It wasn’t very long ago that our family didn’t go through many fruits and veggies in a week. Even during the first few years of our real food journey when I was learning more about nutrition, I never made fruits and veggies a big part of our meals.
Slowly but surely, we’ve added more variety of produce to our diet. Gradually, we’ve noticed our bodies crave more and more fresh food. It’s pretty fun actually! (Don’t be thinking we’re all that though because we also still like chips. Meh.)
I love strawberries
I’ve probably already been pretty clear about how excited our family is that it’s strawberry season again! We recently went through 16 pounds of them in less than a week because they were in our house for the first time in months and we could not stop. As we ate the last few berries from that stash, we all started freaking out about being back down to zero strawberries again. (I exaggerate. No one was actually freaking out. Not even me. I was perfectly calm. Who even cares about strawberries?)
The next day, I went to the store with a plan to price-match a good deal on strawberries. While there, I found that the store had two-pound containers at a better deal than the one-pound price-match. I only put 6 containers in my cart because I’m nice and wanted to leave some berries for the other customers. Twelve pounds of strawberries ought to hold us for a few days, I think.
I’ve officially decided this is my favorite time of year to buy food. Oodles of goodness is starting to become available again at good prices. Not only did I get a cart full of strawberries, I also got pears, avocados, asparagus, mixed greens, cantaloupe, and spinach. You’ll see in the picture that I also got cream and cottage cheese. The cream is for the berries and the cottage cheese is going to taste marvelous with the fresh pineapple I got last week.
The post without a point
I would appear that I’m just rambling here, showing you all my berries and other fresh produce. What am I actually trying to say?
- Buy fresh produce!
- Eat fresh produce!
- Have fun trying new fresh produce items.
- Challenge yourself to enjoy more fresh produce than you might typically eat each day.
- I love strawberries.
If you aren’t eating many fruits and vegetables, you aren’t fueling your body with enough nourishment. Period. I care about this so much that if you came to my house, I would actually share my strawberries with you. Now that is a true friend.
Don’t just nod and smile and walk away. It’s time to commit. Leave a comment here telling us about some of your favorite fruits and vegetables, and let us know what you’re going to buy at the store next time you go. Increase the fruits and veggies, friends! Let’s do this!
I went to a buffet this morning and they had roast beets as part of the spread. Never thought to do this for breakfast, but I will now! So yummy with eggs, bacon and potatoes.
I am definitely buying more strawberries and blueberries, if they’re also on sale. I’ve been eating yogurt, berries and granola sprinkled on top for about a week now. Sometimes I add sweet potato pancakes on the side because someone bought 80 pounds of sweet potatoes at the farmer’s market. :)
Eggplant making eggplant lasagna and cauliflower. making pizza(cauliflower is the crust)
Love this post! My hubby took my kids to Costco without me this weekend and brought home 2 packs of strawberries, 2 cantaloupe, a bag of cuties, blueberries and raspberries! There are only four of us and no one is a teenage boy!!!
Lots and lots of strawberries at our house too! We plan on trying eggplant for the very first time next week. Our youngest kiddo is finally trying and eating veggies, yay! I found that letting him pick them out works best in getting him to try new things.
I’ve been munching on blueberries even all winter long. I had to start buying 2 containers at a time because when I was only buying 1 they ended up being almost gone before I got home from grocery shopping. I buy them at Aldis and they have just been delicious!!
Thanks for the positive example and encouragement, Laura! I bought 2 large bags of chopped Kale yesterday and just started steaming it so I can puree it and freeze it into cubes to use in smoothies and ground beef recipes.
One of my one-year old’s first words was “tawbarry” because he loves strawberries so much. He’d survive on berries and cheese if I let him.
I’m so glad it’s strawberry season – that, and the rhubarb is starting to pop up. Love the combination of the two in desserts. MMM!
Our Costco had Driscoll strawberries (my favorite brand) last Saturday – 2# for $4.99. For Wis., in March, that’s a great deal. I bought one package and they were gone in a few hours. They were sooooo good! We love strawberry season too!!
Don’t know what part of the state you live in, but Woodman’s (Madison) has routinely had 1 lb containers of strawberries for $1.50 per lb for over a month. They have been the super flavorful Florida berries to boot. though nothing beats a good farmer’s market strawberry for taste.
Personally I am waiting for asparagus season (May – early July in WI) as we haven’t eaten any since last summer, and tomatoes, and fresh basil…basically any flavorful produce from the farmer’s market/garden.
So you are able to find price match on organic strawberries? Or are you buying regular strawberries and then washing them?
No, they were just regular that I wash. :)
What I find funny about this post is that I too seldom buy fruits and veggies. My cart is pitiful.
I do however love strawberries! I am going to throw something out there that sounds totally weird , but you have to try it! dip your strawberry in sour cream and then brown sugar. Everyone that tries it loves it!
Strawberries are a favorite at our house, too. There are only a few fruits and veggies that all 5 of us love. I try to provide a variety, like you, because there are MANY that 3 or 4 of us like. I brought home a strawberry haul last Friday, but my girls came down with a stomach bug right after that. So, we didn’t quite eat them all. No worries, I froze the rest for smoothies.
I totally love strawberries and almost all fruits and veggies. I wonder if that happened because my parents used to have a policy that we try everything. I still have a pet peeve about when people say they dislike something, but when asked if they’ve tried it they answer, “no.” I used that argument on a couple of kids in the cafeteria when I worked as a teacher’s aide, and actually got some kids to try something new. :)
I also believe in the power of eating more fruits and veggies, but my three “young” men (my husband of fifty years and two sons, sixteen and eighteen), are not quite as enthusiastic. Don’t get me wrong! They all eat and enjoy salads, fruits and veggies quite well overall, but are a little fussier about some things and don’t enjoy a larger quantity as well. When I serve more than one or two veggies at dinner, sometimes they ask me why (to which I give them the “half of your plate is supposed to be veggies and fruits” argument, so I don’t know why they keep asking. :) )
Thanks for the encouragement to keep pushing the produce! Perhaps I need to try to provide some more variety or items they prefer more. When we get our CSA farm share in the summer/fall, we usually have less trouble doubling up on veggie servings!
Hi Laura! Wanted to share this fun strawberry de-hulling tip! Get a good strong straw, I have a sturdy plastic one, and put a strawberry in one hand. Put your index finger on the top right where the stem would be and push the straw in from the other end. Your finger will help you know where to come through. The green leaves lift off like a little hat and there is no waste of the strawberry!
Just de-hulled 16lbs of strawberries with this method. My kids think it is fun and like to suck out all the middle of the strawberries from the bottom of the straw once it is full! :)
Hope it helps you get through all those strawberries!
Have a blessed Lord’s Day!
My new Rommate shopped at Fresh Thyme Farmers Mkt in Lincoln this past weekend If youve never been You have to go Our fridge is full of organic and other Fruits /Vegs berries broccoli pineapple Lettuces of every kind .I made veggie quesadillas Sun. Night She has never eaten strictly veg before and told me she was impressed! yay!! Dont know if they price match but their organic prices are AH-MAZE-ING.God Bless Laura
I saw that Lincoln was opening that store! Can’t wait to shop there and YES, I can price match to that store here in York!