Hey guys! This was a fun post / video because in taking my dad’s advice for healthy eating (which I’ll elaborate on in a minute), I realized I ate SO MANY fruits and vegetables. Can you guess how many? I’ll post the total below. I’m also talking NYC Zumba and an oatmeal unboxing…
*VIDEO* Eating So Many Fruits / Veggies, NYC Zumba, and an Oatmeal Unboxing
Click here to watch the video if the above player doesn’t work.
My Dad’s Advice for Healthy EatingĀ = Diversity
My dad was really big into nutrition starting back when he was in college. He told me he found the information could be somewhat confusing at times, so to simply, his main goal was to eat a diverse mix of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. That way he got a wide range of vitamins and nutrients that come naturally with all the foods he was eating.
So sometimes when I’m doing a nutrition boost in cold/flu season to ward off any illness, I follow his lead. I’ll try to eat as many different kinds of fruits, vegetables, etc. that I can. I also do focus on nuts, seeds, and other plant-based ingredients because I think naturally occurring vitamins and nutrients are not only best for your body but easier for your body to absorb. But for simplicity, I focused on fruits and veggies for this post/video.
Breakfast
I used to think it was crazy to start the day with fruits/veggies. But it’s not too hard if you go with avocado toast or a smoothie. ThisĀ toast has avocado and lemon juice.
And then there were all those kale bowls. I should bring them back, no?
Lunch
One of the easiest ways to eat a diverse mix of plant-based foods is to hit up a hot / cold food bar. I’ll add a bunch of different foods into my box. If you’re unsure of how to get a variety of vitamins, an easy way that (mostly) works is to eat many different colors.
On this day, I went to Whole Foods. They have a really nice selection.
Taste the Rainbow!
I like to taste the rainbow. But with fruits and vegetables, not candy. Haha.
Seriously though, for many plants, the color is an indication of the type of vitamins/etc. inside. For example, many orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain beta carotene.
Many stores in NYC are starting to put up their holiday displays. I love seeing all the lights and other decorations. They’re so pretty!
NYC Zumba Events
My favorite NYC Zumba instructor, Will Negrillo, shares some of his upcoming events in this video.
But you can also see his list of events on his site here (click).
If you’re in the NYC area, go to his classes. He’s awesome!
Since Zumba is so cardio-based, I’ve been doing some post-class toning. Usually I do ab work. And stretching! Stretching has been super helpful for my injury recovery, so I always try to at least do that. But I like to squeeze in a couple quick ab exercises.
Planks are so incredibly effective. I’ve seen great results by simply doing a couple of these a session. I’ve worked my way up to a 2 minute plank! And even with leg /movement variations.
Dinner
I was feeling chili for dinner, so to keep up my health boost, I decided to do a small chili serving and bulk up with a side of steamed broccoli and a smoothie bowl for dessert. Though my slow cooker recipe is pretty healthy and has a nice mix of beans and vegetables.
There were also veggies in the side of salsa I had, plus the chili itself.
I honestly can’t believe how much I love smoothie bowls for dessert. Old me would think new me is seriously crazy. But I love them so much!
These smoothie bowls are seriously helping me eliminate my cravings for sugar. And you guys know I have a serious sweet tooth. I want to make a video to explain why this is happening. It’s so interesting to me, and I’m my own guinea pig testing out the why.
Flahavan Oatmeal Unboxing
And last but not least, Nonni Marketing and Flahavan sent me a big box of free oatmeal samples to try. Plus I got a couple recipe cards, a natural beauty pouch, and a wooden spoon. I’ve never tried this type of oatmeal. But one of the YouTubers I watch, Retro Flame, said this oatmeal is her favorite. Can’t wait to taste test it.
Total Fruit and Veggie Count
So how many fruits and vegetables did I eat? While I ate a couple multiple times, the total was…
22!
I think if you told me several years ago, when I didn’t like vegetables and barely ate fruit, that I’d eat this many, I wouldn’t have believed you. I was lucky to eat one fruit or one vegetable per day.
But here we are with 22, and it wasn’t hard at all. And not only that, it was delicious too! I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate, and my body will benefit from the wide array of vitamins and what not.
More Eats Posts
Click here for more What I Eat in a Day posts
Thanks for reading and watching!