5 portions of fruit/veg a day

[Saslou]

Do you eat 5 portions of fruit/vegetables each day?

Eating the recommended 5 a day servings of fruit and vegetables is the most important element of any healthy eating plan. And i can't do it.

Most days i only have one/two portion of fruit/veg, i did manage on one occasion to eat four and felt ill from fruit overload.

 

[SilkRoad]

I don't think I usually manage this. However...I have started doing the weekly organic fruit and veg box thing. From Abel and Cole, though there are various companies out there who do it.

It is actually a pretty good deal, I think, as compared to shopping at Tesco etc and the quality is high...and I figure that if I have already paid for the stuff and it arrives at my door, I will eat it and not let it spoil! Part of my "getting healthier" plan. But I have just started, so let's see how it goes.

 

[Randomnity]

I can never keep straight what a "portion" is supposed to be. I mean I know you can look it up, but it seems to be different for every food type. I don't know if the salad size I like is 1, 2 or more "portions", especially since it's all fluffed up!

So, it all depends on that I guess. but probably not, most days.

 

[gromit]

I probably have around four. Two at lunch, two at dinner.

 

[Qlip]

I doubt it. I do eat a banana in the morning and an apple in the afternoon. I pick up a vegetable portion for dinner and maybe lunch. That's 4 at most.

 

[gromit]

I can never keep straight what a "portion" is supposed to be. I mean I know you can look it up, but it seems to be different for every food type. I don't know if the salad size I like is 1, 2 or more "portions", especially since it's all fluffed up!

So, it all depends on that I guess. but probably not, most days.

Yeah I remembered it being small, looked it up, seems to be about 1/2 cup.

 

[rav3n]

No. That would be more food than I normally eat in one day, everything included.

 

[Stanton Moore]

Yeah, 1/2 cup, approximately.

So a large apple or orange is close to two portions each.

 

[gromit]

Fortunately lots of veggies have very few calories, mostly fiber and vitamins, so it's easy to eat lots of those throughout the day. Fruits are more sugary, I can't eat as much fruit without feeling a little woozy.

 

[jimrckhnd]

I get a fair amount of fruits and veggies at breakfast (fruit smoothies for breakfast) which helps. I'm picky about veggies but the ones I like I can eat alot of - I love fresh spinach for instance. I also like winter squash and can easily get two or three portions with dinner with one of those.

 

[Tiltyred]

My solution to this is green smoothies. You need a good blender. I use soy milk and add fresh spinach, kale, carrots, blueberries, raspberries, banana, and a tablespoon or so of frozen apple juice concentrate, a little honey or stevia. (edit: parsley and celery are good in it, too, and I have used fresh beets) It makes a drink that looks like mud, but it's delicious and there's your 5 servings, no cooking (better for you if they're raw anyway), very little clean up. I advise smoothies even if you can't do the greens -- you can do berry, peach, apple juice concentrate with soy milk, for example. That's the only way I have been able to get fruits and vegetables into my diet with any real success.

 

[redcheerio]

For me, too much fruit is too sugary. But I usually eat steamed veggies at dinner, almost every night. Quick, easy, healthy, and tasty. Stir frys are even better, but they take more work.

I also do green smoothies, but they also seem a bit too sugary for me, so I need to experiment a bit more.

However, I've also been experimenting with green soups, and some of them have been pretty yummy. Just take the ingredients for any soup recipe, throw them in a blender with 1/2 bunch of fresh spinach and voila, green soup.

The food pyramid is ridiculous, though, especially the recommendation for grains. There is noooo need for that many carbs in anyone's diet. If I ate everything recommended in the food pyramid and as many portions as recommended, I'd be obese.

 

[Coriolis]

Do you eat 5 portions of fruit/vegetables each day?

Usually. It's easy. One at breakfast, 2 at lunch (or one kept for snack later), 2 at dinner. I eat alot of salads and stir-fry, so that is easily 2-3.

 

[Mole]

Blenders and Green Smoothies

Yeah, green smoothies are the way to go, to get all your deep green leafy vegetables without too much sugary fruit.

A Vitamix blender, a Blentec blender or the Omni blender are the best bet. However an ordinary blender from the department store will do the job.

 

[1487610420]

usually 2-3 pieces of fruit at breakfast, and more throughout the day between meals. Usually try to have some salad/veggies with every meal, too.

 

[Mole]

The big advantage of eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables is that we have no more room for junk food.

 

[1487610420]

The big advantage of eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables is that we have no more room for junk food.

after detox, junk becomes hard to consume.

 

[Such Irony]

Not quite. I average about 2-3 per day. I'm trying to be better about this.

 

[ceecee]

I have a serving of fruit at breakfast, 1 fruit and at least 1 vegetable at lunch and 2-3 at dinner. In the summer, that's even higher.

 

[paixfleurs]

Recommended allowances and portions aren't set in stone. You've got to eat based on your bodies needs, not what some scientists tell you is best for the average population. So if you're eating less fruits and veggies than what's recommended as long as it's in balance with the other things you're eating, you're good to go...so long as you're keeping up with your bodies need for food. Understanding the portion sizes is important though.