We all know we are supposed to eat fruits and veggies…and more of them, but the actually doing it part we struggle with. Today’s post gives you some ideas on ways to get your 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies. Remember one serving is equal to 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked. Fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins and minerals and aid in disease prevention. Including more fruits and veggies in your diet doesn’t have to be a challenging task! Here are some suggestions to help you boost your intake.
1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.*
7. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
8. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
9. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
10. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
11. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
12. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
13. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
14. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.
15. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
16. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
17. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
18. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.*
19. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.
20. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce.
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: www.eatright.org. http://www.eatright.org/nnm/handoutsandtipsheets/#.UyHnjs47Bw0 -Kelsey
This past month has given me even more time to reflect back on my life, and the things I am thankful for. But, it also was also an answer to a question: “What is my Why?” What is it in life that I want to do, and try to achieve, as well as what is important to me? Why was I exercising every day? I have answered this last question many times in my blog. I was exercising every day as an attempt to help me be around longer, and spend more time with my family. But, as I found out, that is not always under my control. But, I will control what I can!
I definitely want to be spending more time with my family. We have lots of things to accomplish yet, and places to see, and things to do. Running was always a big part of this as well, as we would go to different races and fun as a family. That will still happen. I just need a little time to recuperate first.
It was a little over a year ago where we went to Disney and I did the Dopey challenge…4 days, 4 races, starting with day one a 5k, then a 10k, then a half marathon, and the 4th day the full marathon! Those days of adventure are not over yet, but may be delayed a little. I would love to have more of these times with my family, and Nick will be graduating next month, so we would not have to worry about school interfering with things. He could not go with us this last time.
With our Watertown Area Run Club, I have many more family members to be running races with. Here, last October, Paula, Jill, Amanda, Sarah and I went to Denver to do the Rock n Roll Half Marathon. Tom met us out there but could not run with us because he was dealing with an injury. But his daughter and son-in-law ran it. It was so much fun! Hopefully, there will be more adventures like this again!
Of course, Tom and I have had so many adventures over the years, both with races, and with training runs. Those days are not over yet!
Our WARC run group have become some of the closest friends we have. And, we all love to run. I will be back, hopefully in the next few weeks starting to at least get a few miles at a time!
Getting back to running with be a celebration to me! I don’t care about what finish line I cross at that time. I just want to get back out and run…that truly will be something for me to celebrate! These are some of the reasons I keep exercising. These are my reasons why I do this. Now, you just have to figure out what your why is. Keep trying. Make a list. Push yourself beyond what you thought you were ever capable of. Find out who you really are. You may just find out something new about yourself you did not know you had. What is your why?
Spring is finally here! With longer days and warmer temperatures brings the chance to get outside and enjoy some physical activity. Along with a well balanced eating plan, exercise is important both for losing weight and maintaining an overall healthy body and mind.
It is recommended that adults engage in a minimum of 150 minutes each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 90 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. With planning ahead and setting aside time, you can easily fit 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity into your routine most days of the week. Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities: walking, water aerobics, bicycling (under 5 mph), tennis (doubles), or ballroom dancing. Examples of vigorous-intensity activities: race-walking, jogging, running, swimming laps, bicycling (faster than 10 mph), tennis (singles), or aerobic dancing.
Choose activities that you will enjoy and can fit into your daily schedule. If you are starting from little to no daily physical activity, begin with five to ten minutes per day. Then increase your duration every week by 10-minute increments until you are up to 30-60 minutes most days of the week. It is important to remember good nutrition is needed for physical performance; carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water are all a part of a well balanced and healthy diet.
No excuses anymore now that the weather is getting nicer!! Get out and get moving!!
Spring and summer bring warmer temps and the desire for more frozen treats! Smoothies are a great way to cool off and get some great nutrients while you’re at it! Homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies are way to guarantee your 5-A-Day recommended fruits and veggies with natural nutrients. Consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes while delivering fiber and vitamins. With a new season upon us, we are gifted with a wider variety of options to choose from when eating the rainbow. Contrary to the common belief, consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can be inexpensive and in the long run will save you money in terms of medical bills. There are endless smoothie recipes you can use to make a quick breakfast, after a workout, or for an afternoon snack. Adding an extra boost to your smoothie such as protein powder or Greek yogurt will additionally provide other valuable nutrients.
With spring finally here, we can get out the grills again and enjoy outdoor cooking!! Grilling is a fun and convenient way to cook, especially with the weather getting nicer. Cooking on the grill can also be a very healthy cooking method. Keep the following tips in mind to have a healthy and delicious grilling season.
Go light on the sauces. Grilling and dipping sauces can be high in added sugar and/or sodium. Make your own sauce, add spices and herbs, or cut back on the amount of sauce used. Let the delicious flavor of grilling do its job
Choose lean protein sources. Fish and skinless poultry taste great on the grill and are typically lower in saturated fat than red meats. Meat and pork can also be good choices—just opt for leaner cuts and watch the portions. Choose “loin” or “round” cuts and meats that are 90-95% lean. The recommended portion size of meat is 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards.
Choose a whole-grain bun instead of white for added nutrients and fiber. If you’re watching your calorie or carbohydrate intake, go with half of the bun or use a lettuce wrap.
Cut up colorful vegetables (like bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, squash, potatoes, carrots, etc.) and grill them on kabobs or in aluminum foil. Toss the vegetable pieces in a little bit of oil to prevent them from drying out and sticking to the grill.
Fruits can be grilled too! Cut up fresh fruit and put them on kebabs. Choose firm fruits like apples, peaches, pineapple, pears, or cantaloupe. These fruits are less likely to fall apart or become too mushy on the grill. Bananas can even be grilled—just keep it in its peel to protect the banana’s soft texture.
Don’t forget to clean your grill regularly. Failing to do so can cause food to stick to the grades, uneven cooking temperatures, and shortened longevity of the grill.
Happy Easter everybody! Time to reflect on things in your life, and appreciate all of the good things that have come. We all have our struggles, and setbacks, but we have to keep looking beyond that.
easter quote; “The great gift of Easter is hope.”? Basil C. Hume
If we don’t have hope, then what do we have? Hope can keep us going with everything. You can get work through any struggle in your life as long as you have hope. It is no different when it comes to exercise as well. We can all struggle with this, but we need to keep trying, and hope that things will improve. It is never easy, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. You just have to begin…
The weather has been improving now, and hopefully the last snow for the season was last week. Even with the weather, a lot changes in a week. We had 2 feet of snow, and crazy wind, and now today it is essentially gone, and 80 degrees. We knew things had to improve, or at least we had hope that it would improve. Hope can keep us going with a lot of things.
You have to begin. Once you start, then you need to keep going. Health challenges can make a difference on this as well, which I am now experiencing first hand. I will admit, I do not like it at all! I want to be back to how it was, and enjoying life, experiencing life, and doing activities I love to do. I will eventually get there. I have hope. As long as you have hope, you can accomplish almost anything!
Since I have been having health issues lately, my dog Zeus knows something is not right either. He tends to hang around me more now in the evenings. He is worried too.
But, the one who has been at my side through all of it, trying to help me hang in there, and keep reminding me of hope that it will get better, has been Sarah…My Sarah! This is what a relationship is all about. You help each other when one is struggling. In reality, we are both struggling. This is all new to us, and we are keeping each other going. I have hope that I will be back doing what I love to do later, and be healthy…as long as Sarah is right there with me!
Some of us have health issues that come up and we don’t always get to have a renewal of life. That is what Easter is all about. Embrace it. Have hope! Just like all of us with the struggles we may have, keep trying, keep believing, and have hope!
Have a blesses Easter everybody! Have hope, keep looking forward, and keep moving everybody!
