and have 2 meals a day). At my second meal I added 5 more cherry tomatoes. For my snack I added a banana to my ice cream. I was very satisfied with yesterday's menu that I plan on having the exact same thing today.1
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MmamabearR wrote: »I need to grab a V8 or something. The best I did today was putting some fresh tomatoes on my thin crust beef pizza and a handful of grapes.
Hi @fatbambi2017 I noticed you're also in the UAC group. Awesome!
Hi MmamabearR! These awesome challenges are certainly keeping us on our toes!
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Another good day for me, loving all the variety and colours, look so pretty! Today have had tomato juice, cucumber, celery, sultanas, tomato, Clementine, dates, dried fig, apple instead of my choccies treat, it did last longer! Red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, hope you're all having a good day too!4
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MmamabearR wrote: »I need to grab a V8 or something. The best I did today was putting some fresh tomatoes on my thin crust beef pizza and a handful of grapes.
Hi @fatbambi2017 I noticed you're also in the UAC group. Awesome!
I love those commercials with the head slap "shoulda had a v8" lol ohh marketing .
I had a bowl of cherries last night and it helped me from raiding the fridge late!2 -
Today I had three servings of green grapes, a serving of raw spinach, and a serving of garden salad. I'm so proud of myself. Early tomorrow morning I'm running to the store to pick up a bunch of fruit.2
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I forgot to buy the V8, but I did have some baby carrots. I may not be getting my full servings of fruits and vegetables, but that's actually an improvement overall.3
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Started my day with an omelet with red cabbage and Swiss chard. For lunch I will have some chicken with riced cauliflower and sweet potato. Dinner will be more spiralized zucchini left over from yesterday and pork chop.
Well done everyone!3 -
MmamabearR wrote: »I forgot to buy the V8, but I did have some baby carrots. I may not be getting my full servings of fruits and vegetables, but that's actually an improvement overall.
5 to 9 servings is a great goal to shoot for, but you’re right...just getting more than you did before is terrific progress!
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HGSmith0920 wrote: »Today I had three servings of green grapes, a serving of raw spinach, and a serving of garden salad. I'm so proud of myself. Early tomorrow morning I'm running to the store to pick up a bunch of fruit.
This is awesome! We are proud of you too!3 -
fatbambi2017 wrote: »Another good day for me, loving all the variety and colours, look so pretty! Today have had tomato juice, cucumber, celery, sultanas, tomato, Clementine, dates, dried fig, apple instead of my choccies treat, it did last longer! Red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, hope you're all having a good day too!
Wow! You are all over this challenge. Way to get it done!2
This discussion has been closed.