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?

1 Blackberries & blueberries
2 Red pepper, lettuce, tomato
3 Carrot
4 Onion, spinach
5 cannellini beans, tomato passata, herbs
6 Plums ( 2 portions so winning on volume!)

Missed out on cooking the cabbage earmarked for today. Just didn't get round to preparing it. (Wash and chop, just wash and chop..)

Asparagus for breakfast sounds very nice Wilderness!

Oh, I love asparagus with a cooked breakfast. I have some so might make it tomorrow.

1. Sultanas
2. Houmous
3. Carrots
4. Spinach/lentil/lemon soup
5. Greengages
6. Runner beans
7. Tomatoes
8. Kidney beans
9. Onion/celery

10. Dates

I've never had runner beans before today but I was given lots from a neighbours garden. We had a runner bean stew. It was delicious.

I am stuck at home (kids with covid) so trying to make do with what we have in the house. So, it will be interesting to see how long I can eke out.
I'm reminded that when I'm at home I have so much more time to cook and even think about what I am cooking.

Breakfast was two eggs scrambled, with spinach and tomatoes. I had carrot, cucumber, lettuce and crab salad for lunch. For dinner I had swede and potato mash, with green Lentils, white onion, carrots, peas, mushrooms and tomatoes, like a shepherd's pie, then stewed rhubarb and plums for desert.

A lentil shepherd's pie would satisfy my potato loving family. It's something I used to make years ago! Thanks for the reminder Takeaway.
A day of many non veg foods here.
But still managed:
1 Chard, tomatoes
2 carrot
3 red pepper
4 leeks
5 Blueberries
The veg chopped and sitting in the kitchen through the early evening helped.
Runner bean stew sounds good. We have a few plants lurking in the garden which I need to check.

Last night after dinner I made the basis for a green lentil shepherd's pie too. It's autumn food for sure. I put carrots and onions in it so that's two and a half portions there already.

I made bliss/energy balls last night too. Full of dates and nuts and deliciousness. So good for a sweet treat with no added sugar.

I am already thinking what else I can cook today. While I've been working non stop my dh has taken a liking to cooking which has been great. But he's working from home this week and I have my kitchen back. And I like it.

I might make a veg lasagne for tomorrow with the courgette and red pepper I have. A celery and potato soup for today. And I have lots of frozen mixed berries that I need to find something to do with.

I have a couple of apples that need used up so I might make a crumble. Any other ideas for mixed frozen berries?

We might be in to slim pickings of fruit and veg by Thursday though. I am quite enjoying using up stuff in the cupboard and fridge/freezer. I get overwhelmed when the kitchen is full of half used ingredients.

1. Dates
2. Houmous (of course 😁)
3. Carrots (raw, roasted and added to the lentil shepherd's pie)
4. Greengage/fig
5. Celery
6. Onion
7. Green and red lentils
8. Asparagus
9. Tomatoes

10. Apples 11. Brambles

I sometimes make frozen mixed berries into a crumble. I have a flat dish for a thin layer of fruit and crumble; the timing with cooking the crumble and fruit from frozen is fine.

Thanks greener . I had some fresh apples and then frozen blackberries and I made a crumble with that. It was delicious.

I do still have a big bag of mixed berries so I found a fruit crumble bars recipe to try too.

Today's list:
1 Blackberries
2 lettuce, tomatoes
3 Carrot
4 Chard, onion
5 Black beans
6 green beans, lime, blueberries (not all together but it makes a portion!)

Oh and a bit of roasted beetroot.
Usefully heavy stuff: maybe made a portion.

Fruit crumble bars sound good!

Oh I forgot I had roasted beetroot too. So, a healthy 12 today.

I wouldn't be able to manage 10 portions!
I've had grapes, an apple, then red peppers and onions with a Gousto recipe I made

lemonsandzest.com/mixed-berry-oatmeal-bars/

Going to have a go at these tomorrow 👆

JustBehave, it's been a rare day that I've managed it.

justbehave it's definitely much easier if you base your meals around vegetables. So the veg is the main event.

Carrot sticks and celery with homemade houmous makes a great snack or lunch. And that's three. A little juice (it only needs to be 150ml) and a couple of dates or piece of fruit with breakfast and thats another 2.

I often eat lentils and various kinds of beans or chickpeas as the main part of my meals so that helps.

I don't make 10 every day. But, just drawing your awareness to it, you'll be surprised how you will find sneaky ways to add them in.

Soups, veg stews, ratatouille. Spinach, either raw as a salad base or cooked in lots of dishes.
If you have a pasta dish, griddle some courgette slices and add on top. Or have a veg heavy sauce.

Sultanas in cereal. Roast veg with your meal. Frozen peas make a surprisingly tasty snack in front of the telly. If you have a sandwich add cucumber and tomatoes. Tomatoes make a nice grab out the fridge tasty bite.

I treat myself at the weekend to olives and baked tomatoes. If you have a pizza load on the veg toppings.

If you have a cooked breakfast, add cooked spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and beans.

Anyone else got any general tips that help them to add on to the day's total?

My general tip is to include fruit or veg at breakfast as it helps to set the tone for the day.

1. Satsuma

2 & 3. Broccoli & Spinach soup (M&S said this was 2 portions)

1. Apple
2. Red & yellow peppers

Monday

1. Field mushroom
2. & 3. Roasted patty pan squash and sweet potato with lettuce
3. Leeks
4. Butternut Squash

If I get it out of the fridge and place it on the counter earlier I am virtually guaranteed to wash/ prepare it later for eating. That pepper, carrot or head of lettuce needs to be rescued from the fridge veg drawer where I can just ignore it!

I also have stopped "saving" basic veg for the next meal. I don't know why but I was treating them like scarce items. I'm often doubling up on onion for example.

Haha. Yes, these are great tips. I'm the same. I think, "have that extra carrot, go on - treat yourself "

And definitely making it easy to access really helps. I did that yesterday when thinking about starting the ragu for the lasgane today. I got all the ingredients out and put them on the worktop. Next time I went by I just started making it.

I had leftover roast veggies yesterday (parsnips, beetroot, carrot and garlic) and I threw it in a pan with some fresh tomatoes thst I skinned that needed using up. Added some stock and lentils, paprika and vegemite. Whizzed and now I have sooip for us all all today.

It doesn't have to be a full portion. It's fine to just have a little of it

Sooip? Ha, i love that name for it

1. Grapefruit
2. Dates
3. Avocado
4. Courgette/peppers
5. Onions/runner beans
6. Mixed Berries
7. Tomatoes
8. Cucumber

Not bad considering I have been working with what I've got in. I am now out though of nearly everything. I am trying to get to Friday with the food I have in but it means tomorrow will be slim pickings fruit and veg wise. It's been great to clear out the cupboards and fridge though. I hate waste of food and have enjoyed using up all the little bits and bobs.

I hate food waste too, and love to find inventive ways of using it up.

1. Satsuma
2. Field mushroom
3. Apple
4. & 5. Veg chilli (green pepper, tomatoes, onions)
5. Asparagus and salad leaves

I definitely could have put some beans in the chilli but DS not keen…and then he did his own dinner anyway 🙄…lesson learned!

I love an "Everything in" soup!

Yesterday I still had black beans in their cooking stock in the fridge. I fried up some onions and carrot strips as a base then added beans with stock and it made a lovely soup with a few greens mixed in at the end. Sadly that's all my black beans used up and I have red kidney to get thorough which I don't like nearly as much: just about acceptable as a component in a chili imo.

Yesterday's tally:
1 Blackberries
2 veg, spinach soup
3 Carrot
4 black beans, green beans
5 Onion, garlic, herbs
6 beetroot, lettuce, tomatoes

Oh I love kidney beans?
Could you mash them up and either make bean burgers or refried beans?

Well, I did better than I thought today. It was fruit heavy but that's because I'm now into clearing the freezer and I had a lot of frozen fruit.

Still got some mixed frozen berries and brambles left. And some odds and sods of one portion things. We're going to get it all out tomorrow and eat a mish mash of dinners. So, not going to the shop now til Saturday. I have promised my youngest a McDonald's on Saturday, as a treat while in isolation. Not much fruit or veg even in the vegan bites.

That recipe for berry bars was amazing by the way.

Today's pickings were...

1. Mixed Berries/random veg and olives in frozen pasta sauce
2. Grapefruit
3. Tomatoes
4. Dates
5. Lentil & roast veg soup
6. Pineapple (smoothie bowl)
7. Dried coconut (on top of pineapple smoothie bowl)