Thursday, January 12, 2012

wildcard thursday: fruits and veggie woes

We all know it's the time of the year when everyone is gung-ho about their New Year's Resolutions. I started mine 2 days after Christmas. I like to think that I "prempted" my resolution. Ha!

Anywho, part of the resolution was getting back on track with eating right and exercising. Blabbity bloo...not fun to talk about. But something that has been more of a life-long issue is the fact that I do not like vegetables.

No lie.

I've just never been a fan of veggies unless they are smothered in some form of full-fat, dairy topping like cheese, sour cream or the likes. Add to that, the fact that I grew up in the South...which means we eat everything cooked or fried within an inch of its life. I'll eat beans if they are cooked and flavored with, oh, I don't know...some pig product. (I know!!) I just can't help it. Oh, I'll eat potatoes and corn, but neither of them really have a whole lot of nutritional value. Not as much of the leafy green veggies, though. Yuck.

Now, fruit is another story. I actually like some fruits. Unfortunately, the fruits I like are not the best ones for you. I like bananas (bad). Apples (not as bad). Strawberries (okay). Pineapple and citrus fruits (okay). I DON'T like the fruits that are REALLY good for you...like blueberries and cantaloupe and watermelon.

The bottom line is that I can limit my calories and Pilates myself until the cows come home, but if I don't start rounding out my diet, then I just won't see the results I want. The FDA recommends 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day. Well, that's a tall order for this veggie-hatin' lady.

So, I'm asking you...what are some ways I can incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet? Or, give me some suggestions for new fruits or veggies to try. I'm a raw food beginner, so I'll take whatever advice you can give!

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I thought about fruit/vegetable drinks like those Naked Juice smoothies. I'm game to try those, however, I am NOT down with the V-8. That is absolutely gross.

Alright now, veggucate me. :)



10 comments:

  1. I would suggest roasting vegetables. It really changes the flavor and brings out the sweetness in veggies (even the dreaded brussel sprouts and broccoli). See instructions here:
    http://www.culinate.com/mix/challenge/the_vegetable_challenge/tips_for_roasting_vegetables
    Also, try V-8 Fusion or Ocean Spray 100% Juice Fruit & Veggie. That's how I sneak veggies into my kids:) V-8 Fusion has lots of flavors that include the really good fruits too (blueberries, pomegranate, cranberries, etc.). They are really good.

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  2. I have the same problem. This week I'm bringing Kiwi to work because it's easy. I bite into it like an apple. That may gross you out, though, so you could slice it in half and then scoop out the green stuff. It's really good.
    I don't have a great suggestion on veggies, but I know I do better eating veggies when I make recipes that already have them incorporated.

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  3. Frozen chopped spinach is a great veg to "hide" in other recipes. It doesn't have a strong flavor and it's really good for you. I put it in stuffed shells (made with high protein pasta and low fat Ricotta) and use a good quality marinara sauce (tomatoes count!) for a healthy meal that my 6 year old loves.
    For green veggies on their own, start with the "easy" ones. Green peas, sugar snap peas, green beans, and veggie blends made with sweeter veggies like carrots. Several companies make steam in the bag microwave veggies that are really good, quick, and easy.
    If all else fails, pretend you're your mom and make yourself eat your veggies:)

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  4. VEGGUCATE! HA!

    The Naked juice drinks are delicious! Sadly, they are a tad expensive. I am opposite of you. I like veggies but not many fruits.

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  5. There was a great blog post over at Newly Woodwards I read this morning, she talked about how to get vegggies and fruits into a smoother that still had good taste: http://www.newlywoodwards.com/2012/01/get-your-daily-fruit-and-spinach.html

    Hope this help!
    Kelly, simplykellyblog.com

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  6. Oooh thanks for all the advice so far! This is great!

    I do like peas, green beans and lima beans so I found this frozen mixture that has those + carrots and corn in it. I feel like that's cheating and I should be eating only raw or leafy green vegetables. Hmmm...

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  7. Green Giant Simply Steam Healthy Weight Vegetable Medley

    http://www.greengiant.com/pages/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=1

    is a great one to try. It has sugar snap peas and carrots (which you said you like) plus edamame (soy beans) and black beans (neither of which have a very strong flavor but they are both really good for you). It has a sauce but it's still only 5 grams of fat in the whole box. I promise I don't work for any of these companies I mention:) I'm just always on the lookout for healthy, yummy stuff for my family.

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  8. buy the frozen fruit bags at the grocery store. I like the frozen bags because
    you get more fruit for cheap & they last longer. They usually have pineapples, strawberries,
    melons, blue/black berries etc. Mix that with plain or vanilla yogurt or skim milk. Put it all
    in the blender and you have a delish fruit smoothie!!! -ASHTON

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  9. Hey April, I emailed you my response...Blogger has a max cap on word count :) Feel free to share anything you found interesting or useful. Ashton's suggestion about the yogurt is great. You can mix it with granola as well.

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  10. Veggies are still veggies even if you cook them.. And you have to start somewhere.. I'm not a big lover of fruit so i have started buying them when they are in season and freezing for smoothies and stuff.. Cheaper that way. The suggestion about spinach is good too. I make lasagna with it. But I love it in place of lettuce in a salad. Throw in some strawberries and blueberries with a little grilled chicken & almonds. I make a pomagrante vinegarette for the dressing. EVOO & pomegrante red wine vinegar. Somewhat low in calories and good for me.. you should give it a try

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