where do fruits and vegetables come into play in a bodybuilders diet?

[numba1scrapper]

been a minute since ive been on here lol.. Strict-ening my diet for 2013 and I have consumed very little fruits and veggies and always wondered if that was good or bad? They dont really fit in well in the big 3 catagories (meats, carbs and fats) so Im curious if I should forget about them all togeather or try to incorporate them...

I know veggies are good for cutting as they have alot of fiber that tricks your body into thinking your full but yet the body cant absorb appreciable amounts of carbs from veggies so the body turns to fat to burn for fuel, but what good are they if im trying to gain mass while staying lean... I shouldnt add veggies to the carb list right? Am I better off skipping past fruits and veggies and sticking with 1 solid meat source, 1 solid carb source and 1 solid fat source?

 

[gearz10]

It looks like you've been around a lot longer than me, but one thing I know about fruits the main benifits is the vitamins that you can get form a pill. They have alot of sugar and they are the first thing your body breaks down and stores as fat. So really I wouldn't pick up alot of fruits in your diet.

 

[j-trane]

hey bro, new hear but not to the scene.

pretty simple tho--fruits are high in carbs and sugars. many stay away from during a cut as they "hold water, keep you looking soft" people will go as far as no juices.

veggies on the other hand-are good--they are fibrous. Thas why most choose broc, or other green, leafy veggies. usually around 25 cals per cup--plus the fibrous ones help to regulate digestive track.

just my .02

 

[infection]

Depending on your goals, you should vary the amount of fruits and veggies in your diet. If your goal is cutting, then I always stay away from fruits and juices due to the insulin spike from the simple carbohydrates. I use broccoli and other greens to fill in the gaps for carbs, and give me some good phytochemicals.

If you are bulking, then mixing in fruit isn't a bad idea. I still stay away from juice, but I eat a fair amount of apples.

Fruits and veggies are all about micros, not your macros.

 

[Cajun897]

i just take a multivitamin as i hate eating veggies most fruits im fine with though

 

[instagator321]

I usually stay away from fruits when cutting just because they do have a lot of sugar, especially bananas. I'll usually go for an apple of some rasberries on greek yogurt with sugar free syrup.

Vegetables, on the other hand, I usually eat every day. Most days I'll eat a whole bag of steamed vegetables that you can buy at the store, it is very easy to just throw them in the microwave and have steamed vegetables four minutes later. Never been much of a salad guy.

 

[swoleskunk]

if u dont eat atleast veggies green .. take sum fiber supps . if not u wont be able to let the turtles swim in the pond ... all protein no fiber is a lonely toilet .

 

[alexus hensicus]

Buy a quality juicer and just juice your fruit and veggies. I love it.

 

[Clamp]

Fruits are not a good source of carbs. The fructose is only used to replenish liver glycogen. This is why you shouldn't eat fruit after a workout- complex carbs for replenishing muscle glycogen.

Veggies on the other hand are very good to eat. The fiber cleans out your intestines and can actually make you feel a little lighter, yuck I know, but it's true. The potassium helps your body flush out excess water, plus veggies have other important vitamins and minerals. Last but not least, all the fiber from the veggies can fill you up.

 

[sevenstring]

Fruits are not a good source of carbs. The fructose is only used to replenish liver glycogen. This is why you shouldn't eat fruit after a workout- complex carbs for replenishing muscle glycogen.

Veggies on the other hand are very good to eat. The fiber cleans out your intestines and can actually make you feel a little lighter, yuck I know, but it's true. The potassium helps your body flush out excess water, plus veggies have other important vitamins and minerals. Last but not least, all the fiber from the veggies can fill you up.

Completely agree. I try to limit fruits, but they don't hurt. I would rather have oatmeal or whole grains for carbs, but if I'm feeling like a banana, then screw it, I'll have one.

 

[alexus hensicus]

Don't think about your micro while taking in your macro. For straight bodybuilding and lifting they might not matter much(micro-nutrients) but they play an enormous role on other aspects of life.

 

[SolomonGrundy]

the Best Carbs come from Vegetables, same with proteins, fruits mostly junk all sugar and fiber

 

[Cbone73]

Fruits are not a good source of carbs. The fructose is only used to replenish liver glycogen. This is why you shouldn't eat fruit after a workout- complex carbs for replenishing muscle glycogen.

Veggies on the other hand are very good to eat. The fiber cleans out your intestines and can actually make you feel a little lighter, yuck I know, but it's true. The potassium helps your body flush out excess water, plus veggies have other important vitamins and minerals. Last but not least, all the fiber from the veggies can fill you up.

If you want to be able to go to the bathroom after all the protein you might want to eat your vegetables

 

[Clamp]

the Best Carbs come from Vegetables, same with proteins, fruits mostly junk all sugar and fiber

I agree with all but one of your statements. The best protein DOES NOT come from vegetables. Vegetables tend to have only around 20% of their caloric value consisting of proteins. In addition, the proteins in vegetables do not have all of the required amino acids necessary for building muscle. Your body would have to mix the proteins obtained from vegetables with other amino acids via other types of food sources before they can be utilized.

* Regardless of low quality, and quantities of, proteins vegetables are still very important for their other benefits. *