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VfM4meplse
Posts: 34,269 Forumite
Five-a-day, that is.
I have been reviewing my previously appalling eating habits over recent months, and having beaten my sugar addiction am now moving onto the next stage: to increase my vegetable consumption.
I know the 5 is a figure plucked out of the air by the great and the good of the scientific community and not an evidence-based target to aim for. However I also acknowledge I have previously relied on the over-consumption of fruit to kid myself I am being healthy so there must be a balance somewhere! So what I am now trying to do is eat at least 3:2 or 4:1 or 5:0 a day, in favour of veggies. Anyone care to join me?
These are zee rules:
- the higher the overall count the better, but at least try to have 2 more portions of veg than fruit, eg 6:4, or 7:5. Bear this in mind and there really won't be much room for more fruit after eating a load of vegetables!
- potatoes, bananas and the like are not fruit and veg: they are starchy foods
- smoothies don't count, nor do fruit juices. These are cheats!
- I count mushrooms as a protein, but that is not a bad thing so eat freely (unless your name is Claudius and you happened to be born on 1st August 10 BC
)
- vegetable-based soups do contribute to the tally, upto a max of 3 portions (2 if smooth)
- tropical fruits are high sugar and to be avoided. Max one portion a day unless counterbalanced with an extra serving of veg.
- fruit and vegetable by-products, such as wine and jam don't count
- condiments such as pickles and hummus are nice added extras but not actual vegetable portions.
Post your daily count here, but be honest with yourself!
Today I just about made 5 in total: 2 servings of vegetables in the form of spinach, leek and carrot sticks, plus an apple and 2 small nectarines making a 3:2 day.
As I say, wine and crisps don't count
I have been reviewing my previously appalling eating habits over recent months, and having beaten my sugar addiction am now moving onto the next stage: to increase my vegetable consumption.
I know the 5 is a figure plucked out of the air by the great and the good of the scientific community and not an evidence-based target to aim for. However I also acknowledge I have previously relied on the over-consumption of fruit to kid myself I am being healthy so there must be a balance somewhere! So what I am now trying to do is eat at least 3:2 or 4:1 or 5:0 a day, in favour of veggies. Anyone care to join me?
These are zee rules:
- the higher the overall count the better, but at least try to have 2 more portions of veg than fruit, eg 6:4, or 7:5. Bear this in mind and there really won't be much room for more fruit after eating a load of vegetables!
- potatoes, bananas and the like are not fruit and veg: they are starchy foods
- smoothies don't count, nor do fruit juices. These are cheats!
- I count mushrooms as a protein, but that is not a bad thing so eat freely (unless your name is Claudius and you happened to be born on 1st August 10 BC
)- vegetable-based soups do contribute to the tally, upto a max of 3 portions (2 if smooth)
- tropical fruits are high sugar and to be avoided. Max one portion a day unless counterbalanced with an extra serving of veg.
- fruit and vegetable by-products, such as wine and jam don't count
- condiments such as pickles and hummus are nice added extras but not actual vegetable portions.
Post your daily count here, but be honest with yourself!
Today I just about made 5 in total: 2 servings of vegetables in the form of spinach, leek and carrot sticks, plus an apple and 2 small nectarines making a 3:2 day.
As I say, wine and crisps don't count
Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy
...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!0
Comments
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I'd be lucky to get 5 a week, let alone 5/8 a day
I don't like fruit, well that's a lie I like fruit which is ripe and ready to eat, like you used to get here and now only enjoy on foriegn holidays
And veg, well I can just about stomach root veg. The green stuff is rare, maybe 2 portions a day, 4 days a week
I do my best. I make soup a lot to get ipveg down my neck but end of the day, I can live without it0 -
As a whole foods, plant based eater, i easily get 5 a day almost everyday. Most of my meals revolve around veggies.
Fruit can be expensive to get in, so i try and shop around more, or get reduced ones. Frozen fruit is best really.
EDIT- sorry, you asked for examples!
For breakfast today i had porridge with peaches, nectarines and raspberries.
For lunch i had nut roast (made from mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach, kale) with cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, peas, swede and broccoli.
Snacks were raw veggies (carrots and cucumber mainly)
Dinner was a vegetable lasagna- made with courgettes, peppers, aubergine, mushrooms.0 -
Well today was a 2.5 (carrot batons and cherry tomatoes):2 (apple and nectarine) day. I just found it so boring!
Coupled with the fact I felt hungry when I went to bed at 1am. And still hungry when I woke at 4am. So I decided to have Weetabix this evening to stop any repeat episodes
Still, tomorrow is another day....Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!0 -
I just looked up what constitutes a "portion". :eek:
If I ate 5 portions a day, I wouldn't be able to eat any of the other food groups at all!
How does one get through all that food and not feel stuffed to the gunwales?:(If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.;)0 -
Looking at this list, its easy enough to guzzle a load of fruit but perhaps less veg. It has made me realise I have been seriously underestimating my portion sizes of cherry tomatoes and carrots. Yesterday was therefore a 4:2 day. Also I'm not counting raisins / dried fruit as I deliberately limit my consumption of these.I just looked up what constitutes a "portion". :eek:
If I ate 5 portions a day, I wouldn't be able to eat any of the other food groups at all!
How does one get through all that food and not feel stuffed to the gunwales?:(
So far (Day 3) its been 3:0 but I am just so bored of it! And the contents of my fridge look like just too much trouble
Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!0 -
I don't actually know the answer to this yet I weigh and log everything I eat
Yesterday as an example I had home made yoghurt with 7g of sunflower seeds in and 7g of linseed with 10g of hazelnuts.
Lunch was 73g of lettuce with 124g of new potatoes and 46g of cucumber. I used mint sauce as the dressing.
Dinner was a vegetable omelette with 60g of onion, 72g of mixed mushrooms, 42g of spinach, 3g of garlic, 38g spring onions.
EDIT- I forgot I also had salad with the omellette and veggie spring rolls, 5 little ones. Salad around the same size as lunch time.
I don't know how many servings that would be?
I'd be up for a challenge to increase my veg intake though
£36/£240
£5522
One step must start each journey
One word must start each prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care0 -
Bearing in mind that a portion is the equivalent of 80g, I have actually taken the trouble to measure the following:
- I buy 1kg bags of carrots from Aldi, and have now actually counted the content (12). This means that each carrot is one serving of veg, give or take the top. So if I'm falling behind I can just baton one and graze on it.
- what I thought was a medium size apple weighs around 150g, so about 130g minus the core. =1.5 servings of fruit.
Eta: Soworried, I am impressed by the range of veg you get. I calculated over 3 servings, not including the mushrooms or spuds. You can in fact count the mushrooms, it's just that I don't.Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!0 -
VfM4meplse wrote: »Bearing in mind that a portion is the equivalent of 80g, I have actually taken the trouble to measure the following:
- I buy 1kg bags of carrots from Aldi, and have now actually counted the content (12). This means that each carrot is one serving of veg, give or take the top. So if I'm falling behind I can just baton one and graze on it.
- what I thought was a medium size apple weighs around 150g, so about 130g minus the core. =1.5 servings of fruit.
Eta: Soworried, I am impressed by the range of veg you get. I calculated over 3 servings, not including the mushrooms or spuds. You can in fact count the mushrooms, it's just that I don't.
The apple would only count as one portion however large it is or however many apples you ate. It has to be maximum of one portion of each fruit/veg per day with a maximum of one fruit juice counting toward the total.0 -
I read somewhere (can't be bothered to look it up, maybe someone else can research?) that we should really be eating 10 portions of different fruit/veg per day but the government decided (rightly so) that this is too far out of everyones reach so settled on five in the hope that people would at least attempt it.
I would like to join you all. I will start tomorrow 0 -
I don't believe in juice, I think it's a big cheat. As for apples, I find that if I eat 2 it's enough for the rest of the day! So great for weight loss but stops me from eating anything else, including veg!iammumtoone wrote: »The apple would only count as one portion however large it is or however many apples you ate. It has to be maximum of one portion of each fruit/veg per day with a maximum of one fruit juice counting toward the total.
My game, my rules! Value-for-money-for-me-puhleeze!
"No man is worth, crawling on the earth"- adapted from Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio
Hope is not a strategy...A child is for life, not just 18 years....Don't get me started on the NHS, because you won't win...I love chaz-ing!0
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