Do you say gotta hit certain amounts.

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bigmangettingthin
bigmangettingthin Posts: 30 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone say daily that i need to get a certain amount of vegetables and or fruits in. Or do you just eat what foods you like and log it. I cant stop thinking that i need to hit certain amounts of vegetables and fruits a day. Some days it drives me crazy.
Thanks

Replies

  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    I like veg and some types of fruit so I just eat what I like as long as it fits my calorie goal. If you like fruit and veg then include it but I personally don't think you need a specific amount on a daily basis to be healthy.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I used to "have" to get in at least 2 servings of fruits a day. Had to stop because of low iron.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    Fruit is no problem. I like veggies also but they do require more planning since they don't keep as well and usually require more prep. In either case I don't really try to quantify other than by default. Mostly, I make sure I get enough protein and am haphazard about everything else. I often end up with a lot of sugar and carbs without veggies, but not so often that I worry much about it.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited November 2018
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    I love veg and fruit so tend to eat plenty without counting. I was in the 10 servings per day challenge for a while and was regularly over, so don't bother counting, although I like logging them to look back and see I'm eating a variety. That said, if you aren't in the habit of eating a lot of veg, I think it can be helpful to count servings or just try to get a few servings per meal -- the challenge was a lot of people who just love vegetables/fruits, but also some people who wanted to try it out or were just starting to try to increase veg, and many of them seemed to think that counting for a while was helpful.

    I wouldn't get neurotic about it, though -- for me I'll think about ways to add veg to meals like breakfast (my omelets make it easy) or if stuck eating at a quick serve place will usually think first about veg content, as well as protein and calories, and will typically get dinners out where I know there will be a reasonable veg content, but if life happens and I'm low for a day I don't worry about it.

    For some reason I tend to eat a lot more veg than fruit. I love fruit and eat it in season a lot, but this time of year I have to remind myself to eat some and typically don't eat it every single day (although I often do, especially if I'm wanting dessert items), in part because I like apples okay but not nearly as much as berries or stone fruit or in-season melon or pears (although pears are pretty available now). All this reminds me that I need to get some clementines!
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Like lemurcat, I love veg and fruit and naturally tend to eat a lot. Also like her, when I was in that 10-a-day challenge, I was always over.

    I never really worry about it. I just naturally tend to eat that way. A long time ago, I realized I felt better when I ate a lot of produce, so I looked for ways to incorporate it into my meals. I've been doing this so long (even when I was obese) that I don't even remember how I started doing it!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I aim for over 100g of protein per day. I try to aim for at least 400g of fruit and veg a day, some days I get closer to 800g, some days I only get 200g... if I get a variation of veg throughout the week, I'm happy.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    I don’t count “portions” of anything. There’s no magic number of fruits or veggies you have to eat. You just need to get enough protein and micronutrients. Fruits and veggies are generally good sources of many micronutrients, and they are relatively low calorie, so you can fill up on veggies without using your entire day’s calorie budget on one meal.

    I don’t eat a lot of fruit because I don’t love it, but I do eat vegetables because I’ve found that I can replace some high-calorie foods with low-calorie veggies. Instead of having a lot of pasta, I might have less pasta plus a big salad. I might also have less rice and more veggies in Asian style meals.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    bigmangettingthin wrote: »
    Does anyone say daily that i need to get a certain amount of vegetables and or fruits in. Or do you just eat what foods you like and log it. I cant stop thinking that i need to hit certain amounts of vegetables and fruits a day. Some days it drives me crazy.
    Thanks

    It depends what your goals are and how your brain works. To lose weight you can eat whatever you want as long as you hit your calorie goal. If you want to improve your health and you believe you need more of certain foods, then setting goals around that might be a good plan. But you shouldn't let it drive you crazy, that's not healthy either! Just keep trying to do a little better. And if it's important to you, set aside a little time to brainstorm how to make it easier.
  • indiacaitlin
    indiacaitlin Posts: 691 Member
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    I aim to hit an overall calorie target, and within that I have a protein target and a fibre target, what foods I eat to hit those targets doesn't really matter. But I do like veggies so have quite a lot every day :)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,034 Member
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    Depends a lot on your goals.

    If your goal is entirely weight loss, then calories is pretty much the whole game.

    If good health is also a goal, then nutrition matters.

    For nutrition, the big deals are adequate macro- and micro-nutrients. Protein and fats are the essential macronutrients (because your body can't manufacture its own, in general). Fiber as a subcategory is important.

    There are dozens of micronutrients - vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, other phytochemicals that are essential or beneficial. Tracking those individually is where I personally lose patience, so I deal with it by getting plenty of varied, colorful veggies and fruits, which happily I personally also find tasty and filling.

    Supplements are not the same: For one, research suggests some micros are better absorbed in a food form/context than in an extracted form. For two, many essential/beneficial micros have been discovered in my lifetime, and I'm betting science hasn't gotten that all sorted out yet. (Nutrients aren't mostly in supplements before the need/benefit is confirmed or at least speculated).

    The big national/international health authorities (USDA, WHO, etc.) suggest getting your veggies and fruits. It's mainstream advice. But it's up to you how much you care.

    I figure:

    Appropriate calories for weight management + balanced eating for nutrition + regular exercise for fitness = best odds of achieving long-term good health

    . . . and I care about good health, having experienced some of the other kind (wasn't fun).
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
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    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I love veg and fruit so tend to eat plenty without counting. I was in the 10 servings per day challenge for a while and was regularly over, so don't bother counting, although I like logging them to look back and see I'm eating a variety. That said, if you aren't in the habit of eating a lot of veg, I think it can be helpful to count servings or just try to get a few servings per meal -- the challenge was a lot of people who just love vegetables/fruits, but also some people who wanted to try it out or were just starting to try to increase veg, and many of them seemed to think that counting for a while was helpful.

    I wouldn't get neurotic about it, though -- for me I'll think about ways to add veg to meals like breakfast (my omelets make it easy) or if stuck eating at a quick serve place will usually think first about veg content, as well as protein and calories, and will typically get dinners out where I know there will be a reasonable veg content, but if life happens and I'm low for a day I don't worry about it.

    For some reason I tend to eat a lot more veg than fruit. I love fruit and eat it in season a lot, but this time of year I have to remind myself to eat some and typically don't eat it every single day (although I often do, especially if I'm wanting dessert items), in part because I like apples okay but not nearly as much as berries or stone fruit or in-season melon or pears (although pears are pretty available now). All this reminds me that I need to get some clementines!

    I just like your profile pic of cats.

    #crazycatlady
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited November 2018
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    They thank you! They are a matching pair, except one is little (and a bit darker/brighter orange) and one is big. When I got the little one as a kitten we called him the other's mini-me.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    edited November 2018
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    I shoot for 225-250 protein. Atleast 70 fat. The rest is up to me, but i usually eat copious amounts of fruits and veggies. I have a voracious appetite.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian. In my case, the old "protein, starch, green veg" plate doesn't always happen. Tonight I had a tempeh shepherds' pie topped with sweet potatoes. So the bottom layer was tempeh, carrot, onion, carrots, green peas, and homemade mushroom sauce. The top was mashed sweet potatoes. No other sides needed.

    My breakfast was grapes, yogurt and a granola bar.

    Lunch was pretty much protein (a veggie "chicken" burger) on a roll, but I used some onion, thai eggplant salad, and pickled jalapenos to garnish.

    My snacks today have been non-fruit/non-veg, but if I want something later I might take some grape tomatoes or leftover cucumber salad. It varies.

    I don't try to get a certain number of fruit or veg servings in, but I eat a varied diet and have fruits and veg daily. Really, I just focus on protein and iron and let the rest fall where it falls.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,983 Member
    edited November 2018
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    bigmangettingthin wrote: »
    Does anyone say daily that i need to get a certain amount of vegetables and or fruits in. Or do you just eat what foods you like and log it. I cant stop thinking that i need to hit certain amounts of vegetables and fruits a day. Some days it drives me crazy.
    Thanks

    i think there is a happy medium between "need to get a certain amount of fruit and veg in" and " eat whatever you like"

    I dont just mindlessly eat whatever i like - but i dont actually count and measure amounts of fruit/veg either.

    ETA - to clarify - I mean I count the calories from them but i dont try to reach a specific amount of fruit/veg per day

  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    No problem with vegetables, love them all. But never manage an average of 150 gram protein a day - usually around 120 gram.

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