Ok, someone help me figure this one out...

We're supposed to have a healthy 4 to 5 cups of veggies a day on SBD, right? So, last night I pulled out a couple of huge ( mean ginourmous) handfuls of spinach to saute with some garlic, turkey bacon and onion. It was well over 4 cups. The moment it hit that hot olive oil it melted like the wicked witch when Dorothy doused her with that water.

The conundrum: Does it count as the uncooked amount or the cooked amount?

Mamacita

I think it counts as one veggie. That amount cooked or uncooked is about 30 calories. Good nutrition either way!

In other words, Mamacita needed to have 20 plus cups of spinach to get in her veggies for the day, eh?
Huh.

Hi there. I'm new to 3FC Just wanted to say that, as I understand it, there is no limit to the amount of veggies you can have. Dr. Agatston says it's your job to eat until you're full. I haven't been measuring my veggies at all.

Jeffy, welcome to the Beach!
You're right... the right veggies are pretty much a free-for-all. As long as you have enough...

Jeffy - Welcome to the Beach! The reason that we measure our vegetables is that we are trying to get at least 4 1/2 cups of vegetables a day. So it isn't to limit them at all!

Hey Jeffy! Welcome!

So, say for someone who's not that fond of veggies, you have to get a minimum amount in...

I like veggies, but I don't wake up in the morning and say "Yay, I get to eat salad today!"

The main reason I posed the question was b/c I know how spinach behaves when exposed to heat...it does a disappearing act. So, if you eat 1 cup of raw spinach greens, you're not getting nearly as much nutrition as if you wilted that same cup and multiplied it by 4.

I know, I know....I have WAAY too much time on my hands and I need to find something to occupy my brain... I'll just go now...

Mamacita.

I asked this question on a different forum/web site. That forum pushes eating 2 cups of veggies for every serving of protein each meal.


Could someone clarify the 2 cups of veggies at lunch and dinner please?

Are we talking 2 cups of raw- like salad or 2 cups cooked?

If that is 2 cups cooked-would that be 1 cup after cooking or 2 cups after cooking?

Does that make any sense?

I usually post on a different forum, but this is the only one were these specifics about quantities of veggies are talked about.

The answer I got was:
2 cups raw seems to be the standard answer, but since veggies are the good carbs that fill you up, if you can eat 2 cups cooked with your meals, more power to you. The point is to get you thinking about what you are eating. By consuming 2 cups of vegetables for every 3-4 oz of protein, you ensure that you will be full, and that you will have enough energy to see you through until the next snack or meal.

The other thing not discussed much is that you do not want to cook your veggies to mush. Part of why they are so good for you is the fiber. The more you cook them, the more the fiber breaks down, and the less room they take up in the pan. You measure out the 2 cups of veggies, cook them, and then eat them. If you are cooking for 2, you cook 4 cups of vegetables, and then divide in half.

As far as salads, you need to compact your leafy veggies to count that 2 cups, or 3 lettuce leaves will count as 2 cups. For other veggies, you want to make sure that you are eating some fibrous veggies in that 2 cups, so no 2 cups of beans, you need to add some broccoli, cabbage, etc. to provide more fiber.

Hope this helps some!

I'm a dork. lol. It never even crossed my mind that you might not like veggies, and were just trying to make sure you were getting at least as much as you're supposed to . I am really loving not having to worry about eating too many veggies

Thanks for all the welcomes - I followed a friend over ...

Jeffy, you're not a dork at all... it was a good response.
Lucky you liking vegetables... I wish I felt the same way!

Sarah, thanks for posting the answer you received! I can't even IMAGINE having two freakin' cups of cooked veggies on my plate at one time. (unless they're covered in some rich and creamy sauce) Obviously I'm not eating enough.