I ate 10+ veggies & fruits today

[Tigerlily]

Corn is yummy no matter what anyone says.

[ConsciousCuisine]

Potatoes are a vegetable; corn is a grain.

Well, as you know some people consider it to be a vegetable (the government for example who also considered catsup to be a vegetable ) and I still would rather see someone eating corn over highly refined grains and such.

Have you ever eaten fresh raw corn on the cob? It is soooo good. I also make a fresh raw corn salad that is delicious

[Gorilla]

sorry if this is a stupid question, but are we talking about sweetcorn here? as sweetcorn is advertised on TV as being a vegetable (i know that doesn't make it right, but i've always thought it was)?

salads are wonderful when they include the more exotic greens: radicchio, arugula, mizuna, etc. They are expensive but can totally transform the mundane to the magical.

i've never even seen things like that in my local shops, even the organic wholefood places. the best salad i can hope for is baby spinach, watercress and lettuce, maybe some rocket if i'm lucky.

[ConsciousCuisine]

sorry if this is a stupid question, but are we talking about sweetcorn here? as sweetcorn is advertised on TV as being a vegetable (i know that doesn't make it right, but i've always thought it was)?

Yes, sweet corn. Nearly everyone counts it as a vegetable (a very starchy one).

[Gorilla]

Have you ever eaten fresh raw corn on the cob? It is soooo good

is that not incredibly difficult to chew?!

[marika5]

I feel this thread is becoming a bit anal. Poor old spuds, me an my Irish ancesters feel not counting them as a veg a bit harsh

It isn't anal. It's a simple fact. They lack the benefits of other vegetables. Nutritionally, they are quite different, and probably ought to be in another category entirely. They are a concentrated source of starches but not protective phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, or fiber, as is the case with all nonstarchy vegetables and the colored squashes and roots.

Count them if it makes you feel better, but don't think you are doing your body the same kind of favor by eating them.

From
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 72, No. 4, 922-928, October 2000
Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Women's Health Study
Simin Liu, JoAnn E Manson, I-Min Lee, Stephen R Cole, Charles H Hennekens, Walter C Willett and Julie E Buring

"Although the dose-response relation between fruit and vegetable intake and CVD risk in our study was not entirely linear, intake beyond the highest quintile (median: 10 servings/d) appeared to afford the greatest reduction in risk of CVD (Table 4).In addition, the reduction in CVD risk was associated with each of the different types of vegetables except potatoes, suggesting that increased intake of fruit and vegetables could have a significant effect on reducing risk of CVD in the general population. Thus, our data generally support the current dietary guideline, although the recommendation for inclusion of potatoes as a vegetable may not be warranted."

Full paper is here:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/72/4/922

[Tigerlily]

Potatoes are a source of vitamin C and potassium.

How does it not do my body any good not to eat them?

I can't eat citrus very often since I'm allergic, so I eat red bell peppers and sometimes potatoes for my vitamin C.

[Artichoke47]

I agree, Tigerlily. Clearly, potatoes have vitamin C and potassium, and actually a gram or two or protein, if we want to nitpick.

[marika5]

1. Because you have to pay 200 kcal to get 20 mg of vitamin C from a baked potato, wheras there are literally hundreds of fruit and vegetable choices that give you much more vitamin C (100s or more of mgs) per 200 kcals serving.

http://nutritiondata.com/foods-01110...0000000-3.html

2. Vitamin C is but one micronutrient. There are many others, and countless protective phytochemicals, with the possibility of many more that have to be discovered, that have myriad benefits, that are not available in appreciable amounts in potatoes.

Our group of researchers (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 3, 517S-520S, September 2003) found, for example, that the vitamin C in apples with skin accounts for only 0.4% of the total antioxidant activity, suggesting that most of the antioxidant activity of fruit and vegetables may come from phenolics and flavonoids (mostly lacking in plain potatoes). They proposed that the additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables are responsible for their potent antioxidant and anticancer activities, and that the benefit of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is attributed to their complex mixtures.

3. The DRI is set at a level to prevent scurvy in almost everyone plus a safety factor, but many experts feel that optimal vitamin C intakes are higher to much higher than DRI levels. There is probably a similar situation for many other micronutrients.

[Tigerlily]

Jeez, this is a positive thread supporting eating fruits and veggies.

It's not an "attack potatoes" thread by being a snob about eating potatoes.

STOP THE TUBER HATE!

[marika5]

It is not the lowly potato which is being attacked.

It is the grouping which is questionable. This is no doubt due to lobbying. On a vegan forum most people have absolutely no problem identifying corrupt lobbying due to dairy, egg, and beef industries, but why the reluctance when it comes to certain types of plants? They are not all equally beneficial.

Another fact is that ketchup is higher in most vitamins than the plain potato, on a kcal for kcal comparison.

More facts:

Potatoes are virtually devoid of carotenoids, vitamin K, and vitamin E. They are also much lower in thiamin, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium,
potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese than almost any any nonstarchy vegetable and many fruits.

I have already addressed the potatoes vs lack of protective effect for CHD. Also, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Apr;13(4):567-72 and J Nutr. 2003 Dec;133(12):4246-51 both found that a dietary pattern high in potatoes was associated with increased cancer risks (presumably because there was less room in the diet for more beneficial foods, also you can find this pattern in many other studies).

Further, cooked starch foods, including potatoes can contain acrylamides, which are strongly suspected to be carcinogens. This depends on the temperature, duration of cooking, and cooking method.

[Artichoke47]

I eat potatoes because they taste good, and will continue to eat them, in all their vegetable goodness.

[ConsciousCuisine]

It is not the lowly potato which is being attacked.
It is the grouping which is questionable. This is no doubt due to lobbying. On a vegan forum most people have absolutely no problem identifying corrupt lobbying due to dairy, egg, and beef industries, but why the reluctance when it comes to certain types of plants? They are not all equally beneficial.

The only one here who appears to be lobbying is you None of the plants we eat are completely equal in value. Ever read "Potatoes, not Prozac" ???

If you have a problem with my grouping, start your own thread about making healthier choices. When outlining this thread, I am going off of what Dr. Greger, Dr. Ornish and Dr. Mc Dougal have told me *personally* and I stand by it all.

This thread is a positive place to support a whole-foods diet and the encouragement of eating more fruits and vegetables in all thier many forms.

Technically, mushrooms aren't "vegetables" but even grains and tubers *are* part of the plant kingdom, and they are all VEGAN and WHOLE and have some benefit to the human body.

Obviously I would prefer for everyone to eat kale, broccoli, cabbage, burdock, oregano, cilantro, garlic, onions, beets, yams, sprouts, mixed baby greens, arugula, spinach, apples, blackberries, blueberries, lemons, strawberries, goji berries, mangoes, sea vegetables and so on above all else, but as I said, I'm trying to be supportive of BABY STEPS *and* LEAPS and BOUNDS forward in one's diet.

As long as they aren't Deep-Fried FRENCH FRIES or CHIPS, potatoes count for the PURPOSE of this THREAD.

Hope that clears things up, once and for all and we can get back on topic now. Thanks

[Tigerlily]

I think Marika has a secret agenda....she must be working with the broccoli people since she's so against potatoes.

I think, tomorrow, I will make a nice big plate of oven fries smothered in gravy!

[foxytina_69]

uhm not all vegetables are high in each vitamin. they all vary, like cc said. god, who cares. potatoes do have some nutritional goodness, just like other vegetables. if u dont like them that much, then dont eat them. dont bitch at other people about it. its repetitive.

potatoes are good for u, as long as u cook them healthily, again, like cc said. im glad i add potatoes to my diet, instead of meat eggs and dairy, like i could be.

and cc, u care if people post in this thread if they havent gotten 10 servs of fruits/veggies? i thought this was a place to post simply to keep sort of a guideline for yourself. like ive posted in here without having gotten ten servings of fruits/veggies because it helps me to see how many i HAVE gotten, and how i could do better. but if only posting in here if ive gotten 10 servings is what u would like, well i shouldnt post here anymore until i can do that! lol.

[foxytina_69]

and also, since cc had started this thread, and i added more veggies/fruits to my diet, INCLUDING potatoes AND corn, i started having this healthy glow about me, so they cant be that bad for u

[moochbabe]

i'd like to put in my two cents, i think that they aren't bad for u at all, and ur right, they give ya a boost of health and nutrients...anyways...

I had: celery, onion, CORN AND PEAS, grapes, apple, carrots, spinach, kiwi, orange...and i haven't had dinner yet, but that's already...11!

[Gorilla]

again sorry if this is a stupid question, but do fruit/herb teas count for the purpose of this thread? i don't know how much you'd need to drink for it to count as a serving. i often drink a couple of cups of nettle or fennel tea a day and maybe a red berry or apple and cinnamon tea (the tea bags don't contain anything except the dried fruit/herb).

[speedylemons]

I'm not sure if this thread is still used but i am inspired to try getting more raw foods in my vegan diet now! today = alright..

3-2/3 servings juice [peach mango orange]
2 apples
40 cherry tomatoes [ hehe i love them... i'm going to guess maybe 4 servings if about ten tomatoes are a half a cup??]

i had a fruit leather [stretch island brand] but i dont think that counts..

hey cool the first time i try this and i get 9-2/3 servings not bad!!!

[ConsciousCuisine]

do fruit/herb teas count for the purpose of this thread?

No, but I encourage you to continue drinking them!

[moochbabe]

banana, apple, persimmon, blueberries, rasberries, mushrooms, napa cabbage, spinach, spring mix, tomato, (olives?), red bell pepper, it was an ok day for fruits and veggies I guess...12 vegetables in soup at lunch, my total prolly comes closer to 14...

[abrennan]

I am continually inspired by what people eat and post in here


and I am not silly



wooooopeeeee

[eve]

today I had banana, prunes, pineapple, avocado, cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot, coriander, tomato paste, olives, and a serve of mango juice.
BTW, how do you rate sweet potato as against ordinary spuds?

[speedylemons]

today i aimed for a bit higher to see if i could do it-

smoothie of bluberries and 2 bananas [3]
1 apple [1]
half an acorn squash [yummm] and 20 cherry tomatoes [3]
1 apple [1]
half an acorn squash and 6 brussle sprouts! [2]

errg. still just made ten, and that's if i haven't underestimated my servings.

MUST
TRY
HARDER

tomorrow i'll try for more

[Tigerlily]

Avocado (.5)
Tomato (2)
Mixed baby greens (2)
Red pepper (.5)
Mushrooms (2)
1 cup of non-mayo potato salad including the onions and kale (1)
Kiwi (1)
Onions and crushed tomatoes in my bulgur dish (0.5)

So far today: 9.5

It's only a quarter to 6 and I'll be eating more tonight. I'll probably get in a serving of carrots and/or snow peas and a banana. I'll post later with updates.

[Tigerlily]

Avocado (.5)
Tomato (2)
Mixed baby greens (2)
Red pepper (.5)
Mushrooms (2)
1 cup of non-mayo potato salad including the onions and kale (1)
Kiwi (1)
Onions and crushed tomatoes in my bulgur dish (0.5)

So far today: 9.5

It's only a quarter to 6 and I'll be eating more tonight. I'll probably get in a serving of carrots and/or snow peas and a banana. I'll post later with updates.

Add:

Tomato (1)
Carrots (2)
Apple (1)
Onions, kale, (.5)

14 servings now!

[moochbabe]

grapes, cranberries, orange, pear, chopped fruit..only 7.5 do far, but i haven't eaten dinner yet...

[Artichoke47]

Banana (1)
Mango (1)
Broccoli (2)
Bok choy (2)
Carrots (1)
Green beans (2)
Kiwi - 4 (2)

TOTAL = 11

[Tigerlily]

I didn't reach 10 today.

*sighs*

[xwitchymagicx]

I reached 2 lol

[moochbabe]

banana, melon, orange, pineapple, apple, grapes, corn, squash, dried fruit, napa cabbage, onion, tomato, broccoli, carrots...13.5! actually, i dunno y i'm happy, lol, i always get that much or more...but i'm still proud!

[speedylemons]

pear 1
strawberries 1.5
Cantalope 1.5
"baby" banana [these are cool looking] .5
sugarsnap peas 2
alfalfa sprouts 1
tomato 4
onion .5
red pepper 1
brussle sprouts .25

total so far today = 13.25


Not bad!!!! whoo i'm sure i'll eat more today still.. it's only 2 pm. i'll update the number later

[speedylemons]

pear 1
strawberries 1.5
Cantalope 1.5
"baby" banana [these are cool looking] .5
sugarsnap peas 2
alfalfa sprouts 1
tomato 4
onion .5
red pepper 1
brussle sprouts .25

total so far today = 13.25


Not bad!!!! whoo i'm sure i'll eat more today still.. it's only 2 pm. i'll update the number later

Full size banana 1
Yam 1
Eggplant 1
Zucchini .25

Snack reserved for later is probably going to be some frozen blueberries [1]. If only fresh ones weren't so expensive!

Total for the day = 17.5

[thecounterspark]

ooh I did well today.

zucchini and summer squash w/ tomato sauce
raisins
banana
apple
cantelope
honeydew
watermelon
peas, carrots and corn
green string beans
medjool dates

[speedylemons]

I'm not sure if this thread is really used anymore, but i enjoy posting just to see how well i'm doing..

apple 1
banana 2
orange 2
bosc pear 1
sugarsnap peas 1
yam .25
spring lettuce mix 2
assorted sprouts [alfalfa, broccoli, onion & wheat] 1
radish .25
cucumber 1
avocado .25

dried cantalope .25
dried bananas 1

Total for today = 13

I'm definitely improving!

[moochbabe]

lessee...i don't think i did as well as i usually do...

applesauce, napa cabage, mushrooms, onion, cherries, more onions...heehee...celery, and okra, and some salsa...that amounts to...like 9-10! i think i may know what my last snack is gonna consist of today!!

[moochbabe]

i can add on a decent handfull of dates...so now it's more like 11-12...wew, good thing i have the forum to keep me honest!

[ConsciousCuisine]

5 bowls vegetable soup, containing 20 servings

bok choy, red cabbage, leeks, carrots, tomatoes, celery, garlic, marjoram, basil, sage, thyme, cayenne, kidney beans and Incredible Vegetable juice (Tomato juice from concentrate (water, tomato concentrate), carrot puree (carrots, lemon juice concentrate), reconstituted vegetable juice blend (water and concentrated juice of celery, beet, parsley, lettuce, ginger, watercress, spinach, cabbage), spices, salt, garlic puree)

4 servings steamed broccoli

1 serving mango

1 serving blueberries

Total: 26

[Tigerlily]

CC, your skin must glow all the time.

[tipsy]

ive been real bad about getting good foods lately...

if tortilla chips and lots of chunky salsa count as veggies i must have gotten more than a few servings

[moochbabe]

i had dried fruit mix, dried carrots, raisins and coconut, broccoli, red bellpeppers, corn, napa cabbage (a lot like bok choy), apple sauce, more mixed fruit, a big salad, and some raisins in my toast, lol...that amounts to somewhere around 13, CC makes me look like a booger, but it's still pretty good considering only like 3% of teens in US get enough fruits and veggies and that has to do with only 5 servings

[ConsciousCuisine]

CC, your skin must glow all the time.

It's doing great but I eat like this for my arteries, bones and so on as well


Today was another veggie-rich day!

25 servings of veggies and fruits

[moochbabe]

i had...applesauce, dry fruit mix, a pear, keylime (in yogurt), greenbeans, broccoli, mushrooms, lots of basil, sweetpotato, and salsa...that comes out to about...15...YAY!

[speedylemons]

banana 1
raisins 1
cantalope 4
grapes 2
strawberries 2
carrot .25
cucumber .25
pomegranate 1


erg. i didn't do so well today. i ate other things.. just not so much fruits and veggies. This thread has helped me realize that i eat wayy more fruits than vegetables so i'm gonna try and change that.

total for the day: 11.5

i may have a sandwhich before i go to sleep im really hungry so that'll probably bring me up to about 13.5ish. hmm.

[jillian]

mango - 2 servings
banana - 1 serving
carrots, garlic, onion, okra, collards, brussel sprouts, kale (a veggie bean soup inspired by CC) - 3.5 servings
cherries, wild blueberries, cranberries (in smoothie) - 1.5 servings
potatoes, red pepper, avocado, radish, romaine, salsa verde (take-out tacos) - 2 servings
spinach, mandarin oranges, red onion - 3 servings

does a glass of wine count?

Now I have to ask CC, how do you do it? I can understand that the giant must have an equally large stomach, but where do you put all the vegetables? Also, how does 20-25 servings of veggies per day impact your budget? I currently supplement with more grain/beans than I'd like because the bulk stuff is inexpensive (don't be fooled by the take-out tacos . . . I'm mooching those off of a friend). Any tips? Except for the bananas, the fruit is all Whole Foods brand frozen (cheaper than fresh and cheaper than anywhere else in the city). As is the leftover okra.

[ConsciousCuisine]

Now I have to ask CC, how do you do it? I can understand that the giant must have an equally large stomach, but where do you put all the vegetables? Also, how does 20-25 servings of veggies per day impact your budget? I currently supplement with more grain/beans than I'd like because the bulk stuff is inexpensive (don't be fooled by the take-out tacos . . . I'm mooching those off of a friend). Any tips? Except for the bananas, the fruit is all Whole Foods brand frozen (cheaper than fresh and cheaper than anywhere else in the city). As is the leftover okra.

I mostly eat vegetables Lots of soups and salads. Soup is one of the best ways to get my servings up- 3 cups of soup can be 6 servings of vegetables and most people can eat 3 cups of soup at a time, especially when it's vegetable-based. Also, I *never* drink fluids with meals (water/juice/tea etc) so there is room for food and digestion is aided. Also, I wake up before 4 am and go to bed late, so I eat earlier in the day than most and often have soup or stir-fried veggies for breakfast.

I buy fruit and vegetables from the local farmers direct and through a Co-Op that is fresh from the farm. Vegetables pack more of a nutritional punch and are more affordable when compared to fruits, so they are the base of my diet (on good days ).

I know CostCo has some organic frozen fruits that are affordable. I basically buy what is on sale at the Co-Op and Whole Foods from amongst the fruits and veggies, with a few exceptions (I *always* buy kale, onions and garlic).

[jillian]

Thanks for the tips. For breakfast, I tend towards fruit smoothies in the summer and oatmeal in the winter, but since I don't mind savory stuff for breakfast perhaps I should re-think a stirfry. I like veggies wrapped in chickpea crepes (thinned out secco batter) . . . that might be good. Heck, even just stirfry veggies and bok choy-laced miso soup would probably do the trick. And I'm glad I made the soup. Even though I made a rather large vat yesterday, it was rather inexpensive.

[Tigerlily]

This is going to sound weird, but I can't stomach the thought of eating fruits or veggies in the morning. Maybe only in a milky smoothie or some fruit stirred into cereal....but fruit salad or stir fry first time in the AM...ehhh

[moochbabe]

so far i had a banana, dried fruit, a pear, some carrots and celery (in my soup), strawberries, and i'm going to have a big thing of spinach and broccoli...brining me out to...12.5...and i may have some fruit for a snack later...

[xwitchymagicx]

I really need to start eating more fruit and veggies you lot put me to shame.