LOOKING for: Ways to get more Fruits and Veggies in our diet

23 years ago

Hi,

I'm not a vegetarian, but I thought this would be a good place to post my question. My hubby and I are wanting to lose some weight and need to find ways of getting more fruits and veggies in our diets. We like apples, grapes, oranges, peaches, tomatoes, green beans, corn, lima beans, kidney beans, and peas. I'd like to eat fresh fruits, but I just can't seem to tear myself away from the junk food for one thing. The other thing is I like to cut my apples up and by the time I get done doing that I don't want it. Any help would be great. Thanks, Amy

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Comments (6)

pea
23 years ago
frozen seedless grapes are a great snack or dessert, keep some in the freezer all the time and just take a few out when ya want them. And kidney beans are a great snack too, open a can rinse them add garlic, good cold or hot, eat them like peanuts. Also a good way to add veggies to a meal is when you have rice or pasta throw some veggies in the pot. hope this helps, pea
Carole
23 years ago
There are a lot of good vegetable based soups around that are nutritious and low fat. They are usually easy to make and can vary from split pea to chili. Risotto (a rice dish) is quick and easy to make and veggies used in it can be varied to what your tastes are as well as to what is in season (most recipes call for Arborio rice, but I have also used Basmati). When thinking about having a salad for dinner, make a fruit salad instead. We do that a lot and it's a nice change of pace from a regular green salad.

Along with what was mentioned above, use those kidney beans in a green salad. They are a good source of protein and add a good flavor. Use peas the same way.

If you want more info. than you know what to do with, do a web search on one of the search engines (hotbot.com for instance) for vegetable recipes. There's a wealth of info. out there just for the clicking.

Here is a recipe that we like a lot and it uses a lot of veggies that can be varied per your taste and what's available to you:

Garden Harvest Chili

2 Tbs. cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion or leek
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, cut up, undrained
1 can tomato paste
2 cups water, more as needed to get desired consistency
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 package frozen sweet corn
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, optional

In a skillet, heat oil over med.-high heat. Saute garlic, peppers, mushrooms and onion until tender. Add tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, 2 cups water, chili powder, cumin. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, add beans, zucchini and corn (add more water if needed). Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Serve.

*I sometimes omit the zucchini and add green beans, spinach, peas, whatever I have on hand at the time. I also cut the corn by about half of what the recipe calls for, but that's personal preference.
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Well, everybody's different, but I aim for about 20% protein, less than 20% fat (I like it closer to 10%), and the rest complex carbs overall in my diet. This is from my meal plan: Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel 1 teaspoon cream cheese 1.5 cups skim milk 1 cup orange juice Lunch: Fruit Salad Lentil, Cracked Wheat, and Vegetable Salad Dinner: Italian Pasta and Vegetable Stew Garden Salad It fills me up. Here are the recipes for the lunch and dinner items: * Exported from MasterCook * Italian Vegetable-and-Pasta Stew Recipe By : Cooking Light, Sept. 1995, page 158 Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:29 Categories : Soups And Stews Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 4 cups water 2 cups chopped onion 1 1/2 cups quartered small red potatoes 1 cup dried Great Northern or navy beans 1/2 cup sliced carrot 1/2 cup quartered mushrooms 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley 1/2 pound lean boneless round steak cut into 1/2-inch pieces 14 1/2 ounces pasta-style chunky tomatoes -- (1 can) undrained 14 1/4 ounces fat-free beef broth -- (1 can) 3 cloves garlic -- chopped 1 cup sliced zucchini 1 cup torn spinach 1/2 cup uncooked alphabet or other small pasta 1 tablespoon dried rosemary -- crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Combine first 11 ingredients in a large electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on high-heat setting for 6 hours. Add zucchini and next 7 ingredients (zucchini through nutmeg); cover and cook on high-heat setting an additional 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1-1/2 cups stew and 1 tablespoon cheese). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Ladle into individual soup bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 4716 4214 0 4204 86 4787 0 1514 0 0 5663 0 4363 0 0 1302 0 0 0 * Exported from MasterCook * Lentil, Cracked Wheat, & Vegetable Salad Recipe By : Cooking Light YEAR: 1995 ISSUE: Nov/Dec PAGE: 167 Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Vegetable Salad/Dressing Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup boiling water 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur -- cracked wheat 1 cup dried lentils 2 tablespoons olive oil -- divided 2 cups diced zucchini 2/3 cup diced green bell pepper 2/3 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1 teaspoon grated orange rind 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper Lime wedges -- optional Combine boiling water and bulgur in a large bowl; stir well. Let stand 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Place the lentils in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well; add to bulgur, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, bell peppers, and onion, and saut7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add vegetables to bulgur mixture. Combine remaining oil, orange rind, orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir well. Add to bulgur mixture; toss gently. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired. Serving size: 1-1/2 cups. Nutr. Assoc. : 0 218 0 0 5663 0 0 4712 0 0 0 0 0 0 * Exported from MasterCook * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The fruit salad is as big as I can eat it- about 2.5-3 cups of fresh chopped fruit, no dressing or other stuff. The garden salad is 2-2.5 cups mixed greens (I like mesclin mix with Romaine lettuce and spinach), 1 cup of chopped other veggies, usually green and/or red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery, broccoli, and some shredded cheddar cheese (I don't like salad dressings). If I have them, I might put some croutons on it too. The day's plan I gave has the following nutritional info, according to Mastercook: 1210 calories 19 g fat % calories from fat 13.4% 6 g saturated fat 212 g carbohydrates % calories from carbs 67.2% 43 g fiber 61 g protein % calories from protein 19.4% I usually don't get that much fiber, but the day before was a little deficient, so I made up for it. I aim for 30 g fiber per day. I try to balance everything out weekly.
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Kay
23 years ago
Hello,

One way is to invest in a good juicer or blender. I've found that it's easy to drink fruit juices, shakes and even veggie juices that are very healthy. They are a chore to eat in raw form, but very easily go down as liquid. I play around and try different combos. However, you can probably get some good recipes. Bananas, oranges, strawberries, pear and pineapple are good blended in different combos as shakes. Lettuce and peppers and things, beleive or not can be juiced. Diluting with water or even another juice helps if a flavor is too strong in any particular food. I use a vita-mix. I'm sure there are alot of other good blenders or juicers that can make it easy for you to get your veggies.
A suggestion is also to visit a heathy store that makes drinks and sample different ones to see what you like.

Hope this helps...
chris
23 years ago
If you enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, try doing all the prep work as soon as you buy them (washing, cutting, etc.) and store them in your refrigerator in sealed containers. This way, they are waiting for you when you want a snack, and it is just as easy as grabbing junk food. Try out several different types of low-fat dips to go along with the fresh fruits and veggies, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetarian-Tips
Emily
23 years ago
Up here in alaska, it's often difficult to get decent fruit, especially in winter. So, I've been doing a lot of smoothies lately. It helps to have a good blender. Then I buy frozen strawberries, cherries, or mixed berries, put some in the blender, add enough juice to cover, and blend 'til smooth. I'll also add bananas, kiwis, skinned pears, applesauce, melon.... Anything but fibrous fruits. Mango was sort of unpleasantly stringy, and oranges blended were just lumpy. I rarely add any sugar, and since you're using frozen fruit you don't need to add any ice cubes. I also sometimes add some vanilla or fruit-flavored yogurt to up my dairy intake.
Richi
23 years ago
Check out the Beverage forum for the Gatlinburg drink. It is wonderful and a good way to get a few fruits down each day. It makes a great breakfast drink.

LOOKING for: Ways to get more Fruits and Veggies in our diet

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pea

Carole

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