Fruit & Veg Box

In order to eat better, I've decided I need to cut out some carbs and meat and eat more fruit and vegetables. Because it's easy, my meals usually consist of pasta or meat and potatoes. So last week I decided to get a box of fruit and vegetables delivered to my door fortnightly (every other Wednesday). I was stuck between two local Edinburgh farms but in the end I decided to go with East Coast Organics, mainly because they deliver on Wednesday and I don't have class so I'd be able to let them in.

Happily my first box came today! Sadly, they didn't buzz my flat so it was just sitting outside our building for who knows how long until my flatmate Sophie got home and saw it and brought it inside. I was quite angry about it at first since I'd been waiting around for it all day leaving me with a bit sour first impression of the farm. But my anger was (mostly) forgotten when I saw all my treasures.

I decided to go with the £6 fruit box and the £6 vegetable box. All the other boxes seemed like they'd just have way too much for just me. I offered to share it with my flatmates but neither of them were interested.

The veggies were nice and dirty, like they'd just been plucked from the earth. The web site said an average box came with 7 items (2 pounds of potatoes, 1 pound of carrots, 1 pound onions [these three will come in every box] and extras according to the season), I had specifically requested no onions so I really had no idea what I'd be getting. Here's what came:

-1 cauliflower (yum!)
-1 bag of salad (I prefer romaine or spinach leaves but I'll for myself to eat this kind...whatever kind it is)
-1 leek (never made anything with it but I've had leek and potato soup so I'll try to make something like that)
-4 carrots (always a good staple)
-6 potatoes (can't go wrong with them)
-5 beetroot (never had before! Suggestions??)
-2 parsnips (never cooked before - any ideas besides a soup?)

The website said I could expect 4-5 items (apples, bananas, oranges or clementines, pears, and kiwis and occasionally melons, lemons, and mangos). In the fruit box (or bag) I got:

 

-5 apples (that'll do)

-5 pears (really glad I got these, I have been wanting some pears)

-2 bunches of green bananas (I believe there are 8 or 9 in total. I'm glad they're green so I can eat other, riper things first)

-5 plums (yum! I love plums!)

I'm excited to see what this fruit and veggie scheme brings to my eating. Here's hoping I use fruit for snacks instead of chips or sweets and here's hoping I eat better dinners that are more filling with less calories. I'm not sure what I'll be making yet but I'm thinking of some soups for sure. I didn't use anything tonight because Sophie made me a yummy curry with chickpeas and spinach but I had a plum after! It should be an adventure!