Getting your 5 a day

[g33kgirl86]

I am interested in how you all get your 5 a day. I am still tweaking my eating plan but would appreciate any advice

thank you

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello 😊

I try to make half my plate fruit or veg 😊

Breakfast is porridge with sultanas and mashed banana (I know it sounds yukky but it tastes good and doesn't need sugar)

Lunch would either start with veggie soup or have salad on the side, followed by piece of fruit.

Evening meal I tend to avoid carbs later in the day so is chicken or fish with two or three veggies. 😊

One tip I was given is plan your protein first, then veggies, then carbs 😊

Good luck 😊

[g33kgirl86 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

That's a good tip thanks

[KylaC]

I also have porridge and fruit to start the day or natural fat free yogurt with some oats then fruit (often berries or frozen cherries, grapes and pineapple) top with cinnamon. Good made the night before and grabbed from the fridge in the morning or even eaten straight away. I snack on crudities (eg sugar snap peas, cauli, carrots). lunch is often homemade veggie soup with some fruit (I batch cook at the weekends and make about 9 portions and split between fridge and freezer. supper is usually a chilli (with added veg) or wholewheat pasta bake (again with hidden veggies). I often eat 7-10 portions of f&V but I am veggie. Good luck and I recommend instagram as there are lots of us with RA on there and posting food ideas.

[g33kgirl86 in reply to KylaC]

See im not much of a meat eater, i do like my veg. Before i ate a lot of fried food and fattening pizzas and pastas sauces. Your post helps. I've seen a post somewhere that states its good to have some hard boiled eggs in the fridge to snack on. I've seen these are a good source of protein. Would you recommend that i do that?

[KylaC in reply to g33kgirl86]

Boiled eggs are good as are plain nuts (I often have 3 walnut halves in the evening). wholewheat couscous is also good for lunches with roasted veg (I roast an oven ful at weekends) and a chopped boiled egg. Also mixed beans (tinned) are good as all these are high in protein which helps keep you fullerfor longer.

[g33kgirl86 in reply to KylaC]

Im currently doing my homework on theses foods on the internet. I've always heard the benefits of nuts but never really bothered with it but there are great tips on walnuts and almonds for protein. I had no idea that there is wholewheat couscous. I eat couscous with mango mixed in and top it with a tomato base sauce mixed with mushrooms, garlic and onions. Its very tasty

[HealthSeeker7]

My husband and I drink a large homemade smoothie almost every day, usually for breakfast. It consists of lots of fresh greens (like kale, spinach, parsley, beetroot greens), fruit (like berries, apples, banana, mango, pineapple, but rarely acidic citrus), a handful of nuts [like Brazil (for selenium), walnut and almond] topped up with pure water or apple juice and whizzed in a blender. Despite the greens, it tastes mainly of yummy fruit, but all this super nutrition gives us lots of long-lasting energy.

Its easy to add medicinal plant foods into a smoothie, like fresh ginger or turmeric root, cinnamon, seeds (like flax or chia) or flax or hemp seed oil (for omegas 3s), super greens powders (wheatgrass, spirulina, chlorella) or a little apple cider vinegar depending on what benefits you're looking for.

When you start your day with so much more than 5 a day, you don't feel so bad if you slip up later on.

[alicegordon8]

Try to eat more vegetables than fruit. a great way to get more veg in is to have a green smoothie - an easy one to start with is water, ice, spinach, banana and lemon. Refreshing and delicious and you'll get 2 of your 5 a day! Also things like soups and curries are a great way to get in more vegetables, and adding fruit to your porridge or having vegetables in your omelette for breakfast. I'm actually signed up to a recipe box service that focuses on healthy eating and nutritious vegetables which is a really easy way to get more vegetables into your diet without having to think about it or plan. Check out mindfulchef.com - so easy and you get 25% off your first box if you use the code FIELD