I don't eat a lot of fruit and veg either so you're not alone!

With me it's more texture than taste, for example I can't eat cooked onion - not because I don't like the taste, but because the texture makes me retch. Yep, quite literally retch. Meals are so much more enjoyable now I don't live with my Mother who is an out and out onion nut!

I tend to use a food processor to chop onions for sauces etc, then I do the same with carrots and celery...

They cook down to mush and almost disappear in your actual sauce.... OH can't tell that I put celery in there either (and he hates celery!)

It's the texture with me too - can't stand it and if it's in a mush it doesn't look appealing either.

However I have cut down on chocolate and crisps and I will eat snacks like Nutrigrain and stuff like that.. I only have take aways when OH is here as I cannot get to them and cannot afford the delivery charge.

Oooh I eat dried fruit - does that count?

Yes and no! Dried fruit is concentrated so you eat more, therefore are consuming more sugar [fructose] than fresh fruit.

This shows an example of dried apricots:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1838/2

Note the comment:

Honestly kids, sometimes I despair of you!

[But I love you all really...]

Our evening meals this week have been:

Herby Lamb Burgers with potato wedges and peppers (all homemade)
Chicken Biryani (homemade)
Fishfingers, chips and beans - freezer food!
Liver, bacon and onion with garlic mash, green beans and carrots (homemade)
Tandoori Chicken and rice with naan bread (homemade)

They are all easy to make - I work full time, so need something that can be done in an hour or less after getting home from work.

I always keep a stash of frozen chips and fishfingers in the freezer - good for when time is a bit tight etc; however, we never have them more than once a week.

I think variety is the key on many levels.
It will do you no good to always be eating the same food. We know you need a balanced mix of fruit, veg, protein and carbs.
The natural sugars from fruit is better for you than refined sugars in cakes biscs etc.

Although I consider I eat healthily, I do feel too much store is put by diet. I have seen friends and colleagues who have been almost fanatical, die at very early ages.
Live for today and live happily I say
Moderation is the key.

I don't like fruit or veg either, I just make myself eat the ones that don't literally make me gag. Peas, carrots, cabbage, sweetcorn, mango, grapes, apple, pear and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. I love the taste of peach but can't stand the feel of the skin.

I'm trying to lose weight at the moment (gained 6 stone in 2 years on epilepsy meds ) and change to a healthier way of eating. I still have junk food now and then, I refuse to cut anything I enjoy out of my diet completely because I simply don't want to live the rest of my life without cake and take aways.

Things have kinda gone out the window with my dad so ill but evening meals are usually some sort of meat with boiled potates and either peas or beans. Sometimes it's sausage, sometimes it's fresh chicken. Sometimes we have pasta or rice instead of potatoes. I ALWAYS eat the veg first so I can move on to the stuff I like