Better Choices

msjersey73
msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
edited 3:10PM in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

Does anyone actually eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, daily, or is it a myth?

I am concerned that many of us are so focused on calorie count, that we don't make room for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables everyday.
I see us eat a lot of sugar and starchy snacks/meals, and I see sky high sodium levels, and not to many people care how much potassium they get (should be higher then your sodium levels).
Do you think we can all encourage each other to EAT MORE Fresh Fruits and Vegetables daily?
I certainly need that encouragement. I have been focusing on it more lately. Every trip to the store, i buy more Fresh Fruits and Vegetables----it ticks me off if they freeze in the fridge! UGH!!
So, tell me what the trick is, if one, to get more Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in daily. maybe i need to find new types, i am getting bored. i think if i go over my calories, but its mostly Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, I'm better off. I hope. Fingers Crossed.

Replies

  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    just try to add some form of veg (or fruit) to every meal - no trick. i tend to stick to only one or two pieces of fruit (a day) the rest veg.
  • Sapporo
    Sapporo Posts: 693 Member
    I eat them everyday. Fruit is super easy as I love it and my daughter is a fruititarian so we always have variety.
    Veggies are a bit harder. I buy veggies and will wash them up and cut them in a big bunch so they are ready to grab in the fridge from one of those tupperware veggie keepers. I buy the bagged salads because I am more likely to eat salad from the kits. 1 Dole kit is 2 salads for me, I take half to work one day and the other half the next.
    Europe's Best frozen spinach is good because they are in chunks in the bag, throw a few in the frypan with eggs in the morning, add tomato or whatever else you like with some cheese maybe.
    I rarely cook veg at dinner time outside of sweet potatoes or white potatoes so breakfast and lunch/snack veggies are my thing, every single day.
  • nmoreland
    nmoreland Posts: 183 Member
    I buy fresh fruit each week depending on what looks and sounds good (strawberries, pineapple, watermelon, black/blue/paspberries, apples, mango...) I cut everything up in a large bowl and eat some with breakfast every morning. I also try to remember to add a veggie to dinner each night, even if it is something simple.
  • msjersey73
    msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
    I like eating fruits in the morning, and then after noon i eat veggies. except when i want a veggie omelet for breakfast, haa haa haa

    what are some favorite veggies???
  • MariarR33
    MariarR33 Posts: 69
    My morning snack is always a piece of fruit. A couple times of week, I will also add frozen berries to my breakfast, or snack of cottage cheese. I make and eat soup most days, which always has a ton of veggies in it. For dinner, I almost always have veggies and some kind of protein. I have found that this gives me a balance with my veggies and fruit and some variety too.
  • NYCDutchess
    NYCDutchess Posts: 622 Member
    When we are watching our food, we typically do not eat a starch at dinner, just a meat and veggie.

    I have to get more fruits and veggies in but I don't snack on starch or processed food either, Usually I have a yogurt or oatmeal as a snack...
  • msjersey73
    msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
    My morning snack is always a piece of fruit. A couple times of week, I will also add frozen berries to my breakfast, or snack of cottage cheese. I make and eat soup most days, which always has a ton of veggies in it. For dinner, I almost always have veggies and some kind of protein. I have found that this gives me a balance with my veggies and fruit and some variety too.

    What veggies do you put in your soup?
    I love making soup too! I start with Kelp (a sea veggie) in the water (first soak for an hour), slightly simmer for an 30 mins, then chop up the kelp. --that is my broth. then add chopped up chicken, then adding veggies: mushrooms, carrots, celery, peppers, snow peas. but what other veggies would go well in soup?
  • msjersey73
    msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
    When we are watching our food, we typically do not eat a starch at dinner, just a meat and veggie.

    I have to get more fruits and veggies in but I don't snack on starch or processed food either, Usually I have a yogurt or oatmeal as a snack...
    great idea for dinners. i try this, and someone gets upset and asks "where's the bread?" lol, i wont give in anymore.
  • Pashen4fit
    Pashen4fit Posts: 63
    Yes I eat fresh fruits and veggies daily. I make sure I pack them in my lunch bags as well. Also every Sunday I make a big pot of veggie soup to eat with my meals
  • MariarR33
    MariarR33 Posts: 69
    I add all sorts of veggies. Usually carrots, corn, celery, green pepper, onion, sometimes spinach, zuccini, and squash. YOu can't go wrong with veggies in a soup! I think most veggies will work well. It depends on what type of soup I am making too.
  • BGSchultz
    BGSchultz Posts: 12 Member
    Everyday and almost with every meal. Wasn't always this way but my wife is the best and helps me with my goals. It has truly benifited our whole family!
  • Ornamal
    Ornamal Posts: 2
    i try to eat a piece of fruit before breakfast and then at least one piece either during the rest of the day or that evening while i am watching telly. i just watched weight of the nation on HBO and i feel like it has changed my life. i really want to cut out the rubbishy foods and drinks and eat only fresh and good foods. except when i was pregnant, i rarely ate a piece of fruit so it's been a bit of a struggle but with so many summer fruits available now i have no excuse and i just have to make the effort. also, i now have a salad every night with my dinner and at least one veggie, even if its just green beans with a bit of S&P. trader joe's is also great for healthy, low fat snacks that are filling and really tasty.
  • Val_from_OH
    Val_from_OH Posts: 447 Member
    Feel free to friend me and you can stalk my diary if you'd like. This is something that I work toward every day - I try to get in at least 5 fruits & veg. I probably don't accomplish it 50% of the time, but it is always in my mind.

    Today I'm off to a good start. I just ate 1 1/2 cups of chopped canteloupe, which is 3 fruit servings, and I'm tackling a serving of carrots & dip as we speak. Stewed tomatoes are on the menu for dinner tonight, so I should hit 5 servings total. Except for pizza nights, I serve veggies with dinner pretty much every night. Lots of salads, raw veggies with dip, peas, stewed tomatoes, broccoli sauteed with garlic, cauliflower with a lowfat cheese sauce, steamed green beans, roasted carrots or brussels sprouts or asparagus. I also usually make potatoes instead of bread or rice for a starchy side.
  • LCBinGA
    LCBinGA Posts: 102 Member
    fresh fruits and veggies are part of "perimeter food shopping" (shop mainly the far outsides of the store aisles)...Breakfast - bananas breakfast, slice/clean fruits for breakfast instead of juices...Lunch - any veggies can be placed on a bed of lettuce again cut them up. Any veggie can also go in soup....Dinner - stirfry or steam great with a small amount of grains and/or protein....
  • sarahcuddle
    sarahcuddle Posts: 349 Member
    Since I started on MFP I have made an effort to get my five portions of fruit and veg a day that is recommended, sometimes more. Today for instance I had a banana with my breakfast toast, butternut squash soup and a portion of strawberries for lunch and burritos made with a beans mix which contained tomatoes, peppers and onions and a green salad - yum - I also have far more energy now
  • jenbroussard71
    jenbroussard71 Posts: 284 Member
    For lunch I usually add fresh baby spinach to a wrap I make with FlatOut bread, turkey and hummus (instead of mayo). I also eat baby carrots and a whole cucumber. I try to eat fruit once a day and at least three veggie servings every day. I also try to buy the items that are packaged and ready to go. I have found that fresh steamed green beans and grilled asparagus are two of my new favorites.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    I eat fruits and vegetables all the time. Everyday, multiple times a day. Luckily I have always really liked them so during my journey and the transition to eating better, it was pretty easy actually in the fruits/veggies dept.

    I buy the stuff, have it all cleaned up and ready to go (prepare or eat). Pretty much one whole shelf in the fridge is fresh vegetables (baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, etc.

    Another shelf is mostly fruit. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, oranges, apples (many kinds) I have a couple mangoes in there right now too. Also I put the avocados on the fruit shelf. The banana's sit out, I don't like them chilled or cold.

    Sometimes I wonder if I eat too much fruits and vegetables. :laugh:
    Sometimes I do get a little bored eating some of the same stuff all the time. Not that it doesn't taste good, it does. But the variety gets to be a little lacking after a while.
  • Tonika44137
    Tonika44137 Posts: 167 Member
    I eat fruit and veggies ALL day..each meal (and I eat 5-6 meals a day) contains fruit and/or veggie...I had to stop tracking my sugar intake because I'm always over due to the amount of fruit I eat but thats where all my sugar comes from, not processed

    You can add me and see my diary if you would like
  • msjersey73
    msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
    I am so glad to hear people eat healthy, not just "lite"
  • msjersey73
    msjersey73 Posts: 182 Member
    I eat fruits and vegetables all the time. Everyday, multiple times a day. Luckily I have always really liked them so during my journey and the transition to eating better, it was pretty easy actually in the fruits/veggies dept.

    I buy the stuff, have it all cleaned up and ready to go (prepare or eat). Pretty much one whole shelf in the fridge is fresh vegetables (baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, etc.

    Another shelf is mostly fruit. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, oranges, apples (many kinds) I have a couple mangoes in there right now too. Also I put the avocados on the fruit shelf. The banana's sit out, I don't like them chilled or cold.

    Sometimes I wonder if I eat too much fruits and vegetables. :laugh:
    Sometimes I do get a little bored eating some of the same stuff all the time. Not that it doesn't taste good, it does. But the variety gets to be a little lacking after a while.

    I really dont think it's possible to eat too much fruit and veggies.
    I never had a fresh mango, and thanks for mentioning them, i will get some next week at the store. i am getting tired of the same old stuff. thank God summer fruit is showing up in the stores!
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