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?

Hmm, only 2 today because my afternoon tea wiped out two meals for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it though.

Spinach (with poached egg on toast)
Carrot & orange juice

Have also been shopping and have a whole smorgasbord of fruit and veg delights for the week ahead!

I've had a cold the last few days so have just wanted to eat junk (annoying that, when fruit and veg would surely help my body fight off the bug quicker!). I'm happy that I got any veg in.

Wednesday:

1. small apple
2. chickpeas

3, 4, 5: three portions' worth of ratatouille (courgette, aubergine, tomato, red & yellow peppers, onion). It was a bag from the freezer section that I just had to shove in a dish in the oven for half an hour, then put the chickpeas in at the end to warm through. Easy and tasty. Will see if I can find it again.

Thursday:

1. chickpeas
2. tomatoes

3, 4, 5, 6: smoothie mix of chunks of mango, banana, kale and a little lemongrass. I add extra kale and let it all partially defrost, then blend it and eat it with a spoon. It's really nice!

Friday:

1. kale (at least 2 portions' worth- I defrosted a 500g block which I split between yesterday and today)
2. tomatoes
3. chickpeas
4. blueberries
5. broccoli
6. green beans
7. apricots

Only managed 3 here as we went out to eat with friends and would guess I had about a third of a portion then!

Breakfast and snack at home: avocado and mixed vegetable leftovers with my egg, satsuma.

Being positive that's more than an equivalent sort of day in the past where I might have had porridge or muesli for breakfast.

Today's total:
Lettuce 1
Tomato 2
Mango 3
Strawberries 4
Blackcurrants 5
Raspberries 6
Blueberries 7
Peas 8

Did have small amounts of onion, olives, green beans and cucumber, but probably only enough for 1 additional portion, so finished on 9 today.

hummus 1
cherries and mulberries 2
herby marrow 3
salad (lettuce and chinese leaves) 4
leftover chilli 5
olives 6

Still suffering from a huge jacket potato on Wednesday. At some point in my life I may learn that me and large portions of potato are not good friends. But they taste so nice.

Well done everyone.

Feel better persille

I manged better than I thought. Its Friday and I haven't had any of the rubbish that I normally resort to after a long week. We weren't in our usual routine though.

No breakfast. Out for lunch at a garden centre where I had a lovely sandwich and then a g/f vegan pizza for dinner at Pizza Express. Both filled with veg. I didn't even have my usual Friday night bar of chocolate or vat of crisps. Just didn't fancy them.

Anyway, not 10 and I'm not sure many of these were a full portion but here is my list and I'm quite pleased as it could have been a lot worse for a treat day out the house. Again, apart from the gf bread on the sandwich and the pizza itself, and oil I suppose in the tomato starter, I didn't have anything else. So, no snacks. Which is usually my downfall. I think a week without lots of sugary snacks have given me a break.

1. Chickpea (houmous)
2. Pepper
3. Carrot
4. Artichoke
5. Onion
6. Olives
7. Tomatoes

i did better than in previous days but not 10.

Breakfast- muesli with banana (1)
Lunch- chicken skewers with greek salad (2)
Dinner- Gorgeous pear and goat cheese salad (4)

So about 7 serves.

I coud have easily added 1 serve to breakfast and lunch though. Must Pay More Attention.

7 is good though I think. For me it's about 10 being an intention, some days I will make it some days not. As long as I get to the 5 on a bad day and 10 or more on a good day I'm happy. It's all in the right direction.

I could have added 3 more in by having some fruit last night when I got in but I genuinely wasn't hungry so that seems madness.

I definitely am not as hungry, or maybe it's that I'm not craving crap because I'm not on a constant sugar high and crash. I haven't had nearly as many carbs this week. Yesterday was the most with a sandwich for lunch and a pizza for dinner. I'm not against carbs per se but it's all related to the sugar so I haven't been craving it so much.

Again, a day out and about running from one place to another today so we will see how I fare. Can't be eating out all the time for financial reasons but we are on the hop today. A bag of chips for dinner was suggested but the thought doesn't appeal. Wondering where to get healthy, warm food but not too expensive? Any suggestions?

I’m also struggling to hit ten but can get 7 most days. It’s dinners I’m struggling with surprisingly! I need to be organised and start meal planning/prepping/batch cooking again as I’m getting to dinner time and relying on shop sauces and meat/potatoes atm during the holidays!

Feel I’ve done much better today with a variety of 12, but 7 portions:

Cherries (1)
Buddha bowl containing lettuce, radish, carrot, tomato, avocado, hummus (3 portions)
Plums (1)
Curry containing cauliflower, peas, onions & green beans (2 portions)

Aw, thankyou Breathmiller ! I'm feeling much better now. Really should have an early night tonight though.

Can't help with ideas for warm, reasonably priced food out I'm afraid. If you happened to have a good falafel place nearby that would at least have some chickpeas, and a little bit of salad. But not much veg really, and lots of oil and probably salt.

Today I had:

1. apricots
2. chickpeas
3. mushrooms
4. tomatoes

1. edamame
2. kiwi fruit

(only 1 kiwi, which seems too small to be a portion, but had 3 apricots during the day so I reckon the kiwi + apricots come to 2 portions altogether.)

1. blueberries (in overnight oats, for lunch)

1. apple

1. cabbage

10. green beans 11. spinach (Had this peanutty tofu dish, over steamed cabbage and green beans. It says it makes 5 portions but it doesn't; more like 3 vegetariangastronomy.com/easy-thai-pra-ram-tofu-peanut-sauce/ )

That surprises me. 4 fruit and 7 veg. A bit fruit heavy but a better total than I expected.

Glad you're feeling better persille

I hear you alohamolly quick dinners can be the hardest. I do that planning ahead makes a massive difference. When I think about dinner half an hour before dinner time it's much easeir to fall into not so healthy foods when you're feeding a family.

I surprised myself today and made it to 10. Just in the door so it's been a long day. But, it becomes almost like a challenge.

So I had..

1. Chickpea
2. Tomato
3. Strawberry
4. Carrots
5. Cucumber
6. Beetroot
7. Smoothie (carrot, mandarin, ginger, apple
8. Celery
9. Olives (at least 30 😆)

10. Dried mango

We did end up having a bag of chips on the way home tonight but I'm happy with that. We had been sitting in the rain watching our son in an outdoor play. Chips were needed all round. 😅

Mushrooms, onion and tomatoes with breakfast -1-2 portions

Lunch radish , carrot and leaf salad. 2 portions. (This happened because I had pre chopped salad ready to go.)

Snack- satsuma

Well done RhonaRed
Once it gets into your head it does seem to creep up.

Aftee I posted last night I had a bit of a sugar blow out. Some chocolate and some sweets. After a week of pretty minimal sugar and only from fruit, I felt terrible when I woke up this morning. Like I had a hangover (i don't drink so it wasn't a hangover). Fluffy mouth, thick throat, a little nauseous, and a sore head. And i have been feeling so good the last week. I mean it's fine, it was one evening of chips and sweets but interesting to see the effect on how I feel physically. I don't like it but I do like how good I have been feeling all week. More of that please.

Also, and I don't want to focus on thos too much but yesterday I put on my tightest jeans and they were more comfortable than they'd been in a while and I had gone down a buckle hole in my belt. I definitely felt lighter and less bloated.

I also have had a whole week without crisps! And until last night on my blowout, i haven't even wanted them. I think the fact I have been focusing on what I can eat, all these delicious fresh fruit and veg - sorry veg and fruit- has turned my thinking around. From, i don't know... a lack of...to an abundance of.

I'm going to finish this week on about 36, which I'm pleased with.

DH is on about 24, so I win! Especially as he tried to sneak pork scratchings in - lucky I have eagle eyes.

Pork scratchings 😅😅😅 worth a try. I once forgot what they were called and messaged dh to ask what kind of pig scrapings he wanted.

36 is great. I'm not sure what I have managed as a weekly total of different things, I have been focusing on my daily target of 10.

So, my daily 10 today were..

1. Raspberries
2. Strawberries
3. Brambles
4. Nectarine
5. Watermelon
6. Spinach
7. Mushrooms
8. Onions
9. Asparagus

10. Tomato

Not bad for a birthday party day. Not all quite full portions and I did eat other things but not as much as I would have done.

I thought the carrots in the carrot cake would have been a cheeky addition too far. Not as far as pig scrapings of course.

Watermelon, raspberries & grapes (2 portions)
Lentil and chickpea spice falafel type thing (1)
Carrots, broccoli, peas and creamed spinach (4)

So 7 for me which is good 😀

1 portion each of
Raspberries
Apple
Satsuma
Dates and raisins

Green beans with dinner.

So 5, mostly fruit. I've done no cooking today. We have been shopping though and tomorrow I'll wash and chop veg once more.

Morning folks, loving the pig scrapings

Yesterday I had
Raspberries, grapes, peach with my breakfast yogurt and seeds (2)
Ratatouille and puy lentils (4)
Coleslaw (home made with carrot and red cabbage), avocado, and hummus, with my baked potato (4)

Pleased to have made 10 as I suspect today is going to be a trickier day!

Breathmiller you were asking about hot food on the go; do any takeaways near you do sweet potato fries as that's a slightly more healthy option perhaps? I often take hot food in a thermos food flask if I'm going out, but i know it's not always practical. A tin of ratatouille or soup with some extra lentils or beans or tofu added can be really quick to heat up and take with you though.

@CardiganOfDoom

I'm going to finish this week on about 36, which I'm pleased with.

DH is on about 24, so I win! Especially as he tried to sneak pork scratchings in - lucky I have eagle eyes.

CardiganOfDoom we've been trying the challenge to eat most types of veg in a week, and my partner came in the other day and made a big show of writing

oats
wheat
barley

on his list, then pointing at the oats / wheat and saying "Hobnobs" and at the barley and saying "beer". Then asked whether Coke still included cola nut extract and without getting an answer wrote "cola."

We aren't including grains on the list in any case; just whole fruits and veg, but he was just being silly. (and I've won by a mile anyway! Don't think I made 30 though. I'll count when I get home.)

Yesterday I had:

1. apricots
2. chickpeas
3. tomatoes
4. mushrooms

1. blueberries

1. green beans
2. edamame

half a portion spinach

2 or 3 portions smoothie made from banana, mango, kale, lemongrass, peas and more edamame.

nectarine

So about 10 in total.

Thanks TheNarwhalBalloon a flask is a good idea. I'll check for sweet potato fries but that may be a step too far for my rural takeaways. But, I'm in the nearest city a lot so it's worth a check. I did think of baked potatoes. I know the potato itself doesn't count but I could have beans and pineapple filling. Which makes 2. And better than just chips which is potato and fat with no veg.

If hobnobs and beer are on the list I would have no problem getting dh involved

@Persille - I think we may be married to the same person.

It's working though - today he walked through with a massive salad for his lunch and boasted to me about how many veg there were in it.

I'm on a fast day so it's not as easy - he's actually beating me so far!

I have had a great day cooking up a vegetable storm. Opted for a veg and bean casserole thing and instead of rice we had sweet potato wedges. I'm noticing little changes I am making.

So..today my full portions are

1. Avocado
2. Tomato (fresh, tinned & puree)
3. Cucumber
4. Apple (juice)
5. Beetroot
6. Red pepper
7. Kidney beans
8. Mushrooms
9. Sweet potato

10. Watermelon

Extra
Spinach
Lentils
Onion
Brambles
Garlic
Chillies
Lemon (juice and zest)
Herbs (rosemary, thyme)

Might have some soya yoghurt and berries for supper.

I've also got spinach, lemon and lentil soup leftover for tomorrow. I might have to go veg shopping again tomorrow. I have lots of fruit in but not so much veg.

It's obviously rubbing off on the family because my youngest made himself a smoothie today with grapes, melon, strawberries, frozen mango and apple juice. He has such a sweet tooth and I know technically the smoothie is full of sugar but he usually goes for sweets and crisps. Basically rubbish food. So it was great to see him do that willingly.

Apple 1

Raw peppers, onion, salad leaves, tomato, carrot, radish, 2 servings.

Onion, pepper, mushroom, carrot (baked together with herbs and spices) 2 servings.

Broccoli and courgette with thyme and parmesan 2 servings.

Strawberries and blueberries 1 serving.

I did eat a massive amount of peppers today at lunch and dinner which reduced my variety. But my overall quantity was good and was easily 8 portions.

I'm going to have to have a pulse meal and phase out non veg snacks if I'm to better this.

It's sadly not rubbing off on the family attitudes to what they get themselves here although we are all eating more veg with dinner and sharing fruit a bit more frequently.
My kid bought us some crisps to share today.😂🤷