Hitting my nutrients...

I have been doing the lifestyle change since Jan 9, 2012.  Not one time have I hit the Vitamin A, Calcium, Fiber, and Iron.  Any ideas how I can incorporate these into a meal.  I googled what I have to eat to add these to my menu, but, I like to put them with other foods.  Any ideas.  At my age, I feel that I really need to hit the calcium one for sure.

I am no cook and any ideas would be great because I really don't like to just eat something for its nutrients to hit my "good" score.

Thank you.

Lentils are great. I also like luna bars as a snack. They are 180-190 calories and yes have sugar but also have iron, fibre, protein and a good dose of nutrients. Whole fat dairy is great for calcium (luna has these, too). Spinach is great for iron and fiber.

Lentils, though, really are a power food. 1 cup cooked has 63% of your fibre and 37% of your iron. I make a ragout with carrots, celery, onions, spinach and lentils and that packs nearly 100% of my vitamin A, nearly all of my fibre and a good dose of iron all in one meal for about 270 calories in one cup. I serve it over quinoa for added nutritional value. Plus, lentils are super, super cheap.

If you are eating enough fresh vegetables, then Vitamin A and fibre should add up all on their own. Iron, lots of dark green veggies (broccoli also has calcium).

Thank you!  I have never heard of luna bars.  See, I just can't eat vegetables by themselves.  The only vegetables I like are pototoes, corn, broccoli.  Yeap, thats it.  Fruits: oranges, bananas (some times) and watermelon.  Yeap, thats it there too.  That is why I need a way to incorporate them into a recipe.  I can stomach spinach some times...if it is hidden in dip of course LOL.  Thanks for the input.

Well, I'll tell you what I tell everyone else. You're a grown-up; I find it hard to believe that you really can't possibly eat a better and larger variety of foods. You can surely stomach some veggies even if they aren't your favourite.

If you can honestly say you've eaten every vegetable prepared every way, then I would believe you. Try an eggplant stew. A vegetable soup. Grilled zuchinni with balsamic. Brussels sprouts sauteed with some  bacon or roasted until brown and crispy. Sweet potato fries baked in the oven. Mashed cauliflower and parsnips with chives and garlic, etc., etc., etc.

You have to make yourself try new things. And if you don't like roasted eggplant, try it grilled. Don't like asparagus when it's just steamed? Put it in the oven and roast it. Don't like baked turnip fries? Toss them in veggie soup. There are so many ways to do vegetables. Make a veggie stir fry with some Asian sauce and brown rice.

Also, what does a typical day look like for you? What do you eat on a day like today?

I typically eat the following on a daily basis.  I am not creative in the kitchen.  The only time I was in the kitchen growing up was when I was eating.  My dad did all the cooking and while he cooked my mom and I would clean the house.  I can clean a house like nobodys business.  I am intimidated in the kitchen.  I DO NOT know what goes with what.  Everytime I cook for my bf, I am apologizing before he even eats it, telling him I am sorry it tastes bad.

I was never introduced to different veggies growing up.  Corn, potatoes, green beans, broccoli once in a while.  That is the extent of it.

Yesterday I ate the following:

Breakfast:  1c cheerios, banana cut up in it, 1c fat free milk, 1c trop50 oj

Snack:  2 c salt free popcorn

Lunch:  2 c stir fry with chicken breast cut up in it.  This is the only way I incorporate other vegetables into my diet. 

Snack:  1 tbls peanut butter and celery (1 stalk)

Dinner: 1 grilled chicken breast with bbq sauce and plain baked potato

That is basically what I eat on a daily basis.  Hardly ever eat red meat.

You are right I am a grown up but when you have never been in a kitchen, you can be lost.  I am lost in the kitchen.  I am a texture eating person.  If it feels funky in my mouth, I will heave, litterally puke....sorry for the TMI.  It is a problem I have had since being a child.  This is why I try to incorporate things into a recipe.

I wish I was a Chef.

Well, you won't get better if you don't try! Google recipes, read reviews, buy some veggies you haven't tried before and start experimenting.

My aunt is a chef and this is what she taught me when it comes to cooking: it's not hard. If things smell good together, they will taste good together. Toss some baby red potatoes, some carrots, some turnips and parsnips on a pan with some oregano and olive oil and roast them in the oven.

Make some kebabs with chicken and veggies. You have to just get out there and try. Add some more dairy in like greek yogurt throughout the day as a snack. Add some brown rice or quinoa to your stir fry. Bean sprouts, mushrooms, zuchinni, yellow squash, bell peppers and broccoli all stir fry really well.

Veggie ragout with some marinara is great over chicken breasts or on whole wheat or gluten-free pasta, whicever your choice. Popcorn has some fibre but not much else. Can you add in an apple or something there? Some dried figs or dates? How about oatmeal with peanut butter and dried fruit and nuts for breakfast?

Do you like pasta sauce?  If so, grate up zucchini and/or onions and/or carrots and/or whatever other vegetable seems like a good idea and mix it in.  It won't significantly change the texture of the sauce but will add a good hit of veggies.  And don't skimp on the sauce portion sizes since the point is to get more veggies in.  Go with a whole grain pasta if you can, but even a white pasta is okay if you limit yourself to a small amount of pasta with a large amount of the veggie/tomato sauce (meat too, if you want).

Do you like mashed potatoes?  If so, boil up some cauliflower and mash that instead.  Almost the same texture as mashed potatoes, but fewer calories and different nutrients.

How else do you like potatoes?  You can probably do the same things with sweet potatoes/yams for a little variety.

If you like the stir fries, they're a great way to get lots of veggies in.  So, keep doing those and just make sure you keep the veggie-to-meat ratio in favour of the veggies.

 

An easy way to meet (and exceed) your daily vitamin A goal is to swap that baked potato at dinner for a baked sweet potato. Top it with some molasses for a hefty dose of iron and sweet yummy goodness. For the calcium, get some more dairy! A glass or two of milk ought to help. If you have trouble with veggies, then whole grains and fruits will still help with the fiber.

I hear you on texture. I'm big on texture in my food. I love trying all the different textures I can get with veggies, though!

I take prenatals and Metamucil. Gets me in the green zone every time :)

Fungrammy- It may not be the best solution, but I discovered who nu cookies, they are filled with iron and calcium and b12 etc... So when I haven't made some of the vitamin goals I eat 3 of them and I'm good. You can google them and find out all the stuff in them, plus they are just like Oreos, but better for u.

When I started eating more healthily, I also restricted myself to a small handful of vegetables, believing that I didn't like many others. After some thought I challenged myself to try one new vegetable per week. During that week, if I didn't like it one way, I'd try it another. For example, eggplant - I am happy to have it grilled or within a pasta sauce, but other ways I cringe at the thought of it. 

It's about retraining yourself to expand your horizons - maybe this method will help you too. I went from a handful of veg choices to enjoying the majority of varieties offered at my local store, though the idea of mushrooms and pumpkin still make me shudder.

Vitamin A - This is a great indicator of general vegetable intake, if you're having a variety of veg per day, this is often the easiest one to meet as it is in a range of both orange and green vegetables. For example, a carrot can offer your entire daily intake.

Calcium - Most abundantly found in dairy products, however, broccoli, spinach, some fish varieties and fortified foods can also offer an alternative source of calcium based on your nutritional preferences. Check the labels when you're buying milk too, some no/low fat milks can have far less calcium, make sure your milk is serving you well.

Fiber - Fruit and veg, nuts, beans and grain products can boost your fiber intake. Experiment and see what you can alter to suit your eating habits, it could be as simple as swapping some of the potato out so you can include other veg in the evening meal too.

Iron - Again, many fruit and veg contain this, dark green leafy are a great source but you can also get small amounts from other types too, check the nutritional panel when you're adding in different types, you may just be surprised. You could also choose fortified cereals or learn what type of red meat you do like and switch it in from time to time. Also as previously suggested, lentils can be good too.

Its all about the fruit and vegetables. If you dont like vegies u need to be creative. I will eat them any way but if u wont try them in soups and stews their very easy to make and most of the time not bad on calories. if you need some ideas let know

GOOD LUCK

Vitamin A is easy. Eating a salad or eating a lot of veggies every day will get you to your Vit A goal. Green leafy vegetables are loaded with Vit A. You can get good amounts of fiber from lentils and beans. You can also buy whole grain breads with added fiber. A quick way to get enough fiber is to add a serving of any Fiber One product into your diet. ThEy have some great stuff and you will get Almost half of your daily fiber. Yogurt, milk, and low fat cheese are good sources of calcium

I understand your discomfort and lack of confidence in the kitchen and applaud you for reaching out for suggestions. My thought would be to challenge yourself to try one new veggie recipe per week. Try boiling up a bag of baby carrots and then simmering them in a glacé of a pat of butter and a couple of tablespoons of pure maple syrup. The Internet is a great place for recipe ideas. If you lack experience follow a recipe. Look for one that has been rated with 4 or 5 stars. Also, don't be hard on yourself. You are trying and that matters.

If you like yogurt you can get a good shot of calcium AND fiber in one dose if you do what I do. I take plain, fat free Chobani greek yogurt and add a half cup of Fiber One original cereal and a teaspoon of honey that I bought from a local  beekeeper. The cereal by itself takes like slightly sweetened cardboard but it tastes really good mixed with yogurt of any flavor, and it adds a nice crunch to the yogurt....its a lot healthier than granola and serving of yogurt mixed with a serving of the cereal contains roughly 40% of the daily recommend calcium and almost 60% daily fiber. Its my favorite breakfast.

blend some spinach into a smoothie...I know it sounds weird, but you really can't taste it! it's also a great boost toward your daily portions of fruit and veggies

I have the same problem with iron and vitamins I will definitely try lentils

Thank you for asking something I have wondered about since I started.

I have smoothie every morning for breakfast. I started very slowly with just fruit and yogurt. My smoothie now consists of a banana, beets, kale, kefir, strawberries, flax seed, and Standard Process complete powder. I also have homemade soup for lunch. Lentil, vegetable, black bean sweet potato chili,, quinoa; I have a different one each week. I roast my brussel sprouts, beets, sweet potato, kale. It took time and i introduced each veggie slowly but i went from a non veggie eater to one that loves them. I feel so much better now that I eat my veggies and very, very little processed foods. It also has helped me maintain my weight. I feel full and not deprived.

I like veggies except beets. I will be fine. Let you know.

Try Mulitgrain Cheerio's those are great, and if you're like me you hit your iron first thing in the morning! Calcium- try an extra glass of milk thoughout the day. I found I'm loving Fiber One products! Any kind and they have brownies, so you get your sweets in also. I'm also in agreement with paynesrus when it comes to the "whonu" cookies. Same taste as Oreos, same calories but with way more nutrients (fiber,calcium,vitamin A,B,C,D, iron). If you like spinach, make an omlette and add spinach to it. Tastes great!

Hi,

 

I would recommend for you Women's One a daily MVI. 

It is hard to get all your vitamins on a restricted diet. I am an RN and was in Medical Weight loss.  We actually make you purchase a good Multivitamin and take it daily. There are many on the market to choose from.  Also, you might need a extra Calcium and D suppliment.  Try this http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pi d=18014&catid=183252&aid=336060&a param=viactiv_calcium_plus_d_&CAID=2f9b97 da-212b-43e3-a647-a976d15f5828