Am I getting enough variety of fruits and veggies? page 2

[BeatlesFan]

I'm worried about carbs. I hate carbs. I am VLC. Well there goes my carrot idea : ( Any other suggestions for a snackable raw veggie?

[palebluedots]

Cronometer.com is free, just log your food there and it will tell you how many vitamins/minerals/macronutrients/micronutrients you are getting in great great detail.

[Primal123]

what about bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbage etc.. I try to eat a variety of colors daily as I think the reds, orange, and yellow veggies (and fruits) have important phytonutrients. Personally, I would definitely add as many varieties as possible but that's me. I feel it is easier for me to go for variety rather than actually track it.

[PHaselow]

I've long put a lot of effort into getting good quality protein and the like, but have only fairly recently tried getting enough veg.

As a student (albeit an unlucky one who ended going to uni from home...long story, and I now hate the unis that rejected me) living from home, I'm able to save a lot of money that others are paying for accommodation, so I can buy better food, and so am practically feeding myself eveything - the only thing from the "household cupboards" I'll eat are evening meals and, uh, any fruit lying around....although I'll stupidly indulge in bread bought for the brother if I'm stupid/hungry enough.

Anyways, at the moment my diet has me eating 2 bananas, 2 servings of broccoli (160g cooked weight) and 3 servings of carrots (240g) each day. Along with these I'm taking a bunch of pills, just because they're cheap and seem to cover all my bases (multi-vitamin, zinc and mangesium, D3 and fish oil)

Am I getting enough goodness just from these 3 types / 7 servings? I know that you need to have plenty of plant foods in your diet for it to be healthy, and I'm eating a fair amount of the stuff, I'm just not sure if my "triple combo" of fruit, greens and root vegetables are good enough!

Any input would be much appreciated.

I would broaden your fruit and vegetable horizons. Take away a banana and add some seasonal berries (organic if you possibly can; too many pesticides in berries). Substitute a little bit of the wonderful winter squash out there for the carrots. Use onions in your cooking. Salad greens?

Consider your $$$ savings by living at home a blessing for you to enjoy quality cuts of protein. Get good grades and transfer to a distant university in a year or two if you wish. Yes, this is coming from a mom.

I would not consider pills a substitute for nutrition from your food. I like the zinc, D3 and fish oil, though.

[Misti]

Am I getting enough goodness just from these 3 types / 7 servings? I know that you need to have plenty of plant foods in your diet for it to be healthy, and I'm eating a fair amount of the stuff, I'm just not sure if my "triple combo" of fruit, greens and root vegetables are good enough!

I would recommend that you think in terms of adding more colour to your selection. Different vegetables have different nutrients and nutrient balances. So far you have starchy white, green, and orange, but it's a good idea to have "five colours at a meal" for optimal nutrition. It's a good idea to eat leafy greens (kale, spinach, etc) and criciferous (cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower) regularly, too.

[jpatti]

what about bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbage etc.. I try to eat a variety of colors daily as I think the reds, orange, and yellow veggies (and fruits) have important phytonutrients. Personally, I would definitely add as many varieties as possible but that's me. I feel it is easier for me to go for variety rather than actually track it.

I completly agree with this.

Lots of colors and lots of alliums (mostly cause I just love alliums).

[noodletoy]

are vegetables and fruits essential? not if you're also eating stuff like oysters, fatty wild fish and all sorts of offal on a regular basis. this isn't just about eating grass-fed muscle meat.

are bananas, carrots and broccoli filling in your vitamin and mineral profile? no way. add colors and variety, not just because it's good for you, but to prevent boredom.

agree about about getting what you need from food, not pills.

[Rocco Hill]

I also don't think veggies are essential. Infact I don't think they're even necessary.