Thread: Are fruits and veggies necessary for optimal health?

lmao! cheerios?

You'll get more vitamins from the actual foods, then you would from the supps. The supps are just to add what you may be missing. A well balanced diet is your best bet.

Fiber is a big reason.

i started eating more fruit, and not counting the cals...
(banana, kiwi, mango, peach, apple)-my favs-
still consuming maint elsewhere


i crushed all of my personal records in a matter of a couple weeks
and my body composition improved


there is no replacement

Veggies are necessary for me, mainly for the health of my butthole. The fiber makes keeps my poo the right consistency so that I onyl have to go once or twice a day.

Also, there are lots of vitamins and minerals that you get from fresh stemmed veggies that you can't get in supps.

agreed

steamed veggies/garden salad with at least 3 meals a day for me


and i generally dont count these cals either

I eat bananas, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, meh..thats about it.

Veggies? Shit, broccoli is easy, but asparagus still puts up a fight. Spinach was mentioned to me. It was suggested to replace lettuce in my subs with fresh spinach leaves. Dont know what this will do, so some insight is needed.

What about cooked spinach?

do the nutritional facts of raw veggies change after they are steamed?
should i be counting these calories?

if so this throws a real wrench at me, i dont even measure them... i just indulge

Originally Posted by AKIRA

I eat bananas, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, meh..thats about it.

Veggies? Shit, broccoli is easy, but asparagus still puts up a fight. Spinach was mentioned to me. It was suggested to replace lettuce in my subs with fresh spinach leaves. Dont know what this will do, so some insight is needed.

What about cooked spinach?

I usually eat a turkey sandwich at work and I use spinach in it. Its a easy way to get in some veggies while your at work and it taste about the same as lettuce.

Originally Posted by AKIRA

I eat bananas, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, meh..thats about it.

Veggies? Shit, broccoli is easy, but asparagus still puts up a fight. Spinach was mentioned to me. It was suggested to replace lettuce in my subs with fresh spinach leaves. Dont know what this will do, so some insight is needed.

What about cooked spinach?

You have to steam asparagus for a long time. It helps.

Originally Posted by KelJu

You have to steam asparagus for a long time. It helps.

Why not grill it?

Originally Posted by JailHouse

Why not grill it?

I don't have a grill right now.

I think that vegetables and fruit are vital to a diet. they give us vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients/antioxidants and fiber. they are extremely nutritious and i think you are missing out by not incorporating them.

lmao! cheerios?

What the hell is wrong with cheerios? They aren't awful and you can easily figure them into your diet. I hate bodybuilding voodo.

Originally Posted by P-funk

What the hell is wrong with cheerios? They aren't awful and you can easily figure them into your diet. I hate bodybuilding voodo.

haha i know, believe me, if there's anyone who loves their cereal, it's me...

it just looked funny in that list of food... totally random...

No matter how many vitamines and fibers you are taking in your diet I think that fruit and veggies are essential for healthy diet.

Originally Posted by Stewart20

Let's say you eat a clean diet with good ratios of carbs, proteins and fats, and take a multi vitamin every day. By clean I mean you eat brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, lean beef, turkey, cheerios, eggs, milk, etc. Are you getting all you need from these foods and the multi, or are you missing something?

I understand you eat veggies and fruits to get the vitamins from them, as well as being assured you are eating foods that are "good for you", but let's say you don't really eat them daily, does the vitamin assure you get what you need, vitamin wise?

Yes.

And vitamins are not the only thing your body needs from fruit and vegetables.

I don't even have the energy to explain this at the moment.

You will eventually be all kind of sick if you do not consume adequate fruit and vegetables.

That is all.

Thats one good question. Yeah I think natural foods are most effective than supplements.

Keeping this comment separate from the "real food over supplements" argument in which we all agree real food > supplements, I do not feel you need to consume fruits and veggies daily to be in spectacular health. Often times when I budget myself for food costwise, I don't eat a lot of fruits or veggies.

I am thinking back to a few years ago when I was in the best shape of my life, and I do not recall eating hardly any vegatables but did eat the occassional apple or pear. I am getting back into pretty good shape now and I rarely eat fruits or vegetables.

Care to explain why fruits and vegetables are so "essential" or "vital" to a healthy diet? And how much are we talking about? If I rarely eat fruits or vegetables, are you saying that my diet is not "healthy?" I can run a 7-minute mile with no problem and box five three-minute rounds without gassing out. I have kept my strength up in the gym with no decline while cutting/maintaining. I feel very healthy.

Originally Posted by AKIRA

What about cooked spinach?

Cooked spinach is one of my favourite additions to a lot of meals. If im sauteing (spell?) some potatoes ill throw in some spinach to give it a bit of colour and flavour. Only takes like 2 minutes to wilt, and you're away.

But yeah, i dont think i could go a day without fruit and veg. Maybe one of the other, but not both. Just because i love them, any health bonuses are...well, bonuses.

Im not taking a multivit atm either, so for the time being i need them for that aswell.

Originally Posted by KentDog

Keeping this comment separate from the "real food over supplements" argument in which we all agree real food > supplements, I do not feel you need to consume fruits and veggies daily to be in spectacular health. Often times when I budget myself for food costwise, I don't eat a lot of fruits or veggies.

I am thinking back to a few years ago when I was in the best shape of my life, and I do not recall eating hardly any vegatables but did eat the occassional apple or pear. I am getting back into pretty good shape now and I rarely eat fruits or vegetables.

Care to explain why fruits and vegetables are so "essential" or "vital" to a healthy diet? And how much are we talking about? If I rarely eat fruits or vegetables, are you saying that my diet is not "healthy?" I can run a 7-minute mile with no problem and box five three-minute rounds without gassing out. I have kept my strength up in the gym with no decline while cutting/maintaining. I feel very healthy.

I think its mostly for the long term health benefits, i.e. the stuff from the phytonutrients, and from the dietary supplementation they give you, like the fiber and the different vitamins.

I take a fiber supplement and a great multi, haha. just starting having a cup of mixed frozen berries in my pre-bed shake though and mmmmmm.

apples are pretty easy too.

Originally Posted by KentDog

Keeping this comment separate from the "real food over supplements" argument in which we all agree real food > supplements, I do not feel you need to consume fruits and veggies daily to be in spectacular health. Often times when I budget myself for food costwise, I don't eat a lot of fruits or veggies.

I am thinking back to a few years ago when I was in the best shape of my life, and I do not recall eating hardly any vegatables but did eat the occassional apple or pear. I am getting back into pretty good shape now and I rarely eat fruits or vegetables.

Care to explain why fruits and vegetables are so "essential" or "vital" to a healthy diet? And how much are we talking about? If I rarely eat fruits or vegetables, are you saying that my diet is not "healthy?" I can run a 7-minute mile with no problem and box five three-minute rounds without gassing out. I have kept my strength up in the gym with no decline while cutting/maintaining. I feel very healthy.

Thank you for adding this. this is pretty much what I wanted to say in creating this post. I mean, I am not entirely pleased with my diet not containing much of the fruit and veggie group, but on the whole, my diet is generally real good in terms of clean foods. I am more concerned with getting proper amounts of good carbs, proteins, and good fats, as opposed to where they come from.

I can see how veggies can be a tool if you are looking to cut or suppress appetite, but as far as the nutrients go, yes I am sure eating veggies and fruits to get the vitamins from them is better than taking a vitamin, but still, how much and how many veggies would you really need to eat to get the same amounts of each nutrient in a good multi vitamin?

Originally Posted by Stewart20

Thank you for adding this. this is pretty much what I wanted to say in creating this post. I mean, I am not entirely pleased with my diet not containing much of the fruit and veggie group, but on the whole, my diet is generally real good in terms of clean foods. I am more concerned with getting proper amounts of good carbs, proteins, and good fats, as opposed to where they come from.

I can see how veggies can be a tool if you are looking to cut or suppress appetite, but as far as the nutrients go, yes I am sure eating veggies and fruits to get the vitamins from them is better than taking a vitamin, but still, how much and how many veggies would you really need to eat to get the same amounts of each nutrient in a good multi vitamin?

Well for one, how much of that rock of a vitamin is your body absorbing?
Plus there are other things like phytonutrients and enzymes that youre getting, not to mention the fiber. You might feel great.
But how do you know youre not harboring a growing tumor in your gut or another impending disease? We all know that veggies and fruits have way more benefits than Centrum or GNC vitamins

Originally Posted by AKIRA

I eat bananas, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, meh..thats about it.

Veggies? Shit, broccoli is easy, but asparagus still puts up a fight. Spinach was mentioned to me. It was suggested to replace lettuce in my subs with fresh spinach leaves. Dont know what this will do, so some insight is needed.

What about cooked spinach?

Well because one spinach leaf has about twice the nutritional value of a head iceberg lettuce. (not literally but iceberg has little nutrition)

Originally Posted by Merkaba

Well for one, how much of that rock of a vitamin is your body absorbing?
Plus there are other things like phytonutrients and enzymes that youre getting, not to mention the fiber. You might feel great.
But how do you know youre not harboring a growing tumor in your gut or another impending disease? We all know that veggies and fruits have way more benefits than Centrum or GNC vitamins



Well because one spinach leaf has about twice the nutritional value of a head iceberg lettuce. (not literally but iceberg has little nutrition)

I was talking about having a clean diet that lacks large amounts of veggies. I was not referring to someone who eats mcdonalds every day and no veggies. I dont think the lack of veggies in my diet would be a contributing cause to a tumor, come on now. I am sure there are plenty of fanatics out there who all they eat are veggies and fruit and they get sick too. I dont think my cheerios and turkey chili is going to kill me.

no one really touched on exactly how much nutrition are in fruits and veggies. For example, how many oranges would you need to eat to get the same amount of vitamin c in one 1000 mg capsule? Or how many carrots would you need to eat to get the amount of vitamin a in a multi vitamin? i know i am sure almost everyone on this board takes a good multi vitamin, so besides being just real good for you, what is the difference between a snack of carrots or a snack of oatmeal?

and what is a phytonutrient?

Regardless of fruit being nessecary for optimal health, don't you like eating it anyway? I personally love fruit. Would you see it as a task to consume it?

Originally Posted by fufu

Regardless of fruit being nessecary for optimal health, don't you like eating it anyway? I personally love fruit. Would you see it as a task to consume it?

Oh I love fruit, don't get me wrong. I think my original point was to ask if it is necessary to have x amount of fruit and vegetables daily to have optimum health benefits, or can you go a couple days without them, then have some here and there, etc. I just find it expensive to find good fruit around me, and now that my son is starting to eat stuff like this too, it gets to be a lot, and if I could only serve one of us, he is getting the good stuff.

I am trying to get better, I am starting to incorporate at least one piece of fruit and some type of vegetable daily. Unfortunately, my selection for vegetables right now consists of potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and beans. Fruit is an apple or banana.

A good start?

Originally Posted by Stewart20

, does the vitamin assure you get what you need, vitamin wise?

No.

im still pretty lost

yes I think veggys are important to keep your system regular