Stir fry with at least 4-5 types of veggies and just a little meat/protein for dinner, or grilled veggies and meat/fish on the George Foreman. Love some combination of onions, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, kale, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots--pretty much anything works. I eat these kinds of dinners nearly every day and get several cups of veggies in that way. I eat berries or a banana on oatmeal for breakfast and an apple for lunch every day. So 2 fruits and several cups of different veggies every day. Works for me!

K-bobs with zucchini, squash, onions, peppers, and mushrooms.

Big handfuls of fresh baby spinach tossed into just about every rice, pasta, soup, or stew I make. Plus onions, peppers, celery, and/or carrots.
, Baked acorn squash.

Raw veggies with homemade buttermilk ranch/herb dressing.

Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, beans, asparagus, etc.

Honey sweetened cooked carrots with orange zest.

Gosh, the possibilities are endless!
We don't eat any meal without a large helping of veggies or fresh fruit in it, or on the side.

I also use a NutriBullet blender to make a large green drink every morning. It always contains a couple of cups of dark leafy vegetables and a couple of cups of a combination of fresh and frozen fruit. I often add ground flax seeds, a small amount of old fashioned oats, and yogurt to the mix before blending. It's delicious and health altering.

Don't forget your V8!

The easiest and tastiest way for me is to either buy a veggie tray at the store or make my own with the bagged veggies, like carrots and broccoli. Most of the trays already have Ranch Dip with it, but I will sometimes make my own.

I know the dip is a bit fattening, but IMO, the nutrition from the veggies far outweigh the dip.

I eat the veggies at lunch with a sandwich and eat more with dinner, if I'm not making them myself.

Veggie trays are great for summer.

I can't help you on this question because I don't eat veggies or fruit. I am a very very fuzzy eater

Egg rolls have veggies also. Wraps made with either cooked or raw veggies also

Mary, after years without fruits or vegetables I'm not surprised you are fuzzy. LOL (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Vegetables usually take some prep, so I try to keep something ready to eat in the fridge for snacks. At the moment it's a container of red cabbage I cooked with apples and an onion + balsamic vinegar (no sugar). Yummy!

I love salads and stir-fries, and sometimes I'll get a craving for a big serving of steamed broccoli drizzled with garlic and olive oil. Or cauliflower with a dollop of mustard sauce.

Soups are a great way to get lots of vegetables.

I don't have a problem getting enough fruits--I try not to eat too many!

I try to have some kind of homemade soup with vegetables in the refrigerator.....can't always but as much as I can. As for fruits, I usually add that to plain yogurt, oatmeal or no sugar added cereal.

Shirley

Depending on the type of cereal for breakfast, I always add a banana or blueberries. I make my own type of trail mix and I add dried fruits to it - cranberries, blueberries, raisins, banana chips, dried cherries. We eat fresh fruit and cheese for lunch with crackers quite often. I sometimes add bananas, strawberries, or blueberries to yogurt. A half an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter makes a great snack. We always have fresh fruit cut up for dessert for dinner. Cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries and bananas are my favorite. Apples, grapes, and bananas are another. Then about once a week I make a spinach salad with spinach, pears, glazed pecans, starawberries and you can add feta cheese but we don't like it. Add a low cal raspberry vinegarette. Really good. We eat alot of fresh fruit and seldom have any go to waste.

I like to saute chopped onions, green peppers, mushrooms,asparagus, broccoli, even Roma tomatoes--any or all in a mock omlet. And don't forget the salsa.

Raw veggies in fridge. Do potatoes count? I've been known to nuke a potato or sweet potato for a light lunch or dinner.

This is a good thread. Always looking for ways to add fruits and veggies.

I make vegetable soups, and quite often I increase the amount of vegetable or add other vegetables that I have in the refrigerator. Every time I make split pea soup, I throw in any left over cooked or raw vegetables on hand, and then I just puree it in the blender when it is all cooked. I never make split pea soup the exact same way because of my using up whatever I have on hand, and it is always good.

Since it's just me, I don't normally do grocery shopping often. I try to avoid canned veggies and fruits and juices. These items are often loaded with salt and other preservetives.

So, I often stock up on dried food such as rice and beans/peas. Also, I do have a separate freezer and often stock up on frozen veggies and fruits. These are better choices next to raw veggies.

I cook them however I feel like. For example, making soups with them, sautee with a little bit of meat or like yesterday, I was in a mood for beans/peas and rice. So, that's what I made. I made enough to eat for the next several meals (^_^). I also just put in a bowl or plate and steam veggies in the microwave. Then, I sprinkle lightly with olive oil instead of butter, and salt & pepper.

As for fruits, ff fruits are ready to be eaten, I tend to consume them more often. So, I buy bananas, peel and freeze them. They last longer and I can have one ready anytime. Other fruits such as grapes, I wash them all at once, then store them in a plastic bag or container in the fridge. At times, I buy oranges and grapefruits by the bag. I squeeze them all and freeze the juice. Again, ready to eat and drink them at anytime.

Basically, if you make your veggies and fruits easy to be eaten, then most likely, you'd eat them more often.

No matter what I am making, whether it be a stir-fry or a casserole or fajitas (like tonight) I always, always, always throw in more vegetables than it calls for in the recipe. I will add peas, corn or carrots to a casserole, turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips,carrots etc to a stew, lots of peppers, carrots, onions, zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli to a stir fry. The cauliflower and broccoli I do buy already cut up and washed and ready to go.

Ever since the kids were little I have always put fruit on our dinner plates. it is part of our meal and I know that the kids are getting at least one piece of fruit during the day. Oh and nobody leaves the house in the morning without eating a banana. (except me - yech)

You will also note that mushrooms are not included in my lists - nope, nope, nope.

I chop up cabbage, celery, bell peppers, onions (yellow and green), cucumbers and any other vegetable I happen to have around, put it in a bowl, add V8 juice, seasonings.....sometimes I use cumin, oregano and chile powder or I add sesame oil, soy sauce and some Japanese seasoning....add a chopped avocado and some cooked shrimp. I always add hot peppers, salt and pepper.
It tastes really good, especially in summer when stuff is fresh from the garden. Oh, and I forgot to mention I add cilantro since I have it fresh all year.

we've done the veggie tray forever but for the past few months,the produce has been poor..tried doing the seperate ones at local stores, but dh just was vegged out..now have been doing v8 mixed...

The only canned fruit/vegetable in my house is tomatoes, for sauce.
Canned are loaded with preservatives and sugar to hide the deterioration of flavor.

We have a bowl of cut fresh fruit with our breakfast.

Fruit tray in refrigerator for lunch and snacking.

What are veggies and fruit?? Guess you can tell that I don't get very many in my diet!

Alisande, you are right not eating veggies & fruit made me not be able to spell but at least you knew what I was talking about. Oh fussy me.

I eat fresh fruit usually with every meal~~~try to eat a salad loaded with veggies for lunch, Dinner always fresh fruit, salad or a plate of fresh veggies and a steamed veggie.

At breakfast, I take a load of pills (the joy of getting old). I wash these down with 1.5 cups of V8 tomato juice. I can buy a pair of 64 oz jugs of V8 for about $5 to $6 at Sam's Club.

During the day, I might have a can of soup or chili beans. I'll use V8 tomato juice to add liquid. I try to keep a stock of eating apples in the fridge and will eat one per day. If I get the hungries at midnight, I'll quiet that down with an apple.

I have the same boring lunch every day..a panini with egg, cheese and half an avocado mushed up as a binder along with dried cherries and nuts. I have a bowl of six fruits..blue berries , black berries, watermelon, raspberries, banana, cherries in season and grapes. At night I don't have fruit but half a plate of veggies either broccoli, asparagus or green beans but in the summer squash, eggplant and other stuff from the garden.

Aha! V8 -- I need to remind myself to check the nutrients on the label next time I'm in the store. (Forgot to pick up blueberries today for cereal, so I guess I'll be back there Friday!). I know they have a different flavor available now other than the traditional tomato based.

Will do a ground-chicken stir fry today with zucchini, red/green bell peppers, maybe some black beans.

Kale is supposed to be the hottest veggie now -- but I was a bit wary of getting it today not knowing how to use it. Suggestions?

Pammyfay, here at the KT we've had at least one good thread about ways to use kale. Try the semi-reliable search engine. :-)

NY Times columnist Mark Bittman has written a new book based on the premise of eating a more plant-based diet. (He says he lost 35 pounds by eating vegan before 6 p.m., and then whatever he wants for dinner.) Here's a link to the Today Show segment, along with some of his recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mark Bittman's video and recipes

pammyfaye, no need to wait to shop in order to read labels. There's not much you can't find on line in a few seconds. ;-)

I wish I would drink V8...I loved it when I was much younger. It's just way too salty for me. My mother used to make a tomato juice many years ago, but it was strictly tomatoes and not all of the other things that V8 has in it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Campbell's V8 ingredients

Don't have a problem here...I love fruit and veggies...there are very few that I wouldn't eat...can't even think of one off the top of my head...my problem would be having enough room in my body to eat them all...