12 Months of Fitness: Challenge #7 – Add One Serving of a Vegetable or Fruit a Day

Are you ready for your next 12 Months of Fitness (#12MoF) challenge? Check out the introduction to 12 Months of Fitness here. My testers have been tackling this challenge since mid-March and are sharing their experiences with adding one serving of a vegetable or fruit a day..

Are you ready for your next 12 Months of Fitness (#12MoF) challenge? Check out the introduction to 12 Months of Fitness here.
My testers have been tackling this challenge since mid-March and are
sharing their experiences with adding one serving of a
vegetable or fruit a day.

12 Months of Fitness: Challenge #7 – Add One Serving of a Vegetable or Fruit a Day

For the next month, your goal is to add one serving of a
vegetable or fruit a day. Just one portion! Research shows that filling up with
fruits and veggies can help you feel fuller and for a longer time. That really
helps you manage your hunger and can also decrease your caloric intake.

Suggestions for accomplishing this are:

• Replace one serving of a carb with a fruit
  or veggie. Like, use lettuce leaves instead of bread or serve grilled tomatoes
  instead of a side of rice.
• Improve the fruits and veggies you’re
  already eating. Cut out one starchy veggie (like potatoes or corn) and replace
  it with a dark leafy green or bright squash.
• Grill, grill, grill. Nearly every vegetable
  or fruit tastes better when grilled! Try grilled peaches for dessert or grill
  some asparagus for your steak dinner.
• Add a handful of tomatoes or spinach to your
  morning omelet or top with avocado.
• Switch out dessert for fruit. Try a bowlful
  full of berries instead of a piece of cake.
• Prepare small baggies of prewashed and
  pre-sliced veggies or fruits and store them in your fridge. When you need a
  snack or a small side for lunch, grab a baggie!
• Replace your usual carb side at dinner (like
  potatoes or rice) with a fresh side salad or another vegetable.

And to help you stay motivated, here's how it's working out for our #12MoF testers (you can meet them over on our Facebook page!):

"I found it's easy to eat more
veggies by adding a handful to my morning smoothies. It sounds crazy, but even
in a sweet, chocolate peanut butter smoothie, a cup of frozen peas goes
untasted … and gets that extra serving of veggies in!" {Elizabeth}

"This should have been
an easy challenge given the easy access we have to multiple farmers markets.
Our schedule made eating at home difficult so we are out a lot. This past week
I made a caprisi salad to go with my sandwich and added fresh zucchini to our
pasta. Having access to just-picked produce definitely adds a new level of
delicious." {Ariella}

"I
started eating more summertime fruits each day–blackberries, peaches, and
cherries. I made myself eat fruit with breakfast, even if I didn't want it. I
also tried raw broccoli and baby carrots with a single wedge of Laughing Cow
cheese for a mid-afternoon snack. Yum!" {Kaleena}

See? You CAN do it! Share your #12MoF struggles/triumphs with Tulle
Nation on Twitter, our Facebook page, or take photos on Instagram. Be sure to use the hastag #12MoF so we can all support you!