Are you getting enough?

moneyistooshorttomention

I'd rather forgotten that pulses count and havent been putting them towards my "total". Duh!

I also get confused by fruit counts when its eaten as is - but apparently doesnt count when its juiced. I dont juice fruit myself - so am there thinking "Well - I suppose there's leftover residue from the juicing - so one isnt getting that bit of the fruit/veggies".

Though, of course, there are recipes out there on the Net that do say ways to use up said leftover residue (so if you're baking, say, leftover carrot residue into cookies - then I guess you would count the carrot after all iyswim).

EDIT; just re-read and see you say "smoothies" - well....in that case I know I'd think "blow the rules" and if I'd put, say, an apple and a banana into that smoothie I'd count that as two portions. I'm certainly planning on counting the watermelon rind I'm using in one later.

FairyPrincessk

In the NHS rules, smoothies/juice count as one portion no matter how many you have. No more than 150ml is recommended This is because the crushing/blending releases sugars which aren't particularly good for teeth. In the case of juice natural fibre is also lost.

I believe the OP has discounted them because she is trying to keep her sugar consumption to a minimum.

I think you have to develop your own rules about what counts. If you're having a smoothy for breakfast instead of, say, pancakes with syrup that is probably a better choice anyway. If you're having a smoothy three times a day when you could be eating more veg, then it is probably time to try to make some swaps.

VfM4meplse

cyantist wrote: »

One question though. I know the rules states no smoothies, but if you take fresh fruit and just blend it up, why does it not count?

The problem is that macerating the fruit to pulp releases the sugars from its contents, so rather than something slow release and filling, you end up with a sweet drink. Yes you get all the vitamins and it's not unhealthy per se, but I have taken a lot of trouble to manage my insulin response, so for me it's off limits. Fruit juice is even worse as it lacks the fibre. If you're thirsty, drink water. If you want some juice or a smoothie because you fancy the taste, go ahead. A compromise would be adding a small quantity of fruit (eg a couple of strawberries / cucumber) to a decanter of chilled water. It still tastes fruity so is more palatable than just water.

I accept the fruit of apples are all glucose, but I choose sharp rather than sweet ones and eat with the skins on. I see nothing that suggests more than one serving of the same item is limited, either than smoothies, juices and pulses. So for me eating 2 apples is the equivalent of 2 portions of fruit, but personally I would like to stop my daily fruit consumption there, and eat at least 3 portions of veg to balance it.

LameWolf

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

I honestly don't know how people have trouble getting at least 5 a day.

I can sometimes manage to get 5 F&V items; but I can't manage 80g x 5 items.
I just checked, and 80g is just over two and three quarter ounces (sorry, grams are meaningless to me) and that's just too much.

For instance, yesterday:
Brekkie: half a small banana (DH and I shared it, on our bran flakes, of which I have roughly a tablespoonful, with a splash of milk)
No lunch, I couldn't face eating.
Dinner: 1 small tomato, 4 slices cucumber and half a small carrot sliced into batons (this eaten with 1 hardboiled egg and a sliver of cheese)
Dessert: Quarter of a pear (DH ate the other three quarters).

I don't snack at all, for fear of ruining what little appetite I have.

greenbee

I've been through the process of reducing fruit intake. I avoid fruit juice, and view fruit as a 'treat'. Mind you, I'm not doing too well on discipline regarding other sugars at the moment!

My lunch salad includes: grated courgette, tomatoes, radishes, black eyed beans, lettuce - some over 80g some just under. So I reckon that 5. It's also got nori sprinkle (been trying to use it up), quinoa and goats cheese. It'll take AGES to eat!

Doom_and_Gloom

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Although I am rather intrigued by your vegan pizza. Even if one portion is tomato sauce, the other 5 would be the equivalent of 400g edible veg? That is one mutha of a pizza

It's a 10 inch pizza;
Tomato puree 1
Onion 1/2
Pepper 1/2
maybe also
Courgette 1/2
Mushroom 1/2

It's the side salad that bumps it up. Rest portion of onion, rest portion of pepper, portion carrot, cucumber, spinach or kale portion.
Sometimes I'll have half the pizza and have it with sweet potato chips/wedges which count as 1, again with a side salad. If I'm really hungry maybe vegan coleslaw. Or I'll figure what else I can put in the salad - chickpeas, cauliflower rice, beetroot, radishes etc and again this ups the veg. Hmm I call it a side salad but most people would see it as a normal salad or even large salad I guess, I call it side as I'm still getting most of the calories from the pizza.

THIRZAH

The guidelines seem to vary from country to country. I'd heard that we should be aiming for 5 veg and 2 fruit a day-I'd find it easier if it was the other way round. If I'm at home it's not normally a problem as I will have salad , home made soup or stir fry veg for lunch. It's if I'm eating out that I have problems-many pubs and restaurants don't serve a lot of veg with their meals. I rarely risk ordering salad as I hate raw onion and most salads seem to contain it these days-if I remove it I can still taste it.

VfM4meplse

THIRZAH wrote: »

It's if I'm eating out that I have problems-many pubs and restaurants don't serve a lot of veg with their meals. I rarely risk ordering salad as I hate raw onion and most salads seem to contain it these days-if I remove it I can still taste it.

Couldn't agree more, I hate the notional side salad served with many mains in restaurants so never touch it.

Today I have had 4:1 but I might bump the veg up to 5 later with 2" cucumber

iammumtoone

My count (Or will be by the end of the day, I haven't eaten tea yet)

dried fruit with breakfast (1)
carrots, swede at dinner (1.5)
Celery, cucumber. tomato with tea (2.5)
snack strawberrys (1)

Total 4:2

Very impressed with myself For me this is good.

moneyistooshorttomention

Change of plans from the courgetti with nasturtium pesto and instead had courgette and carrot fritters and salad. That was followed by a smoothie of rind of half a watermelon/some blackberries/half a date that was all blended in with milk/yogurt/chia seeds.

So:
0.5 large courgette
1 carrot
1 small onion
3 types of lettuce/nasturtium leaves/tomatoes

and my smoothie "pudding".

I don't work on being "exact" with my counting - but that must be quite a decent number of portions just in that one meal.