^+^+^+^+^+^Return of the Fabulous Fruity 10 / 10 club^+^+^+^+^+^

[FrannyandZooey]

It's back For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and more detailed information here

Oh, we recently started buying frozen mango chunks. Very very practical for smoothies - banana, milk and chunks of frozen mango makes a lovely smoothie. I bought frozen English summer berries for the same purpose, but the DSes just want to eat them as is.

I think potato is fine in soups (as are any other root veg), you just want something with a bit more oomph to liven it up. Kale?

Oh, cool, I have some mixed exotic fruit in the freezer, haven't tried doing anything with it yet. Does it taste ok just by itself or does it need to be in a smoothie or similar?

Ah, we're going to stir fry the kale. I have carrots, swede, turnip, parsnips. Oomphy enough?

Hmmm, I was worried about texture, but the bit of frozen mango I didn't blend enough had a very good texture tbh.

I would want something like brocolli or something in the soup to give it body. Will you blend? Or do chunks?

I think mostly blended with some chunks. What about red lentils in there too?

Are you used to kale? It's quite ... fibrous. I always feel bovine eating it. I struggle with kale, tbh.

Really happy with that new dip I did, I would do it for non-vegetarian company even.

Red lentils would work, yeah. (And a bit of kale, tbh. If you put all your kale in one stirfry, you will regret it, I fear.)

Do you mean we will regret it in a digestive sort of way?

No, I don't think so. You guys are all high-fibre anyway. No, I just mean that kale is gross and horrible and if it makes up the bulk of a meal, you won't want to eat it. Well, I never do. And I love cabbage etc of all sorts.

dd and I shared a plum this morning.

I eat 85% fruit and 15% veg, as a balance. It should be the other way round shouldn't it? But I find pineapple gloriously exciting and turnips a turn-off.

I am truly trying to increase my proportion of veg. It is working, I think.

Soup mostly made, will report back on it later. Although I think we are having the stir fry tonight.

Nah, it would be the next day they would be toilet hostages I reckon.

"New" people? How exciting. Who are they?

Moving swiftly on, from things that I don't or only half understand. My summary so far:
Took ds1 swimming so that can count as my exercise, not that I mananged to swim, but all that paddling around is probably good for my thighs
So far I have had lovely USA style pancakes with chocolate sauce for breakfast (with three small slivers of banana on them).
An apple, a raw carrot. I had tomotoe salad at lunch, as well as coleslaw which I guess counts even though it is laden with mayonaise. Two plums.
I am making squash thai curry thingy for dinner tonight, so that should finish off my quota. I am going to wash it down with the Bubbly that I bought for Valentines night, and couldn't drink.
Franny - The thing with potatoes in soups is that if you blend them they can get a bit starchy. If you can be bothered to mash and then push through a sieve ,then that makes a better texture. Having said that, just one to thicken it shouldn't make too much difference.
I am really going to have to find the motivation to do more exercise, as I think all the weight that breast feeding took off, is slowly but surely coming back around my tummy. I swore to myself, that I wouldn't panic about this, but just make sure I didn't let it creep back on, but thats exactly what I am doing
Its too many puddings with the children, and dh who has a sweet tooth. I can't resist things if other people are eating them.

Argh, I blended it before I read your message, Overrun. There were 3 potatoes in a huge vat of soup so hopefully it won't make much difference. We had the stir fry and thought the kale was fab - ds was a surprise fan of it.

Apologies again for all the incomprehensible nonsense I have talked on this thread - I think I just got a bit carried away by being on MN again - it is nice to be back

Oh, Franny, it is so lovely to have you back, talk away

Lol Aviatrix, I am a bit wary of mentioning it as well, as it doesn't really come into my reasons for doing it, but I can't help feel a little sad that this slim spell in my life (the only one I have ever had) is coming to an end
I am obviously not producing nearly as much milk as I was, and I think your body just gets used to it eventually as well.
I need to really rethink what I eat, not that I ever was that careful, but I have got used to thinking "Oh what the hell, it wont matter"

Yikes, I have recently put on weight as well, and as I think you all know, ds has just weaned. I think the only way for me is to get back to the gym to build muscle bulk and increase the metabolism. Then I can eat what I like again. It's definitely one of the highspots about breastfeeding - I always used to boast about how much I was eating while the weight was dropping off post partum

Right, we have lost a few people: Cheesy, and Rue, and Snaf, and SauerKraut, and FMF, and I am trying to work out who else is real and who was one of Filly's made up people

and please can someone tell me if Papillon is coming back? I know someone mentioned her earlier and I can't remember who it was and I can't find the post....I miss her

Yep, we need to group together, fight the flab, fight the blab........
Round up all the troops (sorry for milatritistic overtones (sp)) and um, oh yes, eat lots of fruit and veg

I don't make up people franny

at very idea

I have quite a lot of socks though and can type one handed when required.

Filly I have left a question for you on the bonkers oaty breastfeeding biscuit thread

Overrun I like your style - will you take on the role of Harvey from Fat Club and bark scary instructions at us while we whimper?

Filly do you like the use of the phrase sock puppetry on Wikipedia? It always really amuses me

Right am off to bed

I am one of filly's sock puppets.

Yesterday wasn't brilliant, thanks to vomming DS2, DH did all food choice and prep, which led to, well, no veg at all. But I had my usual citrus binge in the evening (well, a grapefruit and two big oranges).

No idea what we'll eat today. Random foraged things no doubt. We start our week with loads of veg (box) and then have less and less unless I make it to the veg stall. I do miss having a local supermarket.

Oh, but I did go running with DS1, then have rather long walks on the way to and from the party, maybe 20 minutes brisk walk each way?

I might try to run with DS1 again today, it worked well yesterday.