20 – Taste the Rainbow – Veggies
EAT 5 FISTS OF VEGETABLES EACH DAY
OMG SJ ARE YOU HAVING A LAUGH?!?!
5 Flipping Fists of Veggies?!?!
—–>>>> Remember, I’m giving you info now – it’s impossible to cram all these habits into six short weeks HOWEVER aim for getting those 5 fists in six months time.
If ya bite off more than you can chew you’ll give up – don’t. Small steps. One at a time. Do what you can, master that, then move on!
“Why use fists?” your inquisitive mind might be thinking. Well, not everyone has scales or measuring cups with them all the time but most of us have hands with us at all times. Make that hand into a fist and you have yourself the size of one serving of vegetables. Now, get 5 of them in throughout the day.
Remember, you can always modify a habit to fit your unique situation. If the thought of five fists of veggies a day makes your eyeballs pop out of your head, start with three fists instead and work your way up to five. The goal is not to be perfect but to do just a little bit better.
When starting a new habit, we need to start with the basics. Today we will lay the groundwork for your vegetable habit.
Vegetable Basics
Ahh, vegetables, the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. You probably already know of vegetables but just in case you don’t, we will cover a number of them today with you. We are also going to break them into two categories – non-starchy and starchy vegetables – since not all vegetables are created equal.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Characteristics of non-starchy vegetables are:
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Low in calories
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Low in carbohydrates
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Low in sugar
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High in water
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High in fiber
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High in nutrients
Just for the record, these are all great things. Actually, you can think of non-starchy vegetables as being (almost) “free” in terms of the calories they will add to your diet. Especially, when you consider how much fiber, vitamins, and minerals they provide for your body. You can eat copious amounts of them every day without gaining weight. Yes, they are that magical.
In fact, if you’re ever hungry – even after having already eaten an appropriate amount of food, choosing to eat more vegetables to fill up is always going to be your best bet. Low in calories, high in fiber, high in water is a recipe for successful weight loss.
In the end, we eat food, not nutrients so let’s take a look at the different types of non-starchy vegetables.
Examples of Non-Starchy Vegetables:
- All “leafy greens” (Spinach, Kale, Romaine, etc.)
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Asparagus
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Broccoli
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Brussel Sprouts
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Celery
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Cabbage (all kinds)
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Carrots
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Cauliflower
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Cucumbers
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Mushrooms
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Onions (Yellow, Red)
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Peppers (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green)
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Sprouts
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Tomatoes
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Yellow Squash
This is by no means is an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start to get the wheels turning at the grocery store. Eat these freely, we typically don’t put a cap on how many non-starchy vegetables you can eat because the calorie content is so low.
Starchy Vegetables
Characteristics of starchy vegetables, as compared to non-starchy vegetables:
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Higher in calories
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Higher in carbs and starches
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Higher in sugar
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High in nutrients
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High in water content
With starchy vegetables, we DO want to be aware of intake because the calories can start to add up.
Examples of Starchy Vegetables:
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Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti)
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Pumpkin
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Beets
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Potatoes and sweet potatoes
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Turnips
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Rutabaga
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Peas
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Corn (not actually a vegetable but a grain, but most people count is as a vegetable so that’s why it’s listed here)
How Much Should I Eat?
You want to aim for 5 “fists” of vegetables per day. Ideally, the majority of those “fists” would come from non-starchy vegetables. Strive for 3-5 fists of non-starchy vegetables and 0-2 fists of starchy vegetables.
The great thing about using your own fist as a guideline for portion control is that you always have it with you anywhere you go!
This means you should still keep your veggies in mind at restaurants, when eating on the go, or anywhere else.
It is almost impossible to over consume most non-starchy vegetables, so fill up on these foods without worry. If anything, put your effort towards making sure you eat enough of them, as opposed to too much.
“Every question you have about your health,
chances are vegetables are the answer.”
Review
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Make note of how many and what kinds of vegetables you are eating.
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Aim to get 5 servings (fists) of vegetables per day.
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If 5 “fists” seems overwhelming, opt for 2 or 3 consistently.
5 fists of vegetables can be a stretch for some people. If 5 fists is a piece of cake, uh spinach, then start working on being consistent. Every day get 5 fists and tick it off your list. If eating 5 servings makes your head spin and makes you want to curl up on the couch with your blanket, think about downsizing the habit to 2 or 3 fists per day or simply have a vegetable with each meal.
With any new habit, we need to make sure you know WHAT you need to do as well as HOW to do it successfully. This makes sure your focus is less on the philosophy and more on the doing. Today, we are going to cover some great options for preparing and consuming vegetables.
In order to eat vegetables, we need them in the house. Just like if chocolate is in the house, it gets devoured; let’s work on making the same thing happen with vegetables.
Having vegetables that are washed, prepped and ready to use immediately is key here.
We want to remove any barrier you might encounter.
With veggies, no one likes the washing and prepping each time they need to be used and eaten.
Expert Tip:
When you buy your veggies before you throw them in the fridge to be forgotten, wash and chop or dice them up to be eaten.
The more work you can do up front, the more likely you’ll be to eat them throughout the week.
Vegetables that Taste Good Raw:
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All leafy greens/salad greens
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Romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, bok choy, etc.
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Bell peppers
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All – red, orange, yellow, green
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Carrots
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Green beans
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Tomatoes
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Red onions
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Radishes
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Snap Peas
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Sprouts
Cooking vegetables brings out their natural sugars and starches, which is the part that makes them tasty. Cooking can also take away any bitterness the veggie may contain, especially when it comes to leafy greens (like kale for example).
Vegetables Great for Cooking:
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All cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, all cabbages)
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Asparagus
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Carrots
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Eggplant
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Mushrooms
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Onions (red or yellow)
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Peas
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Peppers (green, yellow, orange, green)
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Potatoes (sweet potatoes or white potatoes)
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Yellow Squash
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Courgette
Expert Tip:
Look for these kinds pre-chopped and frozen. Then you can skip the prep and just drop them directly onto a pan.
3 Awesome Ways to Cook Vegetables:
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Roasting (baking)
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If you currently aren’t a fan of a lot of vegetables, you need to try roasting them! Take our word on this, many people who swear they don’t like veggies start to actually appreciate them once they are roasted and “caramelized” a bit. Roasting is simple- just heat an oven to 350 and line your chopped veggies on a flat pan with some oil (coconut or olive oil is great), salt, and pepper. Cooking times vary, but typically around 30 minutes is adequate. Poke them with a fork to check for doneness. The fork should go in effortlessly.
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Sautéing
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This method is really easy and also does a great job of bringing out the in vegetables. Before you write off not a vegetable, try sautéing it with a little oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Chances are you will be able to stomach it a lot more. Sautéing with veggie stock (or chicken or beef stock) and lemon juice is also an easy way to bring out their natural .
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Steaming
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This method is ideal for frozen vegetables. You’ll need a steamer for this method. Add water to the pan, place the veggies in the steamer & put the lid on. Turn the stove burner heat on high and steam until the vegetables are cooked through. When fully cooked, transfer to a plate or bowl and add some spices (think salt, pepper, or maybe oregano). Make a large amount and keep the leftovers in the fridge for the next day or meal!
This week see if you can try one of these new ways to cook vegetables.
Review:
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Eat your vegetables raw or cooked.
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Try a new way to cook vegetables.