Eating our 10-a-day thread

[Breathmiller]

I would like to try to start a project of getting my 10-a-day of fruit and veg in every day.

Anyone fancy joining me? I find groups on here of support so useful.

I know lentils and beans and chickpeas are part of it too so I will up them. I'm vegan so I'm hoping that should make things easier as I eat lentils as part of my diet anyway.

This thread is for everyone who would like to focus on 'eating the rainbow' as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Or anyone who does this already who has any hints and tips?

Oh I need this thread, my diet has been so crap as I’ve had no appetite for the last few months (medication side effect) so basically living off rice and toast. I’ve managed to cook dinner twice this week though so that’s an improvement! Planning to do BBQ tempeh, baked sweet potato and green veg for dinner tonight.

I should do this.

Good idea. So a portion is nearly always a handful, isn't it? If I ate 10 handfuls I can't imagine being able to eat a lot else, apart from maybe some icecream....

I've only had ONE!!! portion of fruit/veg today-a banana.🍌

Yay! I'm not on my own. 😅

I agree on the portion thing. I've only had 4 today and really wasn't hungry so it seemed madness just to eat for the sake of it.

But we are having a takeaway curry tonight and I have gone for side dishes of okra and cauliflower. I would normally have chickpeas (which do count but I have already had beans with brunch and apparently its only one kind of beans/lentils a day that count) so the cauliflower instead will up my number and its nice to have a change.

We were having sausage sandwiches for brunch but I had sausages, mushrooms, tomato and beans on a plate instead to up my veg intake. It was lovely.

I downloaded a thing with all the portions. I'll try to find it online and link it.

I had some blueberries and a couple of raspberries from the garden too. I think between the two that gave me a portion.

I'm also not going to berate myself if I don't make 10 every day. It's good to have it as an intention though. I will really try to at least make 5 though.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday/documents/downloads/5aday_portion_guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjZ_cbHj4vyAhXCrHEKHbqRAXIQFjABegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw1BnYKH4ZzBjnujW9y_07ox&cshid=1627659379764" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday/documents/downloads/5aday_portion_guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjZ_cbHj4vyAhXCrHEKHbqRAXIQFjABegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw1BnYKH4ZzBjnujW9y_07ox&cshid=1627659379764

👆 The link to the pdf from the NHS on portions.

Can I join too please? I’m eating waaayy too much sugar and rubbish and nowhere near enough healthy stuff! I’ve put on a stone since quitting the booze in December and would like to lose it or at least half of it.

Thanks breathmiller. I have had a portion of peas as well now, but two portions a day really isn't great!

Your brunch sounds nice.

Welcome everyone.

I'm hoping this is a positive thread so let's celebrate that you managed two bitofachinwag . .(i LOVE peas )
So today so far I have managed...

Tomato
Mushrooms
Beans
Blueberries/raspberries
Melon
Cauliflower
Okra
Raisins
Onion

So 9 portions
There were also peas, lettuce and cucumber in my dinner but not a full portion by any means.

I might have a small satsuma or apple for supper so that will take me to my 10.

I am thinking that having a small salad every day will really help. I could eat spinach with every meal so that will help, i just didn't have any in today.

Can I join? This is a great idea!

Today

Artichokes
Tomatoes
Avocados

Lots of each - so much so I’m still stuffed hours later !

Great idea. I didn’t know beans could count!
I have done today:
Carrots
Onions
Garlic
Spinach
Black beans
Kale
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Leaves
Peppers

And a red wine and a mini Haagen Dazs. Ahem.

Yay!! Welcome jingbag avocados are definitely going on my list.

I'm going to go to the veg shop in town instead of the supermarket and stock up tomorrow.

I got the biggest juiciest peaches from a veg shop the other day. Sooo much better than a supermarket offering.

So I'm going to go in and fill my basket up with lots of lovely fresh, tasty fruit and veg.

Oh count me in too please.

Today banana and mixed berries in my smoothie (2), lettuce, cherry tomatoes and borlotti beans in chicken salad for lunch (2.5/3), cherries for a snack (4), lettuce, cucumber, peppers and kidney beans with fajitas for dinner (8).

Not a bad day considering I wasn’t making the effort but really need to moving forward.

Can I join too please. I definitely need this. Eating far too much toast with butter these days. Not too bad with cakes or sugary drinks but I'm terrible with just having a few things throughout the day maybe some nuts or a cheese sandwich and then a tea cooked from scratch but that may only have 2 portions of veg.

That's a fantastic list queen
The link upthread says that beans count but only as one. So you can't have houmous/chickpeas as one and kidney beans or lentils as another.

And i won't be listing what other 'unhealthier' things I have had on top of the list. I want to get away from what I can't do to what I can do.

The plan being that the more I eat of the healthy stuff the not so healthy will fade away a bit more. I'm fed up focusing on what I am having to give up rather than what I can eat more of.

This is a really good idea. I started on a healthy eating plan 2 weeks ago and its forcing me to eat healthier dinners eg pasta with a small portion of pasta shells and a side of veg. Im also tracking my calorie intake and the difference seemingly small changes like that make is amazing.

I've had 4 portions today I think but going shopping tomorrow so will try to get a wider variety of fruits. The more I fill on fruit and veg, the less I will want unhealthy snacks.

Please can I join? I tried seven a day a while ago and really enjoyed it but I’m on a weightloss journey as well so that should help! I’ve had a terrible day today, no fruit at all and only veg in a chilli tonight (onions, pepper, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans, but not enough of anything but tinned toms to count as a portion!)

Yesterday I didn’t have fruit but did have cucumber, beetroot and hummus for lunch (does hummus count?) and then thinly peeled courgette and minted peas as a salad for dinner.

I would really like to do this. I've had hardly any appetite recently and not been bothered to cook proper meals so am eating much less healthily than normal. Really want to get back to eating lots of veg/salad for lunch and dinner, I normally have homemade fruit smoothies for breakfast (banana and frozen blueberries with almond milk and cacao).

Oooh, can I join in too please? I'm currently struggling to make it to 5 a day so hopefully you can all inspire me.

I drew a blank until dinner.
Adzuki bean and veg stew with some green salad and baked courgette. It was essentially a plate of veg but I don't know how many portions I'd award it.😂

I’ve been even doing this for a while. The easiest way is to make vegthe main part of your meal rather than a side. Stir fry, veg curries, veg chillies, veg casseroles, stuffed veg etc. Then a salad for lunch. I’m not a breakfast person but try to get two in there when I can. Usually grilled tomatoes and mushroom or spinach. Or melon and grapes.
If you have a veg snack like crudités if you make a salsa or other veg dip you can get another half (or whole if you have a lot!) portion there.

I’d really recommend anybody hasn’t tried artichokes before to give them a go, they’re high protein low carb and very good for the liver.

Home bargains do amazing jars for 99p and they’re the most tender artichokes I’ve ever eaten, an entire jar is only about 200cals

@AtleastitsnotMonday

I’ve been even doing this for a while. The easiest way is to make vegthe main part of your meal rather than a side. Stir fry, veg curries, veg chillies, veg casseroles, stuffed veg etc. Then a salad for lunch. I’m not a breakfast person but try to get two in there when I can. Usually grilled tomatoes and mushroom or spinach. Or melon and grapes. If you have a veg snack like crudités if you make a salsa or other veg dip you can get another half (or whole if you have a lot!) portion there.

Thanks atLeastItsNotMonday

That's all really useful.

I agree to meals being vegetables rather than a meal with a side of veg. I live with meat eaters and my processed meat alternatives have been creeping up more and more as dh cooks more these days and then it's so much harder to fill up on veg. It's like the veg is an afterthought rather than the focus.

I love tofu stir fries, veg curries, soups and salads and buddha bowl type plates stacked full of veg as the main thing so I'm going to try to that more. It can be hard with a family and keeping everyone happy but it will do us all good.

It's great to see so many people joining. Looking forward to tomorrow's rainbow. 🌈

Waves to stayingvigilant

I had yoghurt with berries for lunch (mixed berries and probs count as two portions). Thing is I’ve got an incredibly sweet tooth so need to be thinking ‘Veg & fruit’ rather than the other way around. Dinner was bbq ribs, bbq cob corn and a side salad of lettuces, olives, cucumber, tomato but quite small amounts of each but collectively perhaps 2 portions. So maybe all day just 5 portions. I’ve eaten more choc chip cookies than portions of veg & fruit. Grrrrr! I’ll do better tomorrow.

I read somewhere recently that it was good to ty to eat as many different fruits and vegetables in a week - not just stick to the same 5 (or 10). So I've put a magnetic whiteboard up on the fridge and DH and I list them as we eat them and race each other to see who gets the most. (It's always me.)