Meatless Monday Inspiration: Got Any Tips for the 10 Vegetable and Fruit Challenge? We do!
We know that many of you are seasoned vegetable eaters and all but this challenge is about sneaking in MORE fruits and veggies: like ten servings. That can be a lot even by our crunchy standards.
So, since we’re all in this together, let’s share our best tips. And while you’re at it, tell us how the challenge is going for you (and tell the truth!). Recipes are always welcome, of course.
If you’re having trouble staying motivated, remember the Japanese farmers (!), and also this sort-of-silly-but-also-awesome “study” of how vegetables actually make you look glowy and tanned.
Here are a few ways I’ve been upping my number of servings, and a few other ways I plan to in the coming days (and weeks and months, because the point of these challenges is to help create better habits, right? Right.) Nothing groundbreaking here, and a few things we’ve harped on before, but voila:
- Salads: This is a total duh but I often make pretty simple green salads. You can get five fruits and veggies into a salad in a blink, watch: cucumber, tomato, avocado, grated carrot, artichoke hearts. Done.
- Smoothies: Another no-brainer, but if you really don’t enjoy eating fruits and/or vegetables this is the easiest way to slam a bunch down in one sitting. Spinach, berries, weird stuff from your CSA box, not much can’t be blended into smoothie submission.
- Soups: A.k.a. winter’s smoothies, especially for this girl who can’t stomach too much raw food in the colder months. Even if you’re all thumbs in the kitchen, you can throw some spinach, cauliflower, broccoli (or all!) into a pre-made tomato soup and call it four servings.
- Omelettes: Onions, spinach, red peppers, zucchinis and any veggies that don’t necessarily sing on their own, can be julienned into an omelette for guaranteed deliciousness.
- Snacks: Precut veggies—especially good when dipped in Dijon—are an easy way to veggie-load. Carrots are delicious right now, and so are radishes and broccoli. When it comes to fruit, don’t forget your old schoolyard friends: apples and oranges. As an adult I’m always surprised by how delicious these are when I think to eat them (not often).
That’s all I got! Now, how are you guys getting more of nature’s treats in your tummies?
It’s going pretty good, easier as the Christmas treats disappear.
I’m definitely making veggie omelettes! Will try with zucchini today.
The whole family is also overloading on clementines this time of year, in a week or two they won’t be quite so accessible, or good, in Ontario.
This is not a strategy or trick, per se, but becuase I cook ( a lot), I do plan what I am going to eat, at least at the beginning of the day. I normally take two pieces of fruit with me to my office, (or one piece and some cut vegetables), I got into this habit when I noticed that the fruit I was buying wasn’t be eaten by me.
Last week, I made a lentil soup which contained, among other things, carrots, parsnips, yams, onions, garlic, shallots and celery. This is a good use of winter vegetables and quite tasty for those, like me, who do not necessarily care for parsnips and yams on their own.
Even when I’m feeling exceptionally uninspired, I will serve a mista salad with lunch or dinner. Once I have the mixed greens out, I normally can get myself to put at least two other ingredients in it, but the mixed greens on there own should not be discounted.
I’ve been juicing a little bit! And this weekend, instead of the normal cheesy eggs I make for breakfast, I made a frittata with tons of veggies in it. Today, for lunch, I had a NINE vegetable salad from the organic salad bar at my company’s HQ in Pennsylvania. I’m pretty thrilled about that.
@Siobhan Boom!
@Comagirl I want that soup. For breakfast.
@Liz Aw, Clementine’s are one of the most nostalgic foods for me. My sister and I had a Clementine sticker wall in our first house.:)
This is a great challenge for me as I’m trying to lose weight as well… A friend turned me onto what most people probably consider a snack, but a couple of times a week I’m trying to brown bag my lunch of plain old cut up raw veggies with hummus. I like the crunchy vegetables that are pretty easy to get right now, lots of cauliflower and broccoli, plus carrots, celery, zucchini, etc. For me the texture is really important so a lot of crunch is very satisfying. My other easy option is soup, anything and everything goes into a vegan broth and I add some sea minerals (from live live if anyone’s interested but go light as there is a distinct flavour and adding too much overpowers the other flavour) to up the nutritional factor even more. I like the veggie and hummus option as the protein-rich hummus is filling!
Also loving the clementines, especially in the evening when I can mindlessly peel and snack as I’m watching TV. Keeps my hands busy which helps with not smoking!
I’m enjoying the clementines too, as I usually do in winter – I eat anywhere from 5 to 10 a day!
Many lentil, Indian, or Middle Eastern dishes are veggie-packed – or can be, if so desired. Think a red lentil curry with tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos, and add some cauliflower or carrots. I made that, with the addition of some pumpkin as well, and get 5 of the 10 out of the way pretty quickly!
My hardest day was Saturday thus far. I ate brunch out, and tried a new recipe in for dinner. Not eating much overall that day really cramped getting all 10.
Yeah basically I’m on day 5 and my diet has been mostly soup.
Dips and spreads are also good ones!
Oh How She Glows!
GREAT site, recommended by you two, I do believe! Over the weekend, I shared my joy over finding yet another vegan-based site, to which the husband listened very cautiously. He is meat-and-potatoes through and through, so the thought of another culinary romp through a cruciferous forest with me is NOT his idea of fun. But I sold him on Miss Angela Liddon’s Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole. Mmmmm! And got two servings of fruit in for breakfast, not to mention the veggie-packed omlette he added. And got the man to try a vegan dish! BONUS!
(I am not vegan by a long shot, but I love vegan and vegetarian sites as they provide alternatives which pack in the fiber through creative veggie and fruit addititives. I also like primal/raw food sites. I made a killer Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin last year that was trult amazing…and wheat free! Still a staple in my recipe box, and I get asked for the recipe all the time from non-primal/non-vegan folks.)
Couple ways I try to up the veggies in my diet:
- Frittatas and quiches….great ways to use up roasted veggies from the night before and so many great combos to play around with when you have fresh ingredients
– Pasta…add chopped spinach to the sauce , fresh mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, olives, kale, whatever sounds good!
- Healthy pizzas….grab a whole wheat tortilla and add toppings (caramelized onions, mushrooms, chopped spinach, etc.); drop a few small spoonfuls of ricotta on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese; bake at 425 for 8 – 10 mins and you have a crispy, healthy pizza!
Just made this soup: http://butterflyfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/beat-cold.html
I also added some leftover cabbage leaves and used quinoa pasta shells instead of wheat shells. I do love a good veggie soup, but something about adding shell pasta makes me happy to eat it every day.
Also Whole Foods had a pretty tasty espresso black bean chili today that I got for lunch…. I just had to try it. Should have written down the ingredients!
Alexandra, Here is the soup recipe: Lentil soup with balsamic roasted vegetables http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lentil-soup-with-balsamic-roasted-winter-vegetables-10000001141995/ You may substitute spinach for the swiss chard. Simply place raw spinach at the bottom of your bowl and serve the soup over the top. It will properly wilt on its own (and you won’t have mushy spinach in your leftovers). You may also add other winter vegetables to the mix. I will warn you though, once you roast those vegetables in the balsamic mixture, you will want to eat them instead of add them to the soup. For those who are not vegan, a very small grilled cheese sandwich on sliced chibatta and a side salad make this a very hearty meal.
Another tip is to use the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market cookbook. Most of the recipes are for vegetables and there is a section in the back that lists recipes by season.
This challenge has been my life for the last 8 years, since I started feeding kids! I love veggies, but I have 4 little kids and am married to a meat loving Texan. I have found so many creative ways to put more vegetables in almost everything. We either puree or mince veggies and add them to almost everything we cook. We eat a lot of veggie enchiladas, sandwiches, soups and burgers, but even when cooking meat dishes like meatloaf, I use 1 part meat to 2 parts minced veggies like carrots, green peppers, spinach, celery and mushrooms. Pureed veggies work in everything from mac and cheese to pancakes. Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry’s wife) wrote a great cookbook describing how to add veggies to all kinds of “meat and potato” type foods. My personal favorite is her chocolate cupcake recipe with avocados inside and Cauliflower in the icing! My kids devour them, no questions asked.
Green smoothies (with some fruit) are the main way I get kale, collards, spinach, dandelion greens and other greens I’d probably never eat into my diet. I honestly am not a fan of any of those veggies (except spinach) but when I throw them in a Vitamix* with an orange, frozen banana, apple and some fresh mint I get a fabulous (and filling) smoothie that makes my skin glow and keeps my body weight regulated nicely.
I have one every day and it’s probably double the amount of veggies I’d ever get into a single day if I tried to eat them with every meal (which I still do). I was going to buy a juicer (still might) but the highest quality ones–the masticating juicers–are about $300 and since I paid $500 for my Vitamix I’m using that instead. That way I get the fiber as well, not just the juice. The Vitamix pulverizes the veggies into a buttery smooth texture so everything blends nicely. My old blender kept the veggies kind of gritty so I didn’t drink them as much. It’s an expensive investment but worth it for my health.
My favorite recipe is:
• 4-5 leafs of dark green kale (also known as Dino kale)
• 2-3 giant leafs of collards or rainbow chard
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
(I lightly steam all 3 of these greens first to get rid of the oxalates, which really screw up my stomach when eaten raw)
• 1 cucumber
• A handful of dandelion greens (helps a LOT to reduce excess water weight)
• The juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1/2 of an avacado OR a teaspoon of raw coconut oil for healthy fat
• 1 small orange
• 1 apple OR 1 frozen banana (I peel a bunch of them and freeze them just for these smoothies)
• 1/2 cup of frozen mango or frozen strawberries or frozen blueberries (warning, the berries will give your smoothie a greenish brown color…still tastes great but looks nasty)
• A few fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup of filtered water
• 5-10 ice cubes, to make it nice and cold and to keep the blender from heating up the smoothie and ruining the nutrient value
This makes anywhere between 2-3 green smoothies so I drink one for a meal (it’s very filling) and store the rest in an air-tight container in the fridge. It sounds like a lot of work but once you make it once or twice it only takes about 5-10 minutes and your skin (and digestive system) will thank you!
Veggie noodles – these have turned out to be pretty easy, fun, and tasty. Take a zucchini, yellow squash, or carrot. Peel off the outer peel if very tough, but you can leave it on if soft. Then peel lengthwise with a julienne peeler, until the entire veggie is gone, or at least all the good parts. Let these ‘noodles’ sit on a plate, uncovered, in the fridge for a few hours until they get floppy. Then cook in boiling water for a few minutes until they are the desired texture and eat just like pasta, with sauce.
Veggie croutons – we used this gal’s idea and it’s been great:http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/potato-crouton-recipe.html She takes potatoes, sweet potatoes, or various squashes and makes a crunchy, tasty crouton out of it that can go over salads, soups, meats, etc…
I am late to the discussion, but wanted to chime in since this is something I spend a lot of time thinking about (probably too much time!) Two books that really influenced my perspective on fruits and veggies are The Color Code and What Color is Your Diet?
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Code-Revolutionary-Eating-Optimum/dp/0786886218/ref=pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-David-Heber/dp/0060988622/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Both emphasize the importance of choosing from different color groups in order to get a wide range of protective benefits from the produce we eat. I notice that I tend to gravitate toward the same fruits and veggies most of the time, which leads to “color gaps” in my diet if I’m not paying attention.
To get better at incorporating more variety, I’ve started keeping a white board tracker of different categories I want to monitor (not just fruits and veggies by color; also nuts & seeds, spices, grains, beverages, etc.) I posted a picture on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41878316@N06/6728220463/
Overkill? Maybe, but that chart really does make me a lot more conscious about the choices I make each day. I also keep a photo collage of the food I eat on my iPhone so I can have a visual of how my diet looks over time. (picture also on Flickr) Both trackers have made me a little better about getting more variety on a daily basis.