Vegetables and Fruits

I mix a lot of spinach and bell pepper in with my quinoa and use raw bell pepper as a chips with hummus.

I enjoy the odd apple but most of my fruit is dried. Lots of blueberries and raisins added to Greek yogurt. I do buy strawberries and red grapes when ripe or at a decent price, but it's not a weekly thing.

I'm probably under the recommended servings per day but my vit/min include everything.

Great subject Diane!!!  It couldn't have come at a better time.  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  It's nice to read everyones take on it.

I mix bits of veggies in my foods.  For instance,  My chicken salad is loaded with chopped onions, granny smith apple, walnuts and celery.  I eat Fage yogurt with cut up fresh strawberries in it.  I cook ground chicken patties with sliced peppers and onions.  I use a lot of fresh garlic.  I don't eat much of them as a stand alone food, but I incorperate them into my food for taste.

I eat blueberries and strawberries. When blueberries are not in season, I buy them frozen and mix them in my plain Greek yogurt.

I eat raw veggies in salads. When I go out to eat, if they have veggies that are actually edible, I will eat a few bites.

I love fruit and always have - I am OK with veggies and always knew I needed to eat more and it's the same now as pre-op.  in the first year or so I didn't really have room but now I try to eat more. I feel with produce the more you eat, the better for you.

it's an ongoing project! right now I have some organic cabbage in my fridge I keep meaning to make slaw out of and keep forgetting - other food is more convenient. that needs to change!

Oh yeah.. We are full on Italian when it comes to foods.. So one way I get lots of veggies in is to puree them into my gravy. Squash, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, onions, garlic, plum tomatoes.. Any veggie on hand goes into the pool, lol. Same goes with stews and chilli... Even if you don't out it on pasta (or potatoes or rice) like I do, the gravy is great on meatballs or sausage...

I gotta admit that some days I look at my serving of chicken and asparagus and all i really want to eat is the asparagus and forget the chicken but i eat it because i am supposed to and still follow doctors orders pretty stringently (except last night drank wine and thats another story). so i do miss the veggies and fruits and worry i don't eat enough even though i take the vitamins and such.

the suggestion about drinking the veggies in a puree is a good one. my health nut brother does this with protein powder and stuff added in and it serves him well. might have to start that even though what he makes is sort of yucky plus he doesn't have caloric worries like me.  diane

I've never been a fruit eater except for grapes, watermelon and strawberries. Those are my favorites, so I eat them on occasion. I am also allergic to citrus so all the yummy fruits, I can't eat or I break out. I do love veggies, and during my losing stage all I ate was broccoli and green beans. I really didn't have room for anything else.

I follow the same process as Frisco. I eat veggie snacks with cheese typically. My favorite is spinach with feta cheese. I also add broccoli, spinach, corn, green beans, peas and squash to just about every meal I prepare at home. Chicken alfredo night in our home includes broccoli or spinach. I make a squash casserole and add corn, and peas and matchstick carrots.

There are some days all I want is veggies, and I eat tons of spinach cooked, raw, sauteed whatever, I eat it. I'm sure I fall way short on protein on those days, but I feel like if my body says "umm spinach" I need to eat it. Luckily, I don't follow this rule with Payday candy bars, or Funyuns, but I really do try to eat a balanced and nutrient dense diet most days. I eat veggies with every meal except breakfast. I'm definitely a savory/salty eater so fruits are typically way too sweet for my liking. Even when I ea****ermelon, I add salt/pepper or cajun seasoning. French fries don't count as veggies, right?

I ate all food groups during wl, even though small amount. I only had about 90 lb to lose though, so did not feel too much pressure to maximize the loss during the first 6 months. I was to my first goal weight set by 6 months, then just revised them as I went, and analyzed how I felt, and how much more I wanted to lose. I was raised a vegetarian, so have always eaten alot of vegetables and minimal fruit. I did not really change this very much after I recovered from the surgery, and the food consistency restrictions. I think I do eat a little more meat than I did preop, but far less fats, fewer sugars, and hardly any bread. I still am only able to eat maybe 2 normal size servings of vegetable per day in total. I am sure that is not enough, but I try hard to get my MVI most days.