Losing Weight With Real Food – Part One, Fruits and Veggies

Awhile ago I did an introduction to losing weight using real food and I listed several suggestions. I have so much I want to say about each of these that I have decided I’m going to go into each of those suggestions in more detail, giving each a post of their very own.

First up, Eat More Fruits and Veggies.  

I know, you just groaned inside a little, didn’t you? It’s just the same old stuff you’ve heard forever, blah, blah. But wait, I’m hoping today to give you a new view on the whole fruits and veggies thing, so stick with me for a bit.

Let’s look at the way most people approach weight loss really quickly. Everyone knows that to lose weight, you have to go on a “diet.” Going on a diet means that you have to eat less food, and you can’t have your favorite things. Deprivation and depression, ugh. Is your stomach turning into little knots? Mine is just typing that out. It’s just miserable to live like that, but above all, it’s not sustainable. That’s why people usually gain all the weight back as soon as they stop depriving themselves of food.

Instead of focusing on cutting food, shift the focus to adding food.

What if I told you that the best way to lose weight is to concentrate on adding more food? That’s right, ADD MORE FOOD! Mind blown, right? That goes against everything we have ever been taught about losing weight, and yet it is so true, as long as you are concentrating on adding the right foods. If you shift your focus and your mindset from dieting and deprivation to adding food, suddenly eating right becomes fun and satisfying, you don’t have to feel deprived at all! And of course, those right foods include lots and lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

So here is the challenge. For the next week I want you to double the amount of produce you typically buy. Buy organic and/or local if you can (read this post if you just decided you can’t do this because you can’t afford it) and don’t let even one thing go to waste! Here are some tricks I have used to dramatically increase the amount of fruits and veggies we eat:

• When you bring home your veggies, get the prep work out of the way. Chop the lettuce up so it’s all ready to go and chop carrots and celery into sticks ready for snacking. You are more likely to eat it if the prep work is done.
• Make sure it is visible. For things that don’t need to be refrigerated  I have a large produce platter that sits very prominently on the kitchen counter. My kids ask to snack on fruit all the time because it’s right there in front of them. For things that do need to go in the fridge, place in clear containers and in full sight.
• You can add veggies in so many places! Slip some zucchini into brownies or carrots into marinara.
• Chop up some veggies as serve them to your kids as an appetizer as you cook the rest of dinner.
• Have a yummy salad on the table for every meal. I always have a salad made and in the fridge and we pull it out for almost every meal, even when serving other veggies. My kids (and hubby, lets be honest) don’t always eat it, but they are very used to seeing greens on the table. Again, if it’s in sight you are more likely to eat it!
• Smoothies! I love smoothies (my favorite recipes are here and here) and I have one nearly every single day. There is nothing better than starting your day with a big, delicious punch in the face of nutrition!
• Experimentation is fun! Try a new veggie and find some yummy recipes for it, or cook one of your old favorites in a new way. You never know what you are going to like!

I know you guys are smarter than me and have even more great ideas about increasing produce in your diet, so what are your secrets for getting those fruits and veggies in?

Click here for part two in the series.

This post has been added to the Unprocessed Fridays link party on Girl Meets Nourishment. Check out the post here for other fun links!