How many portions of veggies is enough?

[Becky1979]

So I like to play a kind of game with myself to see how many portions of different veggies I can eat each day.  Usually I hit 7 or 8 but sometimes I get to 10 and it gives me a perverse kind of pleasure getting into double figures!

 

I know this is a bit silly and is probably achieving nothing more for me than the occasional buzz, but it has now got me thinking as to how many portions of veg I should aim for per day, if my goal is simply optimum health and feeling good.  I mean, we all know veggies are good for us, but the "more is better" mentality is only true up to a point.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or is there any research people can point me to that gives an idea of the point past which the extra benefits tend to be negligible?

[jmcbn]

The recommendation is for 1-3 cups per meal, with 3 being optimum, but what we really mean is FILL YOUR PLATE.

So add your protein, really FILL the remainder of your plate with veg (& don't be spreading those bad boys out just to make it look like you've got more - we know all the tricks!) & then add your fat source.

The recommendation is given to ensure that everyone eats some veg.
 

[MeadowLily]

^^^

[lsokol]

So I'm a little confused... I'm starting my whole30 on Tuesday, July 5. The "fill your plate" with veggies is what I'm currently stuck on. What size plate are we talking? What if I have a butternut squash soup as a side with a pork chop? What if I don't typically eat off of a traditional 9" dinner plate, and instead I'll be eating a majority of my meals at work?

Also, the fat situation. I just prepped 10 turkey breakfast suausage patties for the week (freezing half) and I cooked them in olive oil. Does tan count as my fat for the meal or do I add another fat source like olives, avocado, or nuts?

Thanks!

[ShannonM816]

So I'm a little confused... I'm starting my whole30 on Tuesday, July 5. The "fill your plate" with veggies is what I'm currently stuck on. What size plate are we talking? What if I have a butternut squash soup as a side with a pork chop? What if I don't typically eat off of a traditional 9" dinner plate, and instead I'll be eating a majority of my meals at work?

Also, the fat situation. I just prepped 10 turkey breakfast suausage patties for the week (freezing half) and I cooked them in olive oil. Does tan count as my fat for the meal or do I add another fat source like olives, avocado, or nuts?

Thanks!

 

Vegetables, aim for 2-3 cups at each meal, more if you're having mostly raw leafy greens as they tend to break down to nothing as you chew. Think about a 9-10 inch dinner plate, probably 1/2-2/3 of the plate would be vegetables. It's not exact, you don't have to weigh or measure your veggies, just keep the general guidelines in mind.

 

In general, cooking fat doesn't count much toward your fat in your meal, as much of it stays in the pan. Go ahead and add some more.