Author of Be Ready for Anything and Build a Better Pantry on a Budget online course
I hope it’s going well with the new habits and that you’re seeing that success is within your reach.
As a reminder…
- We’re going to drink a glass of water before every other beverage we drink.
- We’re going to increase our movement, focusing on time only.
Today’s challenge
Today’s challenge is nutritional.
Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting the d-word. Lots of folks participating in this challenge may not even need to lose weight. We all have different goals and reasons we’re undertaking the challenge.
What we’re going to do today is not taking anything away. Eat what you want.
I want you to add something.
Just like drinking a glass of water before you drink other beverages, I want you to eat a serving of fruit or vegetables before you eat anything else.
- So at breakfast, have a banana before you eat your toast and eggs.
- At lunch, have some veggies and dip before you eat that sandwich.
- At dinner, grab an apple or an orange while you’re preparing food or setting the table.
- Alternatively, have a salad as an appetizer.
The above recommendations are just suggestions. Go with the fruits or vegetables of your choice. It doesn’t matter which you have for the purposes of this challenge.
The goal here is to add extra servings of produce to your diet. It nourishes you, it fills you with healthy fiber and vitamins, and it can serve as a way to reduce caloric intake if that is your goal. Many people who eat a plant-heavy diet also find that their immune systems are boosted immensely.
I suggest fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, as they’ll have more nutrients than canned or dehydrated.
Why before your meal?
It is too easy for us to push aside the stuff we “should” eat for the things we “want” to eat. If you grab your extra fruits or vegetables first, then you’re sure to get these servings. Then, as I said, enjoy whatever you wish to eat – meat, bread, pasta – whatever you normally have.
This should not take the place of vegetables or fruits you’d normally have in the meal. These are to be additional servings to boost your nutritional intake.
How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you normally consume?
Do you eat lots of produce? What are your favorites? How will you incorporate the extra servings into your day?
Very good idea! Will implement this right away.
and if you do use home- or commercially-canned fruits and veggies, f ind a way to use the liquid from that container. some of the vitamins and minerals from that fruit end up in the canning liquid. veggie broths pour into a container in my freezer that holds bits of veggie trim, chicken bones, the end of the chicken gravy, etc. when i have enough, i make chicken bone broth. the fruit juice might be something i can drink, perhaps mixing with orange juice. or it can be mixed with yogurt and frozen as a popsicle. it can even be diluted and used to water acid loving plants.
Daisy, so sorry to hear of family emergency. Please take care of yourself.
Excellent suggestion! I love nearly all fruit – veggies for me are more hit or miss. I try to eat a banana each day, and this time of the year, a citrus fruit as well. One of the goals my husband and I have already set for the year is to eat more veggies with our dinners and less pasta/rice/carbs.
I have a rather weird but necessary way of preparing meals for my DH (which ends up including me, of course)… I don’t even put the meat on our plates until he’s eaten his salad and/or vegetables. He’d snarf down the meat, then insist I was giving him too many vegetables! Of course I’ve put it that it helps me–so hard to get everything ready at the same time, you see–and that has WORKED.
I also sneak extra veggies into things like meatloaf. He has no idea.
Oh I love this idea! I needed something to stop me from eating junk and this rule would be ideal. I’ve tried the “eat 5 a day” but it’s so easy to grab something quick and usually bad for me. This rule will probably fill me up so I won’t be tempted to indulge in the junk. (At least it will reduce the quantity of the junk food.) I’m spreading this idea. Thanks!