I loved the topic in the New York Times WellBlog... "Lying About Your Vegetables". Another study has been published to show that people inflate the amount of veggies they consume each day. The blogger asks readers to "fess up" if they lie about their daily veggie intake.

The post inspired me to tell you about an easy way to plan to get your greens.

1. Visualize a plate for each meal.


2. Draw a line down the middle.


3. Make half the plate vegetables.

Done and done. It is really that easy. This method helps make sure you get 4-6 servings of vegetables a day. You may want to make all or part of the breakfast count toward your fruit intake, which will get you two servings.

Here's some ideas for how this might pan out in a typical day. This is not one size fits all. People with higher calorie needs will eat larger portions and of course our whole grain breads will be in there too.

Breakfast

• 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with a cup of berries (pick a berry any berry - strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are my faves, get frozen if you can't find fresh just look for no added sugars)


• whole grain cereal topped with 1 sliced banana

Lunch

• salad made with 2 cups lettuce, additional non-starchy veggies to your liking, bean, lean meat or fish, or tofu (palm sized), 1-2 tablespoons salad dressing. I make my own with greek yogurt, splash of olive oil, garlic salt and dried herbs.


• veggie soup (homemade is better - the cheat way is to buy canned veggie soup and add a bag of frozen mixed veggies, water, and low salt broth) with a homemade sandwich like whole grain bread with lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and hummus or tuna

Dinner

• pasta primavera: whole wheat pasta (1 cup) with a cup of mixed veggies, and 1/2 cup tomato sauce


• Asian veggie (1 cup) stir fry with tofu (1 cup)

A Word About Fruit Sugar

Now if you want to go above and beyond the minimum requirements take note: Non-starchy veggies are unlimited, but watch those fruits. I hate saying it because fruits are so healthy for you... (fiber, vitamins, minerals... yum!) But a little is good and more is not necessarily better. Why? The sugar in fruit contributes significantly to calories. You need to limit fruits to stay within calorie, sugar and total carbohydrate guidelines. Two to four is the general guide. I say it is more like two to three and lower calorie intake people should shoot for two to keep total sugars and carbs in check.

More Tips:

• Bump up your veggie intake by ditching the vending machine raid or 100-calorie-pack snack for some lovely veggies and hummus (carrots, peppers, cucumber sticks, celery - mmmMMMmmm). You'll have no problem noshing down a cup of these crunchy babies and you will get another notch on your veggie belt for the day.





• Satisfy your after dinner sweet tooth with a fresh fruit smoothie. Blend 1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt with 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit. Add milk and ice to get the right consistency. Usually a splash of milk and a few ice cubes do the trick. I like a banana berry smoothie with 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries). Who needs cheesecake when you can have a glass of heaven?!





• See how you measure up by trying the plate trick and see where you stand. Are you getting enough vegetables, too much fruit, or vice-versa? If you are a juice drinker you might be in for a shock. About a cup of juice counts as a serving but most containers are 2 cups or more. Only one serving of juice a day is recommended. You are better off making your 16 oz container last two days.

Want more help estimating portions? Use your hand (this website shows various foods and the correct portion size based on the size of your hands). Ultimate convenience.

I'm interested in hearing other ideas for getting in more vegetables through the day. If you test your intake, return to post the results and share what you learned with me and other readers.

NOTE: For some great reader tips - see this post: How to Make a Man Eat More Veggies.