How do you get your veggies?

FAIRMONT — What do they say about March? In like a lion, out like a lamb? That certainly applies to my dieting forecast this past month. I previously wrote how I struggled through the month of February with avoiding temptations and experiencing some weight gain. March started out a little rocky, but it finally calmed down. Still, things aren’t all rosy just yet. I’ve gotten back on track as far as how much I eat (unless I eat pizza, and then all bets are off), and I’ve managed to keep my weight steady through March, but I haven’t actually lost any weight. It can be a bit discouraging to know I haven’t lost weight for several weeks, but right now I’m glad to not have added any either. I know I haven’t hit a plateau — that leveling off that all people trying to lose weight dread. After all, I haven’t even lost 5 percent of my body weight. It’s pretty difficult to plateau when you’ve barely even begun. Right now I’m dealing with a change in my daily schedule. You see, I recently took a part-time job to help make ends meet. So now I work in the mornings at Marketlink in Fairmont and in the afternoons and evenings at the Sentinel. I’m kept pretty busy during the day, but I enjoy my new duties, and I’m looking forward to having more money each month. The only problem is I’m snacking too much. Because I have so little time during breaks and in between jobs, I find myself eating chips and chocolate (usually in 100-calorie packs, thankfully) during those times, instead of sitting down and having something a bit healthier, like vegetables or fruit. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been one to make sure I get the proper servings of fruits and vegetables every day. I’ve always preferred things loaded with carbs. But before I made my days even busier, I had been trying to work more leafy greens and Vitamin-C-infused fruits into my diet. Now I find it simpler — and much faster — to just tear open a bag of chips and munch on them during my 10-minute break. Even between jobs, when I have about an hour, I’m taking the easiest route to lunch, even though it may not be the healthiest. So my question to my readers is this: How do you make sure you get enough fruits and vegetables every day, even though you may be busy? Are there particular fruit or vegetable snacks out there you find healthy and yummy? I’ll look for some ideas on my own and try to find ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my snacking schedule. Hopefully, with what I find, and with the ideas you provide, we can help each other find our way to healthier days. Write to me at Christine’s column, c/o the Sentinel, 64 Downtown Plaza, Fairmont, MN 56031, or e-mail me with Christine’s column in the subject line at news@fairmontsentinel.com Christine Rupp is the Sentinel’s city editor.