Five a Day

Dia Minha · #1 04-02-2008, 11:46 PM

HS, mentioned something in another thread that got me thinking. Do you have a hard time getting in your five fruits and vegtables a day?

PhillyGirl · #2 04-03-2008, 12:08 PM

Oh yeah! I know that there are a lot of you that are health food experts but I have found a great way to cheat on days or weeks

that I just don't get enough in my diet. I have found that the V8 fusion has a serving of fruit and vegetables in every 8oz glass. And the best part is that it tastes really good; and I am kind of picky that way. My daughter likes it too. I know that I need to be better at eating the real thing but I love having this option for those crazy days.

natickgirl · #3 04-04-2008, 08:14 AM

Thanks for the tip, PG. Hopefully my kids will drink V8 Fusion. I try to get in enough fruits & veggies, but I know we're nowhere near what we should be getting. I have one DD who only likes apples & bananas (not a whole lot of nutrition there), and all my kids have become very picky about veggies, especially raw. I keep trying, though.

Dia Minha · #4 04-04-2008, 10:27 AM

I know I have shared on this board before some ideas to work in more fruits and veggies, but I thought I would share again, just because I like the topic so much.

I have a smoothie, just about every day. I usually incorporate at least three servings of fruit. Two of my favorite combinations are: 1 1/2 cups of frozen berries, specifically raspberry and blueberry, (each 1/2 cup is a serving) 1 banana (2 servings) and 1/2 to 1 cup strawberries or raspberries. I have also done peach/raspberry. I just don't like the frozen peaches, so I will use fresh, or canned, but they have to be canned in juice.

If I have a sweet tooth after eating a meal (which I usually do) I'll eat an orange or a cup of grapes. This would be another serving of fruit and really cuts the sweet tooth.

For side dish at lunch or a snack, I love the fresh snap peas. They are kind of expensive, but I believe they are worth the price and my kids love them too.

When I do a wrap, I measure a cup of greens (lettuce or spinach) and then chop it up fine. This way I can fit more. Than with a 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and cucumber I'm adding 2 more servings of veggies, making 3 all together. If you chop everything into smaller pieces it will fit better.

For dinner, I always cut back on half the meat in any recipe and add beans. This works in just about everything. 1/2 cup of beans, counts as a veggie, if you are getting your protein from somewhere else. If you have not had your protein, than the first 1/2 cup would count as your protein and the second a veggie. Also, I always double the amount of veggies called in any recipe. Anytime the kids eat at grandma's or a friends house they always say, "I liked it, but it needed less meat and more veggies".

Recently I discovered that my son loves tuna salad. He never like it before. Not until he came up with his own recipe. He makes it himself. He takes a can of tuna, chops up celery, carrots, and dill pickles really fine and mixes it all with a little light mayo. Then we eat it on whole wheat crackers with shredded lettuce. With the celery, carrots and lettuce together we are getting one serving of veggies by topping about 6 triscuits. Serve with a fresh veggie tray and eat 1 cup with a low fat dip and fit in 2 more veggies.

When having spaghetti, I use one can of spaghetti sauce and mix it with one can of crushed tomatoes. 1/2 cup of sauce would be a serving. I then saute onion, squash, and mushrooms. I serve it by putting down 1/2 cup pasta (whole grain of course), then 1 cup of the saute veggies, then top it with 1 cup sauce (three servings in all). Also very wonderful is using spaghetti squash instead of pasta and get in another serving.

Baked potatoes can count as a veggie if you eat the skin. Top with 1 cup of brocoli and cauliflower and you have another two servings.

Add finely shredded cabbage and carrots to your meat, when making meat balls. Yummy, and if you do half meat and half veggies, can easily count as a serving. Add a can of mashed chick peas eat a few more and get in another.

For dessert, top a cup of fruit with light cool whip and fit in two more servings.

Just by keeping fresh fruit and veggies on hand, the kids will eat them. If there is no "sanck foods" (granola bars, fruit snacks, chips, crackers, bread, etc.) in the house, fruits and veggies are the only thing they can eat, that doesn't need a lot of fixing. So, that is what we eat.

I can't wait to put in my fruit trees. Me and the kids love dried fruit. It is convient and can go anywhere. The problem? It is very expensive and hard to find without added sugar. I plan to do a lot of fruit drying. Dried fruit is really not the best option, because of the calorie density. But if you drink one cup of water with every 1/4 cup of dried fruit it is more like eating 1 serving of fresh fruit.

Erudite · #5 04-07-2008, 12:11 PM

You're SO awesome, Dia! What great suggestions!!!

I just have to point out that FIVE is a bare minimum. We should all be getting 7-9 really. If you're having trouble getting to 5, you REALLY want to work on it for good overall health. But in losing weight, it is even more crucial. I worked up to a consistent 6 a day but am still working on a consistent 7 a day with the general hope of getting to a consistent 8 a day at some point.

I chopped extra strawberries into my yogurt this morning! And I love V-8 too so that helps. I have a veggie packed split pea soup in my crock pot this morning. Off we go!

runamyrun · #6 04-07-2008, 01:29 PM

Have any of you heard of the cookbook that Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote? She purees mixtures of fruits and veggies and adds them to her meals. That way her kids are getting the nutrients they need, but they have no idea. She also offers veggies at the table, but you know how kids can be picky. My mom gave me the cookbook, but I am waiting to really look at it and use it until after I have my baby (and she is several months old).

Dia Minha · #7 04-07-2008, 03:26 PM

Yeah, I had heard of that. I just don't think it teaches children to like vegtables. Yes, they will eat them, but if they don't know they are eating them, they will never know if they like them or not.

I really don't have a problem getting my kids to eating fruits and veggies. Sometimes they will pick out the mushrooms or turn their noses up at green beans, but most of the time they really do like eating them. They will even ask for more. I think it is because that is the way it has always been. They go through stages where one of the other of them won't eat certain veggies, but I just keep offering them and they eventually come back around.

And I never fix something different because one of them doesn't like it either. If I usually put mushrooms in it, I put mushrooms in it. If they don't like it they can pick it out. Eventually they will try the mushroom and say, wow, mom I do like mushrooms. Just happened a week or so ago, actually.

runamyrun · #8 04-07-2008, 06:14 PM

I think the point of the book is to help picky kids (it seems most go through a picky stage) eat well. She still makes sure to offer veggies at meals so they get used to it, but this is where she makes up for where they are lacking. If you aren't trying hard, it can be difficult to get in all of your fruits and veggies. This is her way of making sure they get it all.

My kids love fruits and veggies. One thing I have decided is that we love fresh fruit, and we are willing to pay for it. I used to just buy what was in season and on sale, but it was harder to find cheap fruit in the winter. Now I buy what I want, whether it is on sale or not. I figure that I save tons of money on my other shopping, that we can splurge in this area! We have really loved having fresh fruit the past several months. As long as I keep it stocked, my kids want fruit for a snack instead of wanting a treat! For veggies, I have found that the kids are usually hanging around the kitchen when dinner isn't quite done. I have started setting out two or three different kinds of veggies, before the rest of dinner is ready. Then we sit down and fill up on the veggies so when the main dish is done, we eat less of that. We have our good days and bad days, but at least we are trying!

Dia Minha · #9 04-07-2008, 06:55 PM

That makes sense RAR. It didn't sound right to only feed them hidden veggies.

What is the name of the book? Maybe I should look into it. If I remember right there is a brownie recipe with beets or something in it.

natickgirl · #10 04-08-2008, 08:47 AM

Great ideas, all of you. I HATE the 30-minutes-til-dinner hungry whines! What a great idea to set out a veggie tray. I usually tell them they can have a piece of bread, preferably whole wheat, or a yogurt...but veggies is a much better option. Each of my children is picky in his/her own way re: fruits & veggies, but I keep trying, anyway. My DS just had a unit in health about food. He proudly proclaimed that he's supposed to eat 2 cups of veggies & 1 1/2 cups of fruit per day, based on his age, height, and weight. It has provided great leverage when he balks at what is served at dinnertime. I don't think he EVER gets all the veggies he's supposed to!

My biggest challenge is cutting down on starch & junk carbs. My family lives on potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, etc. Any suggestions on how to keep a balance of good carbs (I don't go for the no-carb fads) that kids will actually eat? [I did make a barley pilaf, rather than rice, that the whole family liked.]