Image from http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/02/eat-rainbow-colorful-fruits-and-veggies.html.
Before Thanksgiving, I experimented for 2 days with consuming 5 cups of veggies and fruits, for low-calorie and fibrous nutrition. The reason for five cups? A typical serving size of fruits or veggies is half of a cup, it is suggested to have 5-9 servings per day, and 5 cups yields 10 servings. 'Turns out that all the water and fiber from the fruits and veggies filled me up, so that together with other carbs and protein, I ended up consuming less than half of my usual calories for each day. So I've taken a break from daily calorie tracking (since February), and instead have had as my daily goal to eat 5 cups of fruits or veggies each day. It certainly saves time without all that recording and trying to plan calories ahead of time, and now all I have to think about in the mornings is how I'm going to get my five throughout the day, i.e. frozen blueberries, spinach, oranges, apples, celery, etc. The other carbs and protein will fill in as desired, i.e. peanut butter, whey powder, chicken, bread, etc. Between constant calorie counting and the just 5 method, the just 5 method is much easier, less time-consuming, and does not create the urge to consume more calories as does the calorie counting method. I might test out this method sometime and see over time how I'm stacking up in the calories using this method... ahem, after the holiday season. unfortunately, the acceptance of sweets and fats are probably pushing me over the edge.
