Fruit vs Veggies

Hello,  I am almost 6 months post surgery and have been doing quite well. Yippee for me!!   I focus on getting in my protein first, then veg and then starch.  

 I am not a big fan of most cooked vegies so it is a chore to get them down at dinner.   Is it a big nutritional issue if I have fruit (berries, kiwi, cantaloupe)  instead of cooked veggies?     I do enjoy salads and have them often at lunch but not at dinner.   My thought has been that since I take vitamins that I should be ok nutritionally.

Just wondering if anyone else out there has challenges with getting vegies in and if there are any tricks or hints that I could use. 

Thanks

You have to watch out for fruit because they can be high in sugars and carbs.  I'll have berries once in a while -- raspberries and blackberries are particularly good for their fibre (and tend to be lower on the sugar/carb scale).

I myself am not a huge fan of cooked veggies, but love raw veggies.  I keep a bag of baby carrots in my fridge at all times, and for a side of veggies, grab a handful of those.  Equally, I eat lots of celery, red pepper and cucumber slices.  A little dollop of salad dressing makes for a great dip.  So not a traditional salad, but voila, your side of veggies.  I do like spaghetti squash (cooked of course), and will put spaghetti (meat) sauce on that, or anything saucy (instead of pasta or mashed potatoes).

Now, if I don't have my veggies (raw or otherwise), I really miss it!

Good luck!

DD 

Salads and raw veggies are great and provide more nutrients than cooked veg I think.  If you don't want a side of cooked veg, but still want some of the nutrients, you can always cook the veg in a soup and add your favourite spices.  You can puree it or have the soup chunky.  You can make a veggie chili.  I think veg and fruit both have different vital nutrients, but fruit as others have said can be high in sugar and should be enjoyed in moderation.  My sugar will spike if I eat pineapple so I can only eat a very small amount.

Try a bunch of different veggies and see what you do like cooked.  One universal veggie is cauliflower.  Once it's cooked, you can do a lot with it.  Mashed, riced, or make it into breads (breadsticks, pizza crusts, etc).  Using it in different ways will change the texture and flavour of it.  Also try different ways to cook your veggies.  If you usually boil/steam your veggies, try broil/roast or cook them on the bbq.  Changes the flavours and textures as well.  Also try with different seasonings.

Also, eat veggies that are in season, it's soon asparagus season (and probably others) so it will taste better than in other seasons especially if you get local grown.  I prefer asparagus raw to tell you the truth.

Cathy

I do love fruit, but it ain't no substitute for veggies. Veggies offer fewer calories, more fibre, less sugar (often significantly) and more nutrients (vits, minerals and phytonutrients), ounce for ounce over fruit. If you don't like 'em cooked, then eat them raw. At 6 months out, raw veggies should be fine. I eat a small salad with almost every meal.

Start experimenting! I used to hate veggies when I was a kid - because we only ever ate them out of a can, heated up in a pot or in the microwave. GROSS! I just thought I hated veggies because I only ate nasty veggies.

Veggies are delicious when roasted and grilled. Try different flavour combinations. I love asparagus roasted with a bit of balsamic/olive oil and some feta. Also great with lemon. Just about anything is good when steamed and topped off with some low-fat cheese.

Cauliflower can be made into almost any potato-like dish. There a million recipes out there, start trying some! There is not a single vegetable I don't like, but I don't like all ways that all veggies are prepared. Keep experimenting and you will find dishes you enjoy that go great with your protein. 

You can try buying that cheese sauce, you make yourself. It comes in a packet like gravy mix, but just make it with skim milk. That will give you a low fat cheese sauce option. Try roasting veggies, in the oven, with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and dehydrated onions. Or veggie juice? Also, I think her name is Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry's wife) has a cook book out where she cooks with pureed vegtables and puts them in every day foods to hide them from her picky family. Maybe something like that couls give you some ideas. Good luck.