Week 8 of 52 Small Changes

[OddSocksHighHeels]

All welcome to join at any time!

This week the challenge is to eat 4-6 servings of veg each day. A serving is half a cup of non-leafy veg or a cup of leafy veg.

Start off by including those that you like but try a new vegetable each week. Plan your meals out so that you can aim to include enough veg and remember that frozen and canned count too.

Ideas are to add veg to things like omelettes for breakfast or swap your breakfast chips (do people eat chips for breakfast?) for sliced tomatoes.

For lunch and dinner then try having a salad before your main meal, eat vegetables as a side dish, fill wraps and sandwiches with extra veg and pack extra into soups, stews and sauces.

For snacks then try chopped veg sticks with dips.

Try to eat different colours of vegetables to get the various benefits provided from them.

Previous weeks challenges to continue with are drinking more water, getting enough sleep, keeping active each day, logging your food intake, trying to be more positive and taking a multivitamin.

Last weeks thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2565604-Week-7-of-52-small-changes?pg=1&order=

[Shirkingfromhome]

Thanks for the new thread oddsocks .
Actually looking forward to this one as I'm in a bit of a meal rut so it'll force me to re-evaluate at what I'm eating.

[Ememem84]

On it. I already eat a shit-ton of veg so this should be easy.

I fell off the other threads. But am still drinking a lot of water. And am taking a multivitamin every day (did this one anyway). Sleep is good. And I'm trying to keep track of eating (again was doing this anyway).

[OddSocksHighHeels]

Here's the list that's included in the book too if that helps anybody that isn't too good with veg already like me

[NightWanderer]

Thanks so much OddSocks!

I make a lot of veg soups with random veges in t but this is a good chance to diversy and try some different things too.

[fuzzpig]

Ooh, nice one socks thank you.

Although not the easiest week - no idea what's happening for various reasons, so can't meal plan to the letter. But will make veg (mostly frozen) a priority :)

[NoCapes]

Oh I already do this one! yay me
So I'm going to focus on the being more positive one - how on earth do I do that by the way?

[OddSocksHighHeels]

Here you go NoCapes this is the positivity thread with the suggestions of how to do it www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2555507-Week-5-of-52-small-changes-a-focus-on-our-mental-health?pg=1&order= probably something I should re-read as well!

[ICJump]

Loving this week. I'm pretty sure I get five serves a day but will check it with my food journal. If I am I'll try and refocus in activity.

[Velocity]

I could do with eating more veg & making it a better habit with DH and DS. I've tip I learned recently was to plan meals around the veg rather than around the protein. Looking forward to the challenge

[ICJump]

Velocity that is what I do and it really works

Frozen green beans fried in olive oil make a fab side to almost everything

[DrDiva]

Thank you oddsocks - and finally a week that I am already reasonably good at! Doing the lcbc has helped that enormously. It means that DH also is eating more veg, and ain't it funny how he doesn't have such stomach problems?
I have enjoyed using veg I wouldn't usually think of, like baby leeks with the roast the other night, and samphire. I love samphire! when it's not woody

[everdene]

I '' in!

[quirkychick]

Thanks, Oddsocks, I am usually quite good at this, but I might need to make up for yesterday when I had some fried mushrooms with my fry up and mushy peas with my fish yesterday!

I often have smoothies with my nutribullet, but it is a little cold for that atm. Veggies in soups and stews are good, and I will get out my spiraliser now I have hot water to wash it with! I have a roast planned for lunch, so will add lots of veg. Green veg generally tastes better with a little fat as it helps you absorb the vitamins, I believe. We have a tea with granny later, so will probably add some crudites.

[DrDiva]

Hooray for your fixed heating quirky! It must feel delicious.

[quirkychick]

Thanks, DrDiva I intend to have a lazy day at home, cooking a roast, some baking and chilling out generally...

[DrDiva]

Chilling out now being a metaphorical turn of phrase...

[Pointlessfan]

Thanks oddsocks.
I'm a vegetarian and eat tonnes of veg anyway so this should be easy! I make a big pan of soup and am interesting salad to keep in the fridge for lunches so that cuts down on daily prep. I'm also making roasted squash hummus today for snacking on.

[Sirona]

Thanks Odssocks. I'm very hit and miss with veg - some weeks great, some abysmal. I like them but I think part of it is dd is so very fussy when it comes to vegetables. It cancels out most soups, stirfrys, salads if we all eat together and I don't want to throw it straight into the bin. She is slowly coming round and every now and again will take a lick/teeniest mouthful of a different vegetable that isn't carrots or sweetcorn. Baby steps. I started making myself a vegetable soup or salad for lunch last week so will keep it up. Must hunt out the nutribullet too.

Glad you got your heating sorted quirky, enjoy your lazy day. So sorry to hear about your friend's husband

[DrDiva]

Sirona apparently my DH would only eat cheese strings, marmite sandwiches and orange juice for years when he was a kid. He's pretty good now! though DS is better

[margaritasbythesea]

Ooo! I can do this one! I definitely eat about 10 fruit and veg a day, but I wonder how much of that is veg. Time to go and look up some green smoothies, I think. Will post if I find something good.

[quirkychick]

Oops about "chilling out", more being cosy at home!

So far, I had avocado with smoked salmon for breakfast.
Roast chicken with carrots, green beans, broccoli and buttery cabbage.

[gingercat02]

Oh no we are not good at this. Will have to make an effort, especially as it's half term crap treat food week

[DrDiva]

quirky don't forget that we have a separate stomach and metabolic system for chocolate. So it's perfectly ok.

Pork fajitas for dinner. Salad leaves, red pepper and mushrooms ready to go!

[Shirkingfromhome]

Just had vegetable lasagne for dinner. Have discussed with DH and he suggested adding a side salad with lunch or dinner too. Just need to stick with it.

Love this whole small changes concept - thank you odd socks

[OddSocksHighHeels]

I've had salad with lunch and dinner, are a whole cucumber earlier (because I'm weird ) and made a sauce for chicken with tomatoes, onions and peppers and had corn on the cob on the side. I'm guessing it must add up to at least 4 portions all together?

quirky great news on the heating being back!