14 Weeks of real food mini pledges begins.

14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges

 

The first week challenge is to eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.

 

So who would have thought that adding two vegetables or fruits to each meal would be so hard...

 

Like at least half of the population, I've jumped in to something without preparing for it and now I find myself scrambling to think of what I am going to have for breakfast.  Not so much what I'm going to have for breakfast as much as how to add the two fruits or vegetables to it! 

 

Somehow I don't think that the 3 year old box of strawberry oatmeal on the shelf qualifies as a fruit, I'm not sure what those little bits of pink in the mix are, but they don't resemble anything like a strawberry.  For me, breakfast is often a piece of toast with peanut butter smeared on it.  Sometimes if I am feeling a little rebellious I'll have a bowl of sugar coated puffed wheat.  Most days I have to admit that breakfast begins and ends with a cup of coffee, you would think that adding a fruit or vegetable to that would be a walk in the park - which may be true, if you are prepared for it!

 

My first day out it looks like I am adding a banana and a little watery packet of diced pears to my cup of coffee.  Much more than I would normally eat, but better than the toast or cereal that I might munch if I were not trying to add the fruits or vegetables.

 

From a normal persons point of view, I can see how this type of challenge can help raise awareness of the things that should be in each and every diet.  I'm not a big fast food eater, we don't eat a lot of processed foods so I thought this would be a slam dunk - but the simple act of trying to add something that is out of my normal range turns out to be a bigger challenge than I thought it would.  I may do fine the rest of the day, our dinners always include at least one and most times two vegetables, I may have to take a little more care with lunch, but it too is something that I could easily add fruits or vegetables to.  I feel sorry for those who might normally eat lunch on the go, driving through a fast food line - how hard is it going to be to find a fruit or vegetable to add to that?  Are you going to count the lettuce on the burger as the vegetable?  Or the slice of tomato?  And if you do count it, is it cheating?  Or will you go out of your way to make a better choice so you can get that fruit or vegetable added?

 

I think I am defiantly going to be adding more fruit and fresh vegetables to my shopping list today because if nothing else, there will be a pineapple, banana, and kale yogurt smoothie for breakfast tomorrow!  It may take a little extra thought, and a little extra effort - but I can do this.  How about you?