1. Aim for at least five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit per day.
2. Buy fresh vegetables whenever you can. Only use the canned or frozen stuff when what you want isn’t available fresh.
3. When choosing a fruit or vegetable for a snack, make sure you pair it up with a protein to make the snack last. Far too often, people will snack on an apple or carrots several hours before they plan to eat a meal and then find they are hungry an hour or two later. Eating a protein with your carb will give the snack the staying power you need to get you to your next meal without hunger. On the opposite article I have listed some low fat snacks that add up to 200 calories or less.
For carbohydrate counters: Getting your fill of vegetables and fruits is going to be tough in the early phase of your Counting Carbs Diet, when both serving size and variety are extremely limited. It’s easy to eat just a simple salad with your favorite dressing every day. But if you do that, you’ll be so bored that it will be hard for you to eat even the limited amount you’re allowed. Try different salad dressings to liven up your salad. Most are low in carbohydrates. Also, don’t just steam the other veggies. Try sautéing vegetables with a tiny bit of olive oil. Add garlic, chilli peppers and stock or white wine. Casseroles that use eggs and cheese with veggies make a nice change as well.
For calorie counters: Look for new and interesting fruits and vegetables to add to your repertoire. One of the biggest problems with the way many of us eat veggies is boredom. Be adventurous try new foods and new recipes often.
For fat counters: Rather than slathering your veggies with butter, try other sauces and flavors to spice up the same old steamed veggies: lemon juice is an old favorite; curry powder (especially homemade) can really add punch; a vinaigrette can also work well; reduced fat pestos will liven up an otherwise plain dish.
