Sunday, April 20, 2008

five a day

Ok, I am doing pretty well staying off the sugar.  So my new focus is going to be exercise and getting my fruits and veggies.
I found a site that is helpful.  A serving really isn't very big so it shouldn't be too hard.  According to this site I should be getting five servings a day.  I can do that.
Like you, my problem is cleaning and cutting and storing the veggies.  I tend to forget about them and let them spoil.  But frozen veggies count and so maybe I won't make it more difficult by trying to use fresh all the time.  
The site also describes the health benefits of different color groups of veggies and lists some, so that we can have ideas of different things to eat.  Variety is important.  During the summer I could easily eat five servings of watermelon per day, but I don't think that's the way its suppose to be done.
I'll have to remember that potato chips probably don't count.
I don't really care if I smother my veggies in butter or sauce.  My point isn't to eat less calories, but to eat more nutrients.  A little bit of fat, LITTLE BIT, like olive oil or butter actually releases the fat soluble nutrients from the veggies, anyway.  So even if you are trying to cut back on calories, you should add just a tad of fat to your veggies.

I bought a book on how to select and prepare produce.  Several grocery stores have the book available in the produce section for you to refer to while shopping.  Look for it or ask the produce manager about it.  If they don't have one, then ask the produce people about fruits and veggies you aren't familiar with so you can try new things.  Ask them to help you choose the best and know how to tell if they are ripe.  They can usually give you preparation tips, too.

Here is the FDA site on five a day.  It's not as pretty, but has a lot of information.

A site with tips for incorporating fruits and veggies.


9 comments:

Robin said...

Great post Kay! My favorite part is - it is okay to put a little butter or sauce on your veggies... I guess just getting into the habit is better than not... get those nutrients and a little fat too. I especially like the fact that some vitamins are fat soluable and you need the fat - YES!

Julie said...

I told my oldest girl that the fat that God made isn't the bad fat, just don't eat only that fat. No problem with that.lol

Melanie said...

excellent ~ email me your street address..please!

Lucinda said...

Kay...I came across your blog from Carol's and then Robin's....wanted to say - you can do it! I've done it...mostly. And the difference it makes in how I feel is fantastic. My husband has cancer and in October we started "Wes' anti-cancer diet" and it is protein vegetables some whole grains and some fruit. He's doing well - praise God! - and we both feel much better. It's worth it to get over it.
(a piece of Dove dark chocolate or two goes a long way toward meeting my sweet needs!)
Lucinda

Melanie said...

Good stuff ~ patiently waiting for a new post ~ Do you have any healthy recipes that kids would like?

Julie said...

New post. I demand a new post from you on the topic of "Portion control"...discuss amongst yourself.

Robin said...

I must second Wonder Woman's request :) New Post! New Post!

Robin said...

Just checking - hint, hint :)

Julie said...

Uhum! What else do you have to do all day, but write on the blog? Ha,ha,ha, I crack myself up! I know you are major busy, and I was just checking too.