Dr says DOUBLE my Fruit and Vegetable intake

VeggieMamaChristi
VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
if your Dr told you to do this, how would you accomplish it? Do you have favorite vegetable/fruit recipes/sides you would share with me?

Outside of eating a salad at lunch every day, I am kind of lost as to how you double veggies and fruits. Oh, and I am a vegetarian, so doubling them is a HUGE amount of vegges/fruits!
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Replies

  • vger11
    vger11 Posts: 248
    green smooties are a great answer to your quest!

    do a search...you'll be amazed at the combinations.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    I would eat 2 pieces of apple pie instead of one lol Doubling my veggie intake would be even easier.
  • LJGmom
    LJGmom Posts: 249 Member
    Smoothies.
  • VeggieMamaChristi
    VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member
    I don't own a blender, can I use a food processor instead?
  • iHEARTcardiacnurses
    iHEARTcardiacnurses Posts: 437 Member
    Bolthouse Farms Green Goddess is THE BOMB.
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
    Blender's are super cheap this time of year. I got a mid-size ninja at walmart for $20.
  • nikki91950
    nikki91950 Posts: 647
    do you like fruit juice? i think for most juices, 8oz is considered two servings.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    I would just get on with it and eat more ...
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Smoothies are a great way to expand the fruit section. I have fun with mine by adding diet fruit soda to bump up flavors, or a but of nice balsamic vinegar. I roast veggies and blend them for a soup, spread on flat bread for a pizza or layer them whole/big slices in a bread pan putting a bit of italian seasoning and mozz/parm in between the veggie layers. Considering you are a vegetarian that is a tall demand....
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
    do you like fruit juice? i think for most juices, 8oz is considered two servings.

    You lose thehealthy fiber and some vitamins drinking juice vs eating the actual fruits and veggies.

    BTW There are alot of clean eating recipes online for fruit and veggies purees you can make in a food processor. Which would be easy to incorporate eating throughout the day.
  • VeggieMamaChristi
    VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member
    I don't know how to ask the question to make more sense. You see I am a vegetarian. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. More than most (if not all) of the people I know.

    Since I already do this, I am a bit overwhelmed about the idea of having to eat DOUBLE that amount and was hoping for suggestions for how to do that in a different way than I currently am.

    I am already collecting recipes for the Green smoothies and next (after typing this) plan to look for a blender sale. Thank you so much for both of those suggestions!
  • VeggieMamaChristi
    VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member
    I roast veggies and blend them for a soup, spread on flat bread for a pizza or layer them whole/big slices in a bread pan putting a bit of italian seasoning and mozz/parm in between the veggie layers.

    This is a great idea, thank you! Do you have a favorite veggie mix or does it seem to work with just any???
  • rico1923
    rico1923 Posts: 32
    I don't know how to ask the question to make more sense. You see I am a vegetarian. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. More than most (if not all) of the people I know.

    Since I already do this, I am a bit overwhelmed about the idea of having to eat DOUBLE that amount and was hoping for suggestions for how to do that in a different way than I currently am.

    I am already collecting recipes for the Green smoothies and next (after typing this) plan to look for a blender sale. Thank you so much for both of those suggestions!
  • rico1923
    rico1923 Posts: 32
    I don't know how to ask the question to make more sense. You see I am a vegetarian. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit. More than most (if not all) of the people I know.

    Since I already do this, I am a bit overwhelmed about the idea of having to eat DOUBLE that amount and was hoping for suggestions for how to do that in a different way than I currently am.

    I am already collecting recipes for the Green smoothies and next (after typing this) plan to look for a blender sale. Thank you so much for both of those suggestions!

    Without seeing what your diet looks like making suggestions is not real productive. Would like to help but am handicapped by this.
  • VeggieMamaChristi
    VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member

    BTW There are alot of clean eating recipes online for fruit and veggies purees you can make in a food processor. Which would be easy to incorporate eating throughout the day.

    I didn't even think to look for clean eating recipes online. Thank you for this suggestion
  • et57
    et57 Posts: 20 Member
    Does your doctor realize how many fruits and veggies you are currently eating? Was he suggesting that you double them in order to decrease your intake of some other foods?
  • PennyNickel14
    PennyNickel14 Posts: 749 Member
    Yummy Breakfast 1/2 c cooked spinach, 1 egg, 1 onz feta and a half a roma tomato. Then have half an apple or a serving of fruit that you like. It's great. (Also it is even better if you smother it all in Salsa and swap out the feta for cheddar!)
  • VeggieMamaChristi
    VeggieMamaChristi Posts: 24 Member
    He suggested this knowing I am a vegetarian. We are trying to figure out why I am not losing weight and how to raise my GOOD Cholesterol. I have very low blood pressure, low bad cholesterol and A1C and Triglycerides but also have low good cholesterol and since baby #2 and being 35 am really struggling with losing weight.

    I have not been logging for MONTHS on this site due to computer being down, starting a new business and falling out of the habit.

    so, here I am on christmas night looking for ways to follow Drs orders and hopefully lose weight and be more healthy.
  • iheartyarn
    iheartyarn Posts: 141 Member
    split your plate 60/40 or 80/20 the larger number being veggies.. i take like a half cup of brown rice, a TON of veggies, and then make delicious sauces out of nutritional yeast and avocados or like a peanut sauce or something and dig in :D i also make a lot of soup, i puree certain veggies my kids wont eat and then it just makes a thicker broth
  • auntie_missy
    auntie_missy Posts: 113 Member
    If you opened your diary or at least posted a typical day, it's be easier to give more specific advice. Beyond that, the quick and dirty response is to have at least one full serving of veggies or fruit with every meal and snack. For example, have fruit with your breakfast, maybe drink a fruit juice or have an omelet loaded with veggies; for lunch, it wouldn't be uncommon for me to have a bean & veggie soup, a salad, apple slices, and a munchable veggie like baby carrots or sugar snap peas (that's four servings right there); a snack of a veggie; for dinner, pair a protein with at least two veggies. That's eight servings. Drink a V8 and you'd be up to ten. Follow the adage of eating a rainbow everyday - mix up your fruits and veggies for a good range of colors (and nutrients).

    How are you doing on exercise? Are you taking a multivitamin? Has the doctor considered supplementing any nutrient that you may not otherwise be getting enough of, such as niacin or Omega-3? Are you making sure you are limiting added sugar and bad fats, and getting plenty of good fats such as olive oil and nuts? Consider doing research on the glycemic load of various foods and make sure the foods you are eating aren't too high.

    Mayo Clinic: How to boost HDL http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hdl-cholesterol/CL00030
  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
    From the Mayo Clinic tips to increase good cholesterol -

    Get more physical activity. Within two months of starting, frequent aerobic exercise can increase HDL cholesterol by about 5 percent in otherwise healthy sedentary adults. Your best bet for increasing HDL cholesterol is to exercise briskly for 30 minutes, five times a week. Examples of brisk, aerobic exercise include walking, running, cycling, swimming, playing basketball, raking leaves — anything that increases your heart rate. You can also break up your daily activity into three 10 minute segments if you're having difficulty finding time to exercise.

    Choose healthier fats. A healthy diet includes some fat, but there's a limit. In a heart-healthy diet, between 25 and 35 percent of your total daily calories can come from fat — but saturated fat should account for less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. Avoid foods that contain saturated and trans fats, which raise LDL cholesterol and damage your blood vessels.

    Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — found in olive, peanut and canola oils — tend to improve HDL's anti-inflammatory abilities. Nuts, fish and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids are other good choices for improving your LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio.
  • GouchisGirl
    GouchisGirl Posts: 321 Member
    Drink some low Sodium V-8... its a quick and easy way to get those veggies in. OR if you want to skip all the additives invest in a juicer and make your own :)
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    if your Dr told you to do this, how would you accomplish it? Do you have favorite vegetable/fruit recipes/sides you would share with me?

    Outside of eating a salad at lunch every day, I am kind of lost as to how you double veggies and fruits. Oh, and I am a vegetarian, so doubling them is a HUGE amount of vegges/fruits!
    My first question is why did your Dr recommend this? Was this your GP or a specialist/consultant?

    If you're not a meat-eater and get most of your nutrition from eating fruit & veg then either you're not eating enough to sustain you (which is probably unlikely if you're on MFP unless you're getting big on carbs such as rice, pasta and bread)

    I'd say we need more info here rather than shooting off random suggestions.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
    I think it is entirely possible that the doctor hasn't taken into account how many fruit and veg you are already eating. Vegetarian does not necessarily equal high fruit and veg intake, actually I've met loads of vegetarians (as patients) that barely touch vegetables at all!
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 465 Member
    Drink some low Sodium V-8... its a quick and easy way to get those veggies in. OR if you want to skip all the additives invest in a juicer and make your own :)

    This is what my Dr. told me to do.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    I often have a plate of cucumber, carrot, cauliflower, mange tout, peppers, etc next to me while I'm working, with a light dip (e.g. half fat creme fraiche with a bit of garlic and herb) and will just munch my way through that while working. Stops me from going off snacking for unhealthy stuff, and maintains a good veg intake.
  • montiy
    montiy Posts: 32 Member
    Yes, I'd also be curious to know how you're doing with exercise. I know that's one of the most important factors in raising your good cholesterol.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    do you like fruit juice? i think for most juices, 8oz is considered two servings.

    Fruit juice is high in sugar, without much in the way of fiber. Not really recommended.
  • rainunrefined
    rainunrefined Posts: 850 Member
    green smooties are a great answer to your quest!

    do a search...you'll be amazed at the combinations.

    THIS
  • unmitigatedbadassery
    unmitigatedbadassery Posts: 653 Member
    I think opening up your diary would help everyone make suggestions. I know several vegetarians that don't eat enough veggies, they eat a ton of crap though. You say you eat a ton already so I have to take your word for it but it would be much easier if we could actually see what you're eating and maybe tweak it to be more veggie/fruit-centric.
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