In mid-August, CFU hosted a nutrition challenge that ran through mid-September– you probably heard me talk about it, as I personally was very excited to kick this one off! The 800g Challenge has gained a lot of popularity over the last year and a half or so in the CrossFit community, and for good reason.
This challenge is different. Unlike many other nutrition challenges out there that focus on removing or restricting certain items (no sugar, no processed foods, etc.), the 800g challenge focuses only on ADDING in more certain things to your diet — specifically, more fruits & vegetables. The goal is to eat 800g of fruits and vegetables (about 6 full cups) of your choice every day in addition to what you’re already eating.
This challenge is super approachable because it doesn’t restrict anything — your ice cream isn’t being thrown away, you’re not told you can’t have the everything bagel with cream cheese, and your nightly glass of wine isn’t off-limits or deemed “bad”.
With the addition of more nutrient dense fruits & veggies into your daily diet, chances are you’ll be fuller & more satisfied and won’t want to reach for the extra snacks. The best part? The items you eat are up to you — if you only want to eat 800g of strawberries, great! Want to eat only veggies and no fruit, or vice versa? That works too. The goal is simple: eat more fruits & veggies each day.
We had 17 participants in the 4-week challenge, and I want to take a moment and acknowledge how consistent everyone was! Participants got points in four different areas for daily diet/lifestyle categories: hitting their 800g daily, eating a variety of foods (more than 6), getting in a workout/daily movement, and on Mondays & Fridays could receive a bonus point for keeping a food journal (taking photos, including amounts of each, and sending them to me). Participants also received weekly email content that helped keep them motivated, accountable, and strategies to keep up the momentum after the challenge concluded.
At the end of the challenge, we had a 4-way tie for first! Not only were people able to maintain these habits in a variety of scenarios (traveling, with kids, at work, different dietary preferences, etc.), but the majority of people said that they plan to continue to eat this way going forward. Because the focus was on addition versus elimination, this challenge is great for people who have either been overwhelmed or stressed by the thought of bettering their nutrition — plus, everyone could use more fruits & veggies in their diet!
Here’s what some people had to say about participating in the challenge:
I honestly am loving this challenge. It’s keeping me aware of what my fruit and veggie levels are through a given day or week. I also am happy that it’s not a death sentence to miss 800g one day, and pretty easy to make an effort the next day to get back on track.
I’ve been sleeping well, and feeling full / having a normal hunger level through the day too!
I have actually been liking this challenge, it seems easily sustainable long term! Even though everything has been remote it has all been super clear and easy to follow.
“All in all I’ve liked it a lot — I’m eating less other stuff, full almost all the time, having a healthier digestive system.“
I’m really liking this challenge so far! For the most part I’m finding it relatively easy to fit in the 800g within my day. I’m really impressed how it has caused my cravings for snacks and desserts to go down drastically. Having done two nutrition challenges now, its safe to say that I will never go hungry when I’m eating the right foods 🙂 So. Much. Food!
Feeling good, good energy. I really love that this is something that just isn’t hard to do. I feel fuller longer, and I don’t need to eat as much at dinner. This has been great all around – and because it’s so sustainable, it’s going to be my plan after we’re all done.
I am definitely enjoying it and feel good with all the intentional fruit/veggies. I will likely continue it to some degree to keep that intentionality in my diet.
I’m so happy that I did the challenge. It helped me feel the difference overall. I’ve made a lifestyle change.
We hope to run more nutrition challenges in the coming months, and I want to thank everyone who participated for their effort! I am very proud of you all, and am so happy that you plan to continue these habits going forward.
800g Challenge Winners:
- Lisa Sporte
- Gina Mercado
- Sarah LaFasto
