Can I join? Can I? Can I?
I try, and have been trying for years, to eat mainly plant based food, with reasonable but not perfect results. My big take-aways so far are -
If I eat a veg or fruit at breakfast time it gives me a head start on the rest of the day and I'm far more likely to meet the quota with less mental effort.
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In summer I eat a lot of salad. I need to start growing what I eat most - spinach for greens, spring onions, tomatoes. Lemons (I usually use a lemon juice and black pepper dressing) in the UK will be a bit of a stretch.
In winter I usually put a large tray of root vegetables (in season, cheap) in the oven and roast them with a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. I then have a few days of a tasty side or ingredient (soups, sauces) ready to go.
This thread has told me one thing already: I tend to default too much to some favourite veggies and need to expand my repetoire. Each time I go shopping from now on there is going to have to be a "new to me this month" vegetable.
Agreed--roasting piles of root vegetables is a great way to have them ready. I just use olive oil and some combo of rosemary, garlic,coriander (good herbs & spices are another easy way to add valuable nutrients)
Some days (like today), when I have slept in and am having a bigger pre-planned lunch--I will just eat a bunch of fruit, like 2 cut up oranges which I had in the fridge
We have drastically increased our veggie intake in the two years and feel great because of it. We try to make sure there is something green with each evening meal (even just a side of steamed bok choy, broccoli or spinach)
Travelling to Asia 2 years ago made a big switch in eating habits..the food was so flavorful and fresh. Mint was piled on top of salads, piles of herbs served with soups, etc. The places we visited used meat as flavoring..not the main course. A paradigm shift for N.Americans. We have been switching to more plant-based diet but still my SO enjoys certain dishes with meat/cheese..so he is charge of making those ones, and we only do 1-2/wk :)
Adjusting your taste buds to accomodate a broader range of flavours is also a skill worth developing! At first, bitter greens might seem harsh..but little by little your body begins craving them(believe me..for years I ate spaghetti with ketchup & parmesan)