Saturday, November 19, 2011

Getting in the fruits and vegetables

This morning's breakfast of yogurt, oats, blueberries and apple - a double serving  this morning.

So, if you're a blogger, you're probably signed up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  If you haven't heard of it, (you must have just joined the blogosphere) check it out on Amanda's blog, Run to the Finish.  It's a challenge to encourage us all to stay active and eat well through the holiday season.  You get points for eating your fruits and veggies and logging activity.  You can sign up anytime, and I believe you're still eligible for the final prizes if you sign up before Nov 22.

So, that being said, with all the ways to rack up points, don't forget some of the little easy ways.  Primarily, eating that produce.  Seven servings may seem like a lot, but it's something we should be doing anyways.  If you're like me though, sometimes you fall out of the habit.  This is a good reminder to get back into it.

It's simple math.  For me, I'm going to remember to have at least one serving (probably fruit) with breakfast, two with lunch, and two with supper (probably both vegetables).  At that point, it means I only need two more.  For snacks, I grab a fruit or veggie plus a protein source.  Maybe apple with peanut butter, grapes with a piece of cheese, raw veggies with hummus...  Seven servings easily achieved!

Keep in mind that the seven servings is a minimum, not a maximum.  There is nothing wrong with having more.  I know that if I have a salad or stirfry as my main course, I might have four servings with that meal, which is awesome!  That doesn't change my strategy to eat well for the rest of the day.

So, get those fruits and veggies in.  Then go for a run!

8 comments:

  1. We've recently discovered Kale chips, and my 4 and 1.5 year old daughters love them as much as I do. I just rip up some kale, toss it in a tiny bit of tamari, and then dehydrate it in a 150 degree oven until it's crispy. Yummy, and good for you.
    Kate

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  2. I easily get about 5 servings in two of my every day meals - my breakfast veggie/egg scramble and my lunchtime stir fry. Lots of veggies and pineapple in both of those.
    Thanks for the reminder again that HBBC starts today. I need to go read the point system again and refresh my memory.

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  3. I always need to work on more produce. Hadn't heard about the challenge, but I will check it out for sure. I would love to hear more from your followers on how they get their veggies in (I don't tend to struggle with the fruit as much - it feels more like dessert!)

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  4. Yummy breakfast!!! I almost always get more than plenty of servings myself. Like Julie I also often eat an omelet with a ton of veggies for breakfast. If not it's one or 2 fruit servings in something like your breakfast. And also like Julie I need to go read up on what we get points for because I completely forgot about the eating part of it. :)

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  5. One serving really isn't that much when it comes to veggies. You can easily have 2 per meal and not feel overfed... at least I think you can. I still haven't decided if i'm going to participate in the challenge or not.

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  6. I love HBBC for this reason alone- gets me to eat more veggies and fruit, which in terms makes me eat less crap, but doesn't penalize me if I have a treat or two!

    LOVE IT!! Thanks for sharing some ways of getting more fruits and veggies in.

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  7. Hi from a new follower :)

    This year I started planning meals with veggies as the main entree and proteins, etc. as the sides. That little change has made a big difference in how I feel.

    Great tips! Happy to have found your blog.

    Thanks for linking up and sharing your HBBC post :)

    [Fitness, Health and Happiness]

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  8. Your breakfast looks great! I love oats of anykind and mixed with all of your fruits it's even better!

    I am trying to get more veggies in as well. For the HBBC that's the hardest part - and I didn't think my eating was that bad!

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