5 Servings of Fruits and Veggies

My husband and I must be on the same page. Tired of feeling like crap and run down 90% of the time and desperately looking for an answer and willing to try anything. We have tried the medicinal route and now that we have wasted months on that and it isnt working we are both looking to natural remedies.

So last night we are all in the living room when he decides to make the profound announcement that, beginning immediately we were all – adults and children – going to consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Well, I knew this was coming. But to see the look on my 14 year old daughters face was priceless.

He and I both had the same discussion this past Friday when I arrived at the beach. It started with him heating up a can of corn on the stove to go with his fried chicken.

I don’t know how the conversation started but here is the best part:

Me – I think I am allergic to something in the McDonalds milkshake. As soon as I drank it my throat clogged up, snot production in overdrive, drainage was terrible and I coughed trying to clear it for about 20 minutes.

Him – McDonalds sucks, I cant believe you actually went there. Besides it stinks and I bet the inside of that new car will smell like a McDonalds fryer next week.

Me – no .. I left the windows down to air out the grease. I haven’t eaten there in about 6 months, it was raining and I was trying to get on the highway to get here.

Him – you feel like crap all the time… and half of it is what you eat. You should eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day…. 5 SERVINGS… ONE (finger)…TWO (fingers) …THREE (fingers) …FOUR (fingers)…FIVE (talking to the hand now) .

Me – yes I know. And you are right.

Him – I know I am right… I eat  5 SERVINGS every day. 3 of fruit and 2 of veggies.

Like that corn I just ate… I ate the whole can all by myself… and I loved it.

Me- you loved it because it wasn’t a fruit or vegetable… corn is a starch.

Him – WHAT?? No… it grows from the dirt and I can walk across the street and get some out of the field. Not a starch.

Me – yes – starch. Potatoes are a starch, Corn is a starch, tomatoes are a fruit, Celery doesn’t even count because it is 90% water, I could go on…

Him – no… and if you want to get technical smarty pants… for that matter everything converts to sugar or energy. I read that in a magazine while I was at Duke.

Me – Don’t they make a pill that will count as a serving of fruit or vegetables? I could do that much easier. I could pop 5 of those suckers a day easy!

I will give him credit, he does eat at least three fruits a day and I am sure he throws another 2 vegetables in there somewhere. He is diligent and religious about it. Just like he is about going to the gym. And over the years I can see the difference in his health and physique.

So we are starting with baby steps, the fruits and veggies we like. Apples, bananas, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, & green beans.

Of course I think my Bolthouse Farms peach parfait breakfast smoothie should count for at least one serving of something!