Getting my daily intake of fruits and veggies is a struggle for me. I've been vegetarian for over 14 years, but I hate salad. How is that even possible? I'm not really sure, but I'm just not a fan -- especially of lettuce. And I have trouble getting myself around in the morning (we covered this last week in the chocolate-peanut butter oats post), so crafting an on-the-go veggie feast is somewhat difficult.
I surfed over to Fruits and Veggies Matter (http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/) and discovered that at my age and sex (26/F) and activity level (over 60 minutes per day), I should be consuming 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables every single day.
Compared to people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts -- as part of a healthy diet -- are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases. These diseases include stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and perhaps heart disease.
Eating your 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables a day is easier than you think.
Easier than I think, eh? Yeah, I realize I'm just being lazy. I could choose to make meals ahead of time. I could create a salad with ingredients I like, like spinach and beans. But I came up with another method that suits my current situation well. I call it (drum roll, please) The Sack Method.
The Sack Method is just that: A ton of raw veggies -- chopped and thrown into a sack. Two of my favorites have been radishes and carrots because they crunch. They also go well with that super-easy hummus recipe from last week. And when I bring a gigantic sack of the good stuff to work with me, I'm less tempted to hit the vending machine or coffee kiosk for a late afternoon snack (of cookies and candy bars). I almost always have leftovers that can carry over to the next day.
But, you might be thinking, what counts as a cup?
One cup refers to a common measuring cup (the kind used in recipes). In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or 100% vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens can be considered as 1 cup from the vegetable group. One cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group (from http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/). To find out more, check out this chart.
You're just dying to know, I'm sure. Exactly how many fruits and veggies you need daily? Just check out the handy-dandy calculator on Fruits and Veggies Matter. And tell us: How do you get in your daily requirement? Any tips to share with the group? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker@gmail.com.
In other news, Stephen and I ran a half marathon in Ithaca, NY, yesterday morning. I PRed and Stephen maintained his lightning-fast pace -- and we weren't even racing. Stay tuned for a full race report, as well as our upcoming race calendar! We signed up for a crazy one over the weekend!
ALSO check out this month's Blog Love Fest. It's a special edition because we're not only sharing the links in a list this month. We're creating a categorized blogLOVEroll. For all the gooey details, just visit the BLF post.
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10 comments:
GREAT job on the 1/2 marathon.. beautiful picture of you and your beau!
I love how you are a vegetarian and dislike salads.. because whenever someone finds out I do not eat meat their initial comment is ' so you only eat salads' haha WAY TO PROVE EM WRONG!
Great method! Hope it works.
Congrats on the half marathon times!
I sneak veggies in everywhere...if I make canned soup or pasta sauce or something of that nature, I always throw spinach and some sort of frozen veggie in. And I like to eat veggie wraps - my favorite is a whole wheat wrap, spread with hummus or laughing cow cheese, and spinach, green pepper, and carrots. As for fruit, I bring apples and pears everywhere - the perfect portable snack! - and I also make a lot of fruit smoothies.
Great post. i am not a vegetarian... and i guess i have to?
Congratulations on the PR. Looking forward to the race report.
As for veggies... It hasn't ever really been a problem for me. I'm currently doing a fruit and veggie cleanse that I do about 4 times per year (around the change of each season). I make veggie stirfry daily. I'll grab the first 4 kinds of vegetables I see, fry 'em up, and experiment with what kinds of sauce or spices I use. Always keeps it interesting. I'm not a fan of raw vegetables, and don't LOVE salad (although, spinach with ripe avocado, strawberries, tomatoes, raisins, almonds and balsamic is an all time favorite of mine), so I have to cook 'em to really enjoy them.
I have developed a crazy allergy to carrots- my throat swells up, my tongue swells, my whole mouth and throat itches, my lips swell and itch- it's crazy and sad. :-( lol If I eat them cooked it's fine, but who wants to eat cooked carrots?
Soup. Lots and lots of plain ol' vegetable soup. It's my daughters favorite lunch - winter, spring, summer, and fall.
I loved the info on the fruits&veggies matter website!
my favorite ways to add produce to my diet is similiar to yours - the cut up and dip method. I need to get BETTER at this, but i like to come home from the grocery store and CUT EM UP, and store the veggies in containers in the fridge for easy access to take with me during the day. Pepper Strips, Cucumbers, Carrots, Flowers of broccoli or califlower, etc - all super good with hummus or other bean dips. ALSO a BIG fan of carrots with nut butter- if you havent yet tried it, JUMP ON IT. so good!
Go Ashley and Stephen! You guys rock my socks.
Since being pregnant, I've paid more attention to my fruit & veggie intake (or lack thereof). I find that I don't have a problem getting veggies because I do like salads and I do like a fair amount of veggies in general, so it's easy enough to just include a side of green beans with dinner, for example. But I'm not a fruit person, and I definitely don't get enough of those. My current plan is to try and remedy this by drinking more real fruit juice, since I do like that.
That is how i eat my veggies as well. So much easier to get through while at work and they keep you full for so long!
Try a halved radish with a bit of avocado and a sprinkling of sea salt. It's my vegan version of a classic French snack (radishes with cold salted butter and fleur de sel.) Also tasty on a baguette. The French know what's up in the realm of radishes.
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