S/O - do you get your "five a day?"

[lmh2402]

evolving from the healthy-things-DC-eats-that-you-don't-eat... do you all get your five-a-day every day?

i have to admit...:bag i really don't like fruit. :bag :bag

i try. i really do try. i generally eat one piece of fruit a day.

but i'm much better with veggies. and much more apt to eat some raw carrots or bell pepper as a snack.

it really frustrates me b/c i know it's good for me. DS eats a ton of fruit each day. and i'm thrilled about that.

and it's not like i was raised without it - my parents were huge fruit eaters. we always had fruit in the house growing up. and it was expected that we would eat at least one piece a day. but in general, for as long as i can remember...other than bananas, which i really like...most other fruit often makes me gag.

so...how about you?

also, any tips to help me train myself to eat more fruit?

thanks

[LMPC]

I would say that most days I get my 5 a day..although we tend to eat out more on the weekends and I don't think cheese fries count, do they?

My advice would be to check on what constitutes a serving. You'd be surprised...you might be getting more of your 5 than you think.

[lmh2402]

thanks. i'm pretty srue i do get five servings a day

but it's heavily weighted toward veggies

i feel like it should probably be more balanced. i just...struggle to do so

[geophne]

I do pretty well with fruit because I like almost any kind, but veggies are another story. I make them every lunch and dinner for DD, but usually can't quite make myself eat them. It's not that I don't like them, I just tend to fill up on fruit instead. I'm trying to work on it though.

[LMPC]

What about smoothies?

Is it all fruit? Kiwi? Melon? Berries?

[lmh2402]

What about smoothies?

Is it all fruit? Kiwi? Melon? Berries?


gah. ironically, you listed a few of the fruits i MOST hate

melon of any kind. makes me gag and almost vomit.

i've gotten a bit better with watermelon b/c DS loves it so much. but honeydew or cantaloupe is pure torture

same with kiwi. and most berries. i try to like berries. put them on cereal. b/c of the super antioxidant punch. but i so hate them. whenever i do this, i gag my way through breakfast.

smoothies i can tolerate a bit. maybe i should try incorporating these more

thanks for the ideas though!

[LMPC]

gah. ironically, you listed a few of the fruits i MOST hate

Ooops, sorry!

[LMPC]

Oooh, what about ways that aren't as sweet...like a mango salsa?

[jenfromnj]

I have been lately, mainly because I've been following Weight Watchers and have been really conscious of eating well and drinking tons of water. Otherwise, it's pretty hit or miss--some days, I eat tons of fruit/veggies, and other days, not so much.

I'm definitely no nutrition expert, but if you're eating a good amount of veggies, then I think it's probably OK if you don't eat a ton of fruit--veggies probably provide most of the same vitamins/nutrients as fruit, but with less sugar/carbs. (I could totally be making that up, but that's my logic ;).) But if you want to eat more fruit, maybe stick to milder tasting fruits, like non-tangy apples?

[misshollygolightly]

i have to admit...:bag i really don't like fruit. :bag :bag


Huh. There are so many different kinds of fruit out there...it surprises me that you haven't found more that you like (other than just bananas). I can understand not liking one particular fruit, but there's so much variety--so much difference between, say, a blueberry and a mango, that it seems odd to me not to like at least some of them! Maybe you've already done this, but if you're trying to add more fruit to your diet you could start picking out one new fruit to try each time you go to the grocery store. Also, you might ask a store worker or another shopper to help you if you're not sure how to pick a ripe pineapple or starfruit or whatever. Out of curiosity, what don't you like about most fruits? The texture? Flavor? Not that it's any of my business...just wondering.

ANYWAY, back to your original question...I do usually get at least 5 fruit/veg servings a day. I love fresh fruit and veg, and I serve a big serving of fresh fruit or fruit salad and a big green salad with almost every dinner. We generally have a fruit or veg (maybe carrot sticks) with lunch as well. And then a cooked veg or two on the side with dinner, and often one other form of fruit at some point during the day (100% fruit juice, muffins made with frozen cranberries, smoothie, unsweetened applesauce or apple slices for a snack, etc.). I feel like a meal (at least dinner) just isn't complete without fruits and veg!

[hellokitty]

It depends on the season. I always love veggies, no matter what the season. However, I admit that I don't eat as much fruit in the winter as I do in the summer, just d/t a better selection in the summer. We're not really a juice drinking family. My kids eat veggies and a TON of fruit all yr long, so 5-a-day for them is a non-issue.

[TwinFoxes]

thanks. i'm pretty srue i do get five servings a day

but it's heavily weighted toward veggies

i feel like it should probably be more balanced. i just...struggle to do so

I think you don't need to stress if you're getting 5 servings of veggies. I don't think the recommendation is you HAVE to have fruit in the mix. If it were the other way around it'd be more of an issue. Like PP said, fruits have more sugar than veggies. 5 servings of fruit every day might result in weight gain.

But if you want to try, maybe it's the ripeness level that puts you off? I hate ripe fruit. I need most fruit to be a tad under ripe. A brown banana or soft peach makes me gag. But if they're under ripe I love them. Maybe you'd like fruit if it were more/less ripe than you've been eating it?

[jennilynn]

My husband is the same way. When we were dating I didn't believe he didn't like fruit and I insisted he eat a piece of cantelope. He gagged. I, on the other hand, rarely go a day without eating at least a piece or two.

What about dried fruit, like cranberries, blueberries or raisins, on cereal or oatmeal?

[vludmilla]

It's easier for me because I like fruit. I have some fruit for breakfast, another serving mid morning for a snack, veggie with dinner and usually a salad with dinner as well. My lunch sometimes includes a veggie and so I easily get 5 or more a day.

[DrSally]

Since I'm on a salad kick, I prob get my servings as veggies. Lately, I've been taking cuties with me--ultimate portable snack. But, otherwise, I tend to save the fruit for the kids b/c they are crazy about it. Bad, I know.

I tend to agree with pp's that I think it's fine if you're getting your servings via veggies.

[lmh2402]

thanks, guys

i generally eat some raw veggies with my lunch.

and for dinner we have at least one side veggie. plus a big mixed salad every night.

and then i DO try to have one piece of fruit a day. either with breakfast. or i might force a snack.

as for what i don't like - it's both taste and texture. i find fruit to be cloyingly, sickeningly sweet. and mealy.

and yes, it's MUCH worse with very ripe fruit. but it really does hold across the board.

i absolutely despise pretty much any/every tropical fruit - i have tried mango and papaya so many times. i literally gag on it. almost vomit.

i can do small, tart apples. but lately i get most of the way through a granny smith and they're just so big and it gets overwhelming sweet and nasty.

i do eat more summer fruit. i legitimately like cherries. and not-too-ripe nectarines.

sigh...it is what it is. i will keep trying. i always have lots of fruit in the house b/c i want DS to NOT be like me.

but according to my mom, i ate tons of fruit at DS's age too. but for as long as i have memory, i have always disliked fruit.

blah.

[vludmilla]

Do you like tomato? I think you could consider that a fruit, even though we generally consider it a vegetable. I think the lines between fruit and vegetable are a little fuzzy. As PP's have said, if you eat a lot of veggies, you are ahead of most and keeping the sugar count down more than those of us who eat lots of fruit.

[ShanaMama]

OP, we could be sisters. I really dislike most fruit & was just thinking about this today! I'll eat dried pineapple (full! of sugar) and occasionally an apple but I *hate* citrus fruits & all melon & really dislike peaches, pears, plums, raisins..... I have learned to tolerate watermelon cuz I have it in the house all season for DH & the kids. I have to remember to buy fruit & offer it to them because it's just off my radar. I might slice an apple with an apple slicer & eat it that way- which is much better than biting into one. I have no problem with bananas & like dates. Weird, no?

ETA: I actually have a strawberry plant that produced pretty nice strawberries for several seasons. After picking them & letting them rot on my windowsill I started just leaving them on the plant for the birds or animals to get to. My kids like looking at them but aren't appetized to eat them. The whole point of the garden was to get my kids excited about veggies- it obviously hasn't worked in the reverse.

[SpaceGal]

I definitely do not. I don't like a whole lot of fruit, and the ones I do like are too expensive even in season.

I'm not a huge vegetable person...I make my kids eat their carrots and brocolli and stuff but there's not a whole lot of variety. I know I should work on it more for them and for me and DH as well but it's hard especially since growing up my mom emphasized on eating the meat more...since that's the more expensive stuff usually.

[elephantmeg]

I do, especially when I am trying to loose weight! I am doing veggies for lunch, supper and my night shift meal (3 days a week). When I don't work nights I do an extra serving of veggies at supper. I eat a peice of fruit for a snack and with lunch. The kids could live on fruits and veggies. DH maybe eats 5 servings a WEEK, lol.

[bisous]

I LOVE fruit and that's what saves me! I don't think, though, that downing an entire container of fresh mango from Costco (TWO POUNDS) in one sitting is necessarily what the fruit/veggie advocates were thinking of! I try to eat salad daily and carrots and it works because I have really yummy (likely calorie laden) dressing. I serve a green veggie with dinner nightly. I don't naturally gravitate towards veggies, though.

I think a diet of almost all veggies is probably JUST fine. Veggies are SO vitamin rich whereas there are many fruits that have a high sugar content and they are often much poorer in micronutrients than veggies.

[MontrealMum]

Yes, but I do have to work at it to make sure that there are some veggies in the mix. I am just not a veggie person, and while I've been able to adapt and grow over the years, I naturally gravitate more towards fruit. We meal plan every week so it's a bit easier when you have a long view to make sure you have enough of both in the house.

[kijip]

We aim for 7-10 servings a day of veggies and fruits, like 5-7 veg and the rest fruit. We eat less servings of meat and bread to make that fit in our bellies but it works well. I feel much better now that we do a high veg and fruit diet. There are things I don't like but enough that I do that it is not too hard.

[essnce629]

I always have a ton of fruit in the house but I don't eat a lot of it because I want the kids to eat it first! Like I'll cut up a pear at breakfast and give both boys several slices. There will be like 2 slices left and I'll eat that instead of getting a second pear and cutting it up for me. Not good I know. I need to start making smoothies again which would get me about 3 servings of fruit at once. I love fruits like plums, peaches, and strawberries but those aren't in season right now so I won't buy them till they arrive at the farmer's market. I'm not really an apple, orange, banana person. I like mango and pineapple and have been buying pineapple for myself every week. And I don't eat enough veggies either. I usually just have a single serving of veggies at dinner time. I need to start making my dill dip again since I'll eat a ton of raw carrots and tomatoes as long as I have my dip around. My biggest problem is I don't like most raw veggies-- bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, etc so I don't snack on veggies. I do like salad, but the kids won't eat it and DBF is rarely here for dinner so it's just me eating salad and I don't like cutting up all the stuff for it when it's going to be just me eating it. When we go out to eat though I love ordering salads for dinner like chinese chicken or southwestern. There was a time when I was making a big chinese chicken salad for myself each week and eating it every day for lunch. Maybe I need to start doing that again.

[daisymommy]

Well you're doing better than me. Veggies are much more important to your health than fruit. But I love fruit--sweet and juicy! But vegetables...UGH. I have to force myself to get enough because I know it's good for me.

Breakfast--peppers, spinach, broccoli in baked egg dishes or omelet
Smoothie with fruit and spinach blended with yogurt
Piece of fruit or fruit salad along with breakfast food.

Lunch--raw vegetables cut up with a dallop of ranch dip.
Salad with some protein on top
Fruit cut up.

Dinner--vegetables as a side dish

[WolfpackMom]

I dont eat enough times during the day for that. Seriously, 5 fruits a day? Or is that 5 fruits and veg?

Ugh I really need to work on more balanced meals for me and DH I guess!

[khalloc]

Is it 5 total fruits and veggies each day? or 5 of each?

I get 5 total most days. I eat a big salad 4-5 days a week for lunch. And I have a large serving of veggies most nights at dinner.

I dont eat enough fruit. I like it, but i HATE cutting it up.

[zoestargrove]

I've always loved most fruits and vegetables and I typically will consume more than 5 servings before the day is half over. Fruits are easier for me to eat than say kale - but since I'm trying to get more of the high nutrient greens into my diet, I've started using fruits more as a condiment to entice me to eat more leafy greens.

Have you tried chopping up your fruit in a green salad? I like a chopped up apple or mango mixed in my salad - especially if it is made with a strong flavored or peppery greens. Each bite of fruit would be tempered by the greens and perhaps you won't find that so overwhelming or cloyingly sweet?

Instead of forcing yourself to eat more fruit, maybe you could shift your emphasis on getting as many different colored veggies as possible in a given day or week. "Taste the Rainbow!" :)

[ilfaith]

Do strawberry Twizzlers count as fruit?

[wellyes]

I do pretty well. Some fruit, some green veg and some orange veg every day. Meatless diet helps :) as does a green smoothies most days.


I will confess I eat waaaaaaay too much of the starchy veggies for my own good. Corn, potato especially.

[eh613c]

Here are things that I do to add fruits in our diet:
-Add fruits to your cereal, yogurt, salad, pancakes (if you make them during the weekend)
-Instead of cakes and pies for dessert, have a bowl of fruits
-Use fruit for appetizers (bacon wrapped dates, watermelon and blue cheese salad, cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto)