Fruit & Veg record - anybody care to join?

[Shoeshelpplease]

I have recently read How Not to Die (well, on Audible actually) and its absolutely fascinating. All the different benefits different veg have and the different benefits each has depending on raw v cooked.

It advocates a plant based diet, but that wont happen for me. I am however committed to reducing meat and increasing the amount of veg (mainly) and fruit in my diet.

Would anybody be interest in joining in recording the different veg they have managed to achieve each day and in what ways? I'm talking pretty hard core here - aiming for 9 a day with a big variety.

I'd find it really interesting to see how others are achieving it.

For example, for brunch I had a frittata with:-

1. White onion
2. Swiss Chard
3. Brocolli stalks

Also turmeric and garlic (I am really trying to increase my herbs and spices).

On the side I had

1. Pea shoots
2. Watercress

For tea I am having a small piece of fish with steamed veg: and

Brocolli flowers (I wont count that as I had the stalks earlier in the day)

1. Cabbage
2. Green beans
3. Flat beans

and a type of casserole consisting of

Onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin, whole dried limes, chilli flakes

1. Tomatoes (both tinned and fresh)

10. Butternut squash. 11. Carrot

For a snack earlier I had a home made dip with

12. Celery and carrot.

For drinks I have had water from the veg I steamed yesterday (so lots of nutrients in), Matcha, Water and cold brewed hibiscus tea.

That is a pretty hardcore day for me but really pleased so far.

I'm also adhering to the dirty dozen / clean fifteen.

I should say I am trying not to eat too many carbs as loosing weight.

I know not each of those will consist of a full portion for the benefit of government guidelines. However, its the variety and quality I am trying to increase.

I've been listening to the book and I've downloaded the app. Given the choice, I'm closer to man v. food than a natural vegan. But I'm trying to turn things around in an effort to improve my health.

Saying that, getting through enough food to tick off all the check boxes feels near impossible at the moment. I'm always down on the whole grains and green veg.

I tried a tumeric tea yesterday - that is something I won't be doing again in a hurry.

So today I had rolled oats, banana, berries, nut and linseeds. Lunch was miso soup with onion, carrot, kale and courgette and dinner is a veg lentil chilli on mushrooms, which I'm going to eat once I've posted this.

I need some was to get the greens over and done with, I can't be arsed with them. I might look into a green veg smoothie tomorrow.

Glad you enjoyed the book but I totally agree with you that it seems impossible to fit it all in. It was such an interesting read though.

I did note he neglected all the research studies that are positive in favour of a paleo diet. I think you have to read it with an open mind as to what he misses out. However, powerful information.

What a shame re the greens as obviously they are a major part. I hope you get on with the smoothie ... can you just down in one and follow with something nicer?

Thanks for posting, shame we haven't got more uptake.

It is a time consuming business though!

I'll post my day later.

Brunch was smoked salmon on rye bread with a few pecans and

1. Avocado
2. Pea shoots
3. Juice of half a lemon

Tea will be cottage pie with probably only one sixth mince, the rest is

1. Red onion
2. White onion
3. Celery
4. Fennel
5. Tinned tomatoes

With lots of garlic, turmeric, cumin seeds, pepper. Then topped with

1. Sweet potatoes

10. Broccoli on the side

To drink just a latte and lots of water.

Prob a bit too carb heavy today but good variety of veg.

Morning.
1)Apple
2)Blueberries

Smoothie! 3) Kale
4) spinach
5) orange (not too bad either, plus linseeds)

Lunch
6) mushrooms
With lentil veg (again - leftovers)
7) canned tomatoes
8) celery
9) carrot
10) peppers (red and green)
11) onion

• motherload of spices.

Dinner will be orange quinoa with black beans and brocolli
which is some of the other stuff plus
12) green onions and
13) broccoli

Presuming I don't explode.

I am all about the carb heavy at the moment because I'm waiting to have my gallbladder whipped out in a few weeks and can only tolerate a little fat.

Wow, that's a really varied day! Well done on the green veg.

Wouldnt you count your peppers as two as they are different colours and therefore different nutrients?

I have no idea - I'm happy to add it to the total. Maybe I could add the green pepper to the green veg pile?

Are you doing all the exercise? I'm only on chapters 23 and he's threatening to cover it soon. I only run if I'm being chased - there's going to have to some enormous payback for 40mins vigorous exercise a day.

Yes I think the exercise bit is more difficult to achieve. The whole thing is very time consuming but I guess maybe not so once you've everything becomes part of daily life.

I am doing yoga, netball, body pump and pound fit but each only once a week, otherwise there would be no time for life!

Busy day yesterday,

Had berries in bowl of oats and banana. With apples. (3)

Kale smoothie, inc. spinach, mint leaves and orange (4)

Home-made hummus with veg sticks, carrot, celery, yellow pepper. (3, 4 if you inc. the tonne of garlic in hummus and do chickpeas count, idk?)

Had more orange quinoa and black beans. So onion, green onion, and other stuff already in the day.

Total 12 ish

Today.

Smoothie above with lemon in. (4)

Breakfast, banana and berries on Weetabix, linseeds and nuts and apple (3)

Pearl barley mushroom risotto so mushrooms, shallots (2)

Tonight. I don't know, maybe more hummus and veg sticks (3)

I'll aim for three regardless, to keep me honest. Total 12.

I keep rehashing left-overs because otherwise it's a real pain especially when the kids will only rarely eat the same as me.

Yesterday I made a normal meat bolognese for them and ds1 said "oh thank god it's not lentils again"

I think I'm going to have to find ways to add exercise in a way that isn't going to be too invasive for time. I'll start cycling the kids to school now the weather is better again but I don't see 90 minutes in my future any time soon.

So enough about me. How's it going?

Also, did you wing the cottage pie or is there a recipe I can pinch?

Hi there, I wouldn't mind joining in if you'll have me. I haven't read the book and am not too hardcore about the principles, but since Christmas DH and I have been avoiding any overly processed/ready-made foods as much as possible and have been really upping our intake of fruit and veg. We just eat a ton of fresh food, cook interesting dinners and try to get as many different fruits and veg into each day as we can. It's working as I've lost over a stone, he has lost over 3 stone and we are much more energetic.

Yesterday went like this:

B: Greek yoghurt with a sprinkle of no-sugar granola and grapefruit, grated apple and a handful of blackberries (3)

L: Rye crackers with cheese, ham, and a tomato salad. (1)

D: Big (slightly weird but tasty) salad thing with chickpeas, halloumi, tuna, anchovies, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, peppers, fennel, olives, green beans, a carrot tzatziki and a lemon dressing (8)

Snack: An orange (1)

That was quite exceptional though - today will have fewer no doubt although I haven't decided what to make for dinner yet...

That would be ace Lurking, it's probably the smallest group on MN. I don't think eating fruit and veg has the same draw as other diets.

That's an impressive weight loss. I've also found I've got more energy. Normally dieting, for me, is just a matter of deprivation and toughing it out. I like how eating like this means the focus is on getting good food in. It's been a real change in eating for me because I'm a reformed fruit and veg dodger.

Absolutely - I've spent years putting on and taking off the same stone and a half and realised that every single time before I've been focusing on trying to keep my sweet tooth happy (so eating sugar-free jelly, mini meringues etc). All that did was keep my sweet tooth and make it really easy to just slide back into eating cake three times a day.

This time I tried to actually conquer my sweet tooth and stop calorie-counting obsessively but just follow a few rules: (a) no mindless snacking (b) limit the starchy carbs as much as possible (I do eat home-made bread once or twice a week though) (c) eat for health - fresh food for every meal, plenty of fruit and veg (d) stop seeing it as deprivation - it's about fuelling our bodies with good food.

It really has been quite a revelation. My appetite has decreased, I'm not craving sugar all the time (although we go out for dinner once a week and if I really want a pudding I'll have one) and I don't ever feel deprived because I'm not counting calories obsessively - I'm just eating well and being vaguely sensible about portion sizes etc.

I'm not worried that I'm eating too much fruit (fruit being full of sugar etc) as it's so full of nutrients and it doesn't seem to be stopping the weight loss. Also, agree that I'm not going to be eating full portions of most of these veg but who cares - it's still veg and not cake.

So breakfast was smoothie as above (4) and blueberries (1)
Hummus, made with the best of intentions but then I ate it all on toast (0)
Lunch, kale side salad and mushroom and onion risotto (3)
Black bean dish with tomatoes and red peppers with spicy pineapple side (3)

Total 11.

I'm not craving anything sweet and I'm fairly steady at most times but if DH comes home with a pepperoni pizza I will break.

Can I join too please? I also have stopped dieting and just try to make better choices. As soon as I start dieting I get obsessed with the next meal, or snack, and abandon the diet.

Monday
Breakfast - Boiled Egg and Toast
Lunch - Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Pepper, Cabbage, Roast Chicken and Plain Yoghurt with Apple and Banana (6)
Dinner - Roast Pork, Apple Sauce, Carrots, Brocolli (2)

Have not counted the potatoes as a vegetable. So that gives me 8 for Monday.

Yesterday's menu was like this:

B: Greek yoghurt, sprinkle of no-sugar granola and a pear (1)

L: Leftover salad from the previous night's dinner, so chickpeas, tuna, anchovies, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, peppers, fennel, olives, green beans (8 - although just a small bit of each as I only had quite one smallish bowlful of salad!)

D: Pork steaks wrapped in sage and parma ham, served with carrots, cabbage, broccoli and peas (4), then an orange (1)

So 14 different things, although tbf some of them I would only have had a couple of bites of. Still, it's all veg.

Am doing Mexican tonight, so there should be plenty of salad stuff on the go.

Excellent thread - can I join please? Will try to keep up. Just started today. Have dieted in the past with the usual familiar results and the weight just keeps creeping on. I know from experience that if I focus on ADDING healthy stuff that I really LIKE to my diet then I don't feel deprived and the cravings fade away. It's the "crowding out" principle and it works for me.

Excellent thread - can I join please? Will try to keep up. Just started today. Have dieted in the past with the usual familiar results and the weight just keeps creeping on. I know from experience that if I focus on ADDING healthy stuff that I really LIKE to my diet then I don't feel deprived and the cravings fade away. It's the "crowding out" principle and it works for me.

Tuesday (I am in NZ so Tuesday night here)
Breakfast - Porridge with Apple and Yoghurt(1)
Lunch - Tuna with Lettuce, Toms, Cabbage, Red Pepper, Courgette, followed with Natural Yog and Banana and Apple (7)
Dinner - Chilli containing onions, tinned toms, with rice and carrots, peas.(4)

I don't suppose the grapes in my red wine count , so 12 for me.

Sorry, I've been away for a couple of days so haven't posted. I have been maximising my intake though still so really pleased.

Sorry Elementtree, the majority of my recipes are all made up in my head, and I just adapt depending on what I have on the day.

Fantastic to see we have more people joining in .... great!

So today:-

Green smoothie made with:-

1. Green cabbage
2. Frozen spinach

Flax 1 minute muffin (just flax seeds, eggs, oil and baking powder and ...) ....

1. Goji berries

Lunch was out and I ordered a halloumi burger with

1. Mushrooms
2. Tomatoes
3. Sweet potato fries

Tea was homemade chicken burgers (no bun for me) and salad consisting of

1. Radicchio
2. Pomegranate seeds
3. Radish

10. Corriander 11. Red pepper Tomato (already counted today) 12. Spring onions

I guess a salad is the best way of doing this really as can just wallap anything in

So 12 today for me which is not bad to say I ate out.

Ok so today:

B: smoothie: blueberries, banana, yogurt, protein powder (2)
L: beans on toast, salad; tangerine (2); 2 squares dark choc
D: spiralized butternut squash; veggie bolognese sauce; dark choc (2+ - there were a few veg in the sauce)
Snacks: apple; carrots & hummus; banana (3)

= 9+

I had a green smoothie (4)
Oats with banana and frozen berries (2)
Orange quinoa and bean salad on sweet potato (2)
Apple (1)
Banana and almond butter and maple syrup corn wrap - yeah, this was weird but it was the only thing in the house that wasn't a bloody vegetable.
Dinner, beans with onions, canned tomatoes and red pepper (3)

Total 12

What do you put in your green smoothies Elementtree?