Goal #1 and #3: Eat Four Servings of Vegetables and Fruits for 200 Days

I’ve never consistently eaten healthy in my entire life. That surprises people, since I invest so much time in fitness. I’ve had diet goals the last couple years: eating vegetarian for a month, giving up fast food for a year, and giving up sugar for a year, but nothing has stuck.

Goal #1 on my 29 Before 29 list was to eat four servings of vegetables for 200 days. Goal #3 on my list was identical, but just with fruit. I had similar goals the  previous year, but didn’t come close to accomplishing them. Last year, I found that I was going weeks without eating a single vegetable. I’m proud to say that this year I finally accomplished these goals, consuming at least four serving of fruits and vegetables for 200 days.

How to Increase Vegetable Consumption

These ideas may be obvious to you, but were revelations to me. Vegetables do not taste good on their own. Anyone who says otherwise has had their palate deprived of junk food for far too long. A simple way to make vegetables taste better is to roast them. Take kale for instance. Add some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees and you get some superfood vegetables that vaguely taste like potato chips. I’ve found roasting to also work with asparagus, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.

How To Increase Fruit Consumption

Simple: smoothies. I add 1 cup of each of blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple with some water to get four servings of fruit for a day. Another thing I found is that apples last considerably longer (like several weeks!) and taste better when refrigerated.

I Still Need To Improve My Diet

The idea with these goals was that as long as I ate the good stuff, getting all the vitamins and nutrients, that I could also eat the bad stuff, since I exercise enough that I can utilize the extra calories. I’ve come to realize that’s not the case. I need to find a diet that allows me to have consistent energy throughout the day. No lulls, no periods where I feel I need a nap. I’ve got an idea of what that diet includes, but have been reluctant to implement it because the junk food tastes so good!

Next year, I’d like to increase not only the quantity, but variety of fruits and vegetables I consume. Also, I will cut out sugar and processed foods through cooking at home more frequently, which should save us money on fast food as well as increasing the quality of my diet.