Getting your 5 fruit & veg a day

Trying hard to keep up my X many a day but it's hard on a diet and even harder when hubby's away.

Brekkie (1)
Grapefruit juice

Snack (3)
Carrot
Cucumber
Nectarine

Veg plot raiding (1)
Strawberries

Evening meal (2)
Snowpeas & chickpeas
Red cabbage and quinoa (small portions of each)

Probably only 7 today. That's down on my usual. I might try cooking something for evening meal tomorrow instead of a microwave meal :)whistling: )
 
So far today is zero. 1 slice of toast made by a care worker this morning which I reluctantly consumed. No veg or fruit in that.

Tonight I will have spinach and potatoes with butter (the butter is the protein i the meal). Well, that is two vegetables I think. I may also eat a small hot cross bun which has dried fruit in it. Not sure if that counts but if so, that means I will have had 3 of the 5.
 
So far today is zero. 1 slice of toast made by a care worker this morning which I reluctantly consumed. No veg or fruit in that.

Tonight I will have spinach and potatoes with butter (the butter is the protein i the meal). Well, that is two vegetables I think. I may also eat a small hot cross bun which has dried fruit in it. Not sure if that counts but if so, that means I will have had 3 of the 5.

Not really... to count it has to be 80g of fresh fruit or veg or 30g of dried.

But right now it sounds more like food full stop is much more important. Your break won't heal without enough nutrition.
 
So far today is zero. 1 slice of toast made by a care worker this morning which I reluctantly consumed. No veg or fruit in that.

Tonight I will have spinach and potatoes with butter (the butter is the protein i the meal). Well, that is two vegetables I think. I may also eat a small hot cross bun which has dried fruit in it. Not sure if that counts but if so, that means I will have had 3 of the 5.
Bone broth. You need protein and collagen.
 
But right now it sounds more like food full stop is much more important. Your break won't heal without enough nutrition.

I know. But I have no appetite. Its most unlike me as I can usually eat almost anything. I get hungry and eat a bit then feel 'full up' almost immediately and really can't eat again for several hours. So I'm trying to eat little and often.
Bone broth. You need protein and collagen.

Not likely unless someone comes and makes it for me!
 
I know. But I have no appetite. Its most unlike me as I can usually eat almost anything. I get hungry and eat a bit then feel 'full up' almost immediately and really can't eat again for several hours. So I'm trying to eat little and often.


Not likely unless someone comes and makes it for me!
Right. I didn't know if your grocery delivery service carried collagen protein powders. They have some that are flavored that are quite good when mixed with nutmilks. I had a vanilla and a chocolate one that I liked quite well. I also mixed the plain (made from chicken bones) into chicken soup and rice dishes and it was really good that way. It could really help you heal faster and stronger.
 
Right. I didn't know if your grocery delivery service carried collagen protein powders. They have some that are flavored that are quite good when mixed with nutmilks. I had a vanilla and a chocolate one that I liked quite well. I also mixed the plain (made from chicken bones) into chicken soup and rice dishes and it was really good that way. It could really help you heal faster and stronger.

I'll check that out - although I don't do well with anything milky or chocolate. Plain would be good.
 
I'll check that out - although I don't do well with anything milky or chocolate. Plain would be good.
There are people who drink the plain with just water. I found it too boney. But mixed in soup it's fine. There was a turmeric one I liked that I made a rice dish with garlic, onion, carrots and chicken. And then you get the added antinflammatory benefits.
 
I normally cook a roast If I'm craving veges. About once a week.
Roast potatoes, carrots,pumpkin, kumara, parsnips and boiled peas.
Meat and gravy.
Satisfied craving.
Normally at least 3 veges with evening meals.

Russ

The issue is also how much of each portion you eat (as well as variety) and most people don't eat enough to get a full portion, plus potatoes don't count because they are too starchy and get counted in the carbohydrates.
If you've seen my 'Saturday night usual', that's 100g of garden peas. You need 80g to count as a portion (80g of each and every veg that counts, but peas and beans all count as a single portion because their nutritional profile is so similar, so 80g of peas and 80g runner beans still only counts as a single portion of beans/peas.
 
The issue is also how much of each portion you eat (as well as variety) and most people don't eat enough to get a full portion, plus potatoes don't count because they are too starchy and get counted in the carbohydrates.
If you've seen my 'Saturday night usual', that's 100g of garden peas. You need 80g to count as a portion (80g of each and every veg that counts, but peas and beans all count as a single portion because their nutritional profile is so similar, so 80g of peas and 80g runner beans still only counts as a single portion of beans/peas.
Yikes. So if you eat two portions of the same (or similar) vegetable it doesn't count? That's so weird.

I am so not getting my 5 a day. Today I had about a half cup of blueberries, some strawberries, some carrots (that were in the chicken noodle soup I ate) but nowhere near were they a serving, and tonight I will have some sauteed spinach with fried rice and pork medallions. So I am falling short yet again.
 
Yikes. So if you eat two portions of the same (or similar) vegetable it doesn't count? That's so weird.
Correct. It is because gut health needs variety. Otherwise you could just eat 400g of grapes and say you've had your 5 a day when all you've really done is had a whooping big dose of sugar!

It's variety and a minimum quantity that's needed for protecting the intestines and getting a good microbiome in them. So ideally, things sod also not all be the same colour for example (so not 80g spinach, 80g green broccoli, 80g green capsicum, 80g garden peas, and 80g cucumber). Different colours have different friendly compounds. So the above 80g green spinach, have 80g purple broccoli 80g red or yellow capsicum, 80g white beans or red or black beans, and perhaps an apple cucumber instead!

Given its the bowels that need the variety and quantity, I make the effort because to me at least, it's important and I'll know I tried.

They say (nutritionalists) to eat the rainbow to get all of what you need. Simply put red, yellow, green, orange, purple and white and black (black kale for example). So if you only ever eat orange carrots, get some heirloom ones and mix it up for a change. Same with beetroot, you can get other colours...
 
This is all that is needed to get 5 a day.
Everything there is between 80-100g in weight.

20230209_131033.jpg
 
Well 3x a week i am safe with my dinner plate salads containing leaf lettuce, cabbage or kale, carrots, radish, cucumber, onion, avocado, and tomato (with chicken and bacon). Maybe not enough to meet the servings of each though.
 
Back
Top Bottom