My Day in Veggies

You can look anywhere on the internet and find conflicting information regarding how much vegetables and fruit you should be consuming in a day. Regardless of which one is accurate, the answer is we should be eating a lot. It might seem daunting to eat enough fruits and veggies but take my word for it as someone who didn't always get enough, it's not impossible!

I started chopping up raw veg everyday to eat in between meals and eventually it became part of my routine. In fact, I eat anywhere from 2 to 4 cups of raw veggies everyday depending on the type of veg I'm consuming. This, on top of the veggies and fruit I might consume with or in other meals, has put me at 6 - 9+ servingas of vegetables per day. It seems impossible but guys, I'm telling you not only is it possible, but it's actually quite easy!

WHAT IS A SERVING?

(Approximates)

- 1 Cup Raw Vegetables
- 1 Large Bell Pepper
- 2 Small Carrots / 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 Piece of fruit (Banana, Apple etc.)
- 1/2 C Cooked vegetables
- 2 Cups (Raw) Leafy Greens 

These are examples of what a serving of veggies or fruit would consist of. Now, let's break down how I get my fruit and veggies each day and show you just how simple it actually is!

FRUIT

For starters, I have one apple every day on top of whatever other fruit I decide to have. If you're someone who enjoys a breakfast smoothie, you can easdily blend up 2 - 3 servings of fruit / veg in one pop! I also finish my dinner with a serving of fruit such as some mixed berries, pineapple, kiwi, or banana. I rotate between my additional fruit every day to avoid growing tired of eating a particular fruit.

Without the smoothie, that's two servings of fruits and veggies right there. If I decide to have a morning smoothie, I usually just have my apple later in the day and skip the second servign of fruit. Fruit is definitely good for you but also contains sugar so I prefer to eat more vegetables than fruit.

SNACKING

Every single day as I mentioned, I consume anywhere between 2 and 4 cups of raw vegetables. I find it's the perfect way to hold me over before I eat my dinner. My regular veggies of choice include,

- 1 Whole Bell pepper - chopped
- 1/2 English Cucumber - sliced
- 2 Stalks Celery - sliced thick
- 1 C Grape / Cherry Tomatoes 

I'll also swap out or add in other veggies so that I'm getting the benefits of a variety of vegetables in my diet.

- 1 C Cauliflower Florets
- 1/2 C Broccoli Florets
- 2 - 3 Carrots - Cut into sticks
- 1 C Snap Peas
- Raw Green Beans

Meals

Not eating meat honestly makes it easier for me to eat more veggies. When it comes to meal time, I try to follow the general rule that there is always room for one more veggi9e in whatever it is I'm making. I eat a reasonable amount of tomato based pasta dishes with several cups of fresh spinach. I like to blend cooked broccolo or cauliflower into cream sauces. Not to mention, whenever I'm eating something particularly hearty, I'll try and have a salad to go along with it. 

Don't forget that beans constitute as veggies AND a great source of protein. I add beans and chickpeas into my pasta dishes and they are the stars of dishes like soups or chilis. Quite literally, I can easily put away 2 - 3 servings of vegetables per meal.


The point I'm trying to make here is that it's totally within reach to eat anywhere from 6 - over 10 servings of veggies and fruit every day if you really make the effort. I came from someone who maybe had 3 - 4 everyday to now where I've adopted a few tricks into my routine and now I'm eating more vegetables and fruit than ever before. 

I would also like to point out I still manage to get my occasional junky treat in too! I enjoy my chip coated peanuts, nutella stuffed wafer sticks, pretzels etc. and although these things are NOT healthy, I feel ok eating them because I know how much good I've put into my body otherwise.

How many servings of fruit and veg do you guys get everyday? What are your tips for getting more into your diet?

HAPPY VEG