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?

Breakfast: banana, strawberries, pineapple, passion fruit (2 portions)
Lunch: Spinach, tomatoes (2 portions)
Snack: raw courgette dipped in beetroot hummus (2 portions)
Dinner: sweet potato, avocado (2 portions)

8 overall today

@Breathmiller funny you mention passionfruits. I'm living abroad right now and the place I'm staying has a passionfruit tree in the garden. One falls every few days, it's great!

It's mango season here so I should really get some.

@AlohaMolly I'm a big fan of alternative toasts for breakfast.

Make a veggie dip, like pureed corn/peas/broad beans etc

Spread it on toast and then add some chopped-up veg like tomato, mushrooms etc

I also sometimes have it with rice cakes if I feel bread would be too heavy. My secret ingredient is a thin layer of marmite underneath the dip.

Ooh thank you everyone! I’ll go back through and read more of the thread too.

I’m trying to lose weight as well so have been scuppered by not wanting any refined carbs before dinner but I might have to accept toast for breakfast. Otherwise I end up with ‘sweet’ things like loads of fruit and that not only hurts my teeth but also I do genuinely prefer savoury things for breakfast.

ANYWAY - breakfast is a smoothie of banana, milk, 80g frozen raspberries and 40g mixed frozen fruit, so 2.5 portions there. Ive got an apple for a snack but I’m at work all day so it probably won’t get much better

I have found left over veg the easiest thing at breakfast. With a poached egg was lovely and even with a pre boiled one from the fridge for a very quick start. With plenty of well seasoned salad dressing, I love it.

I've moved back to my more usual yoghurt and fruit this week and actually haven't enjoyed it as much.

Wow redshirt I love the idea of having passion fruits landing in the garden. How fab. Enjoy

So far today:
1 Apple
2 Carrot
3 Lettuce

Planned for dinner:
Courgette, broccoli, peppers, green beans, parsnip, cauliflower.

May have some fruit as well, so will hit my 10 today 👍

Am currently on 43 for this week, have one or two 'easy' ones I can still add in (orange, banana) but need to have a think how to get a few more to get to my 50 target. Don't want to end up eating sweetcorn out of a tin on Saturday evening 😂😂

I LOVE sweetcorn out of a tin.

Can I join?!

Vegan, would like to lose a few pounds and to be healthy. I eat pretty well, but this thread will be extra motivation.

Mix of nuts
Banana
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Broccoli
Yellow courgettes
Peppers
Corn on the cob
Onion
Asparagus
Mange tout
Mixed beans
Tomatos

14 so far today.

Hello please can I join?

I've been coaxed over from another thread by @Breathmiller. I'm on an ongoing health kick; quit booze, reduced caffeine and sugar.

I like eating healthy things and also unhealthy things so I hope this will help me to focus on the good.

Today I've had a handful each of strawberries, cucumber slices and red pepper slices.
An apple
Mixed roast veg; sweet potato, onion, green and yellow peppers, courgettes, aubergine.
Falafel - does this count?

Oh, and some spinach! I could eat spinach at every meal but I think variety is key to this philosophy 🤔

Today was
Hummus
Tomatoes/salsa/more tomatoes
Salad leaves
Peach
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower rice
Cucumber
Strawberries
Orange
I've realized I have tomatoes at nearly every meal!
Food shopping tomorrow so excited to try some different veg.

Yay!! Welcome drybird et al. 😄

Today has been a busy day but a good day veg'n'fruit wise. Prep is the key.

So full portions...

1. Raisins
2. Peas
3. Cannelini beans/chickpeas
4. Pineapple
5. Melon
6. Carrot/courgette
7. Butternut squash
8. Kale
9. Green beans

10. Tomatoes

Onions

Fair chuffed

@Breathmiller

I LOVE sweetcorn out of a tin.

Me too. I call my favourite way to eat it Mexican Sweetcorn, which is just tinned Sweetcorn mixed with spring onions/shallots, coriander, salt/pepper/chilli flakes to taste dressed in lime juice. Shallots and coriander from the freezer

@Breathmiller horrible sounding day yesterday and a list to be chuffed with 😊

A small list from me due to an IF day

Kiwi
Aubergine
Cannellini beans/chickpeas
Cauliflower/courgette/passata (2)
Fennel/cherry tomatoes (1)

Evening all, some lovely food ideas to read about so thanks for that.

I had raspberries and apple for breakfast with some yogurt and seeds, then we made frozen fruit slushies with some mango, pineapple and blueberries mixed with sparkling mineral water. It was very messy to make but delicious. (2 + 2)

For lunch I had a buddha bowl with salad, tomatoes, beetroot, lentils, veg pate, more mango, hemp seeds and sesame seeds. (probably 4)

Dinner was mushrooms and peppers stuffed with breadcrumbs, soya mince, sun dried tomatoes, chickpeas and herbs, with some steamed carrots, broccoli, brussels and cabbage. (another 4)

And then half a banana and a satsuma as snacks.(1) I realise now it's been a fruit heavy day but in total I think it was 13 or thereabouts. I'll try to go more veg based tomorrow but I'm meeting a friend for lunch and DP is talking about chips for tea so it might be a challenge to reach my 10.

narwhal that sounds a great day. And will make up for a day with chips today.

I find on days that the meal isn't so veg heavy that I can snack on things to add it up. Bit of cucumber, couple of tomatoes, carrot sticks as snacks. Frozen peas have been a favourite of mine actually. Raisins. I do think fruit is easier to snack on generally and if it's a day like that then I accept it will be more fruit heavy than veg.

Someone upthread asked if mushy peas were counted. Can you have them with your chips?

I also might struggle today. Working this morning then rushing around to go away for a birthday weekend with family where pizza and snacks are on the menu and the fridge is pretty empty.

I might nip into M&S and get their deli stuff as snacks so it's not just crisp based. Artichokes, roasted peppers, olives and houmuss. Any other suggestions gratefully received.
My pizza will have veggies on it but how much of that will count I'm not sure.

Might grab a bought smoothie to see me through today too. Oh and berries to munch on after pizzas.

One of the issues is, I'm really not hungry right now so wary of eating breakfast just for the sake of it. But then like parttimegoddess it then gets harder if you aren't having one of your meals. I could have a late morning breakfast of fruit. Won't eat til later tonight.

Anyway, have a good rainbow day everyone. 🌈

Thanks Breathmiller, I tend to be a bit down on myself if I get things "wrong" so I should remember that the balance over a whole week is important too, not just one day.
Mushy peas are gorgeous, great idea!

I'm trying to lose a few pounds that are sitting around my middle too, so meals out and chip buying husbands are not the most helpful for that...

I just started with a spinach, pineapple and raspberry smoothie anyway. It was quite chewy

Yes me too. I get a bit caught up in doing it right every day or I feel I'm letting the side down. Which is silly really.

That's why I wanted to focus on the positives. Any little changes are in the right direction and we should just focus on applauding them.

Soo...pompoms at the ready for any veg or fruit we get in today.

(Maybe not chewy green smoothies though, I'm not quite ready for that 😁)

Thank you for the encouragement, we all appreciate the thread and your pompoms!

For your weekend away I would probably get one of those bags of pre cut veg, eg carrots, cauli and broc, and just munch on those with the hummus. M and S bean salad is nice too and would go with other snacky things like olives and artichokes.

I was going to say crudités with the dips- peppers, cucumber, carrot. And get guacamole and salsa as well as hummus.

I've just had an amazing veg box delivery from a new organic smallholding near us, it has got so many lovely fresh things in it, so far I've had an apple, some raw pak choi, and a few cherry tomatoes but it is an IF day for me so I wait have much more.

Off on a road trip. Just spent a small fortune in Markies and my bag is full of dips and crudités. Cos I'm worth it.

Pompoms at the ready! 🥳🎊

"WHAT DO WE WANT?"
"VEG'N'FRUIT"
"WHEN DO WE WANT IT?"
10 TIMES A DAY!!

WOOOOHOOOO!!!

@Breathmiller - you absolutely are worth it. Good for you, have a lovely weekend. Enjoy your dips and crudités and don't beat yourself up if you don't manage goal while you're away 😊

Today:
Lunch was salad with smoked kippers which included lettuce, tomato, cucumber and beetroot (3).
Snack of grapes, strawberries and blueberries (3).
Dinner was halloumi with roast veg - I threw in chickpeas, sweet potato, courgette, carrot, leeks, broccoli and kale, so was at least 4-5 portions.

I'm now on a total of 48 for the week, nearly there!

Narwhal I want your food! Had an exhausting day yesterday but:

Watermelon
Raspberries
Grapes
Baked beans
Mushrooms
Carrots
Onion

Have a great weekend everyone!
Today:
Soft dried prunes (tasted like sweets!)
Home made veg soup with some hummus
Tomato
Salad leaves
Mango/strawberries/grapes/cherries
Beetroot
Asparagus
Peas
Sweet potato (wedges in airfryer)
Broccoli

Shopped and have a good stash of veg for the weekend!

Up to 8.5, I'll probably have some olives later so I expect 9!

Breakfast: blackberries and raisin muesli with yoghurt, satsuma. 2

Lunch: just a moderate salad 🥗: lettuce, tomatoes, red pepper, beetroot, radish, coriander. 2.5

Snack: chopped carrot, tomato and red pepper 1

Dinner: Shiitake mushrooms, avocado wilted spinach, tomatoes, red pepper, radish. 2

Shopping this weekend I'll try and get some more variety in.

Thanks to everyone for the inspiration.