5-4-3-2-1 Health Challenge: How to Do it

The 5-4-3-2-1 Health Challenge lasts one month and requires that you take time each day to plan food and activities for the following day. Each day’s plan must include five servings of fruits and vegetables, four servings of protein, three servings of whole grains or legumes, two short activity sessions, and one minute of positive self-talk or journaling.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Health Challenge is the best health challenge for you if you want to feel better and look better without the restriction, strain, and difficulty of other fitness challenges. This health challenge takes you out of your comfort zone but remains sustainable and realistic. Anyone can introduce it into their daily routine to improve nutritional intake, boost confidence, and enhance physical wellness.

How the 5-4-3-2-1 Health Challenge Works

To do the 5-4-3-2-1 challenge, you need to commit 30 minutes each day for planning the next day’s eating and activity. By planning in advance, you reduce the number of decisions you have to make the next day and reduce the impact of decision fatigue. The result? You are more likely to stick to your commitment and see the results of simple changes to your diet and activity schedule.

Each day, you’ll schedule:

  • 5 servings of fruits and vegetables

  • 4 servings of lean protein

  • 3 servings of whole grains or legumes

  • 2 movement breaks that last a minimum of 22 minutes

  • 1 minute of positive self-talk

To fully understand each component better, let’s break each one down.

5 Servings of Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables should be the backbone of your diet. But, in many cases, we choose other foods, like starches and fats, to satisfy our hunger. I get it. I’m a starchaholic. But foods like spinach, berries, broccoli, apples, and leafy greens offer so much in the way of vitamins and minerals! Plus, fruits and veggies are relatively low in calories and usually full of fiber. Fiber helps you to feel full longer after eating. If you are trying to lose weight, fiber is essential in your diet.

So what is a serving of fruits and veggies? Here’s a list of sample fruit servings based on USDA data:

  • Apple: 1/2 large or 1 small

  • Applesauce: 1 cup

  • Banana: 1 large or one cup mashed

  • Blueberries: 1 cup

  • Blackberries: 1 cup

  • Cantaloupe: 1 cup

  • Grapes: 22

  • Grapefruit: 1 medium

  • Kiwi: 2-3 fruits

  • Orange: 1 large

  • Pear: 1 medium

  • Pineapple: 1 cup chunks

  • 100% Fruit juice: 1 cup

Single servings of vegetables include:

  • Broccoli: 1 cup

  • Leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula, etc) 2 cups fresh leaves

  • Carrots: 2 medium

  • Squash: 1 cup mashed

  • Bell peppers: 1 pepper

  • Sweet or white potato: 1 medium potato

  • Tomato: 1 large

  • Peas: 1 cup

  • Cauliflower: 1 cup

  • Mushrooms: 1 cup

This list is not comprehensive. These are simply examples. But as you can see, in most cases, a serving of fruit or vegetables is equivalent to about a cup. And, as you might imagine, some choices are better than others. I’ll cover how to choose the best fruits and vegetables in a separate blog post

If you struggle to get five servings daily, consider making a smoothie with two fruit servings and then enjoy a salad with two or three veggie servings at lunch or dinner. Making a batch of vegetable soup is another great way to add veggies to your diet. Mix in some turkey or chicken and add a cup of brown rice and you’ll also help reach your other dietary targets for the day.

4 servings of Lean Protein

A serving of protein is generally considered to be about 3 ounces of cooked meat or poultry. You can also estimate a serving of protein using your hand. A serving of meat, fish, or poultry is about equivalent to the size of your palm. A serving of beans or lentils is about the size of your closed fist.

Different protein sources yield different amounts of protein. For example, a three-ounce serving of chicken breast provides about 21 grams of protein, while an egg provides only about seven grams. I’ll cover choosing the best protein sources in another blog post.

Other protein foods include:

  • 2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

  • 1/4 cup cooked beans

  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter

  • ½ oz. unsalted nuts/seeds

  • 2 ounces of tofu

  • 1 ounce of cooked tempeh

  • 3 ounces fish or shellfish

  • 1 cup yogurt

3 Servings of Whole Grains or Legumes

Whole grain foods provide your body with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A food is a whole grain food when the entire grain, including the bran, the germ, and the endosperm, is used to manufacture the food. The grain can be broken down to create the food, but the remaining product should include the same balance of nutrients in the original grain seed.

Legumes are different from whole grains, but they are included in this category because they provide the same nutrients: vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Experts recommend consuming approximately 28 grams of fiber daily, but very few of us consume that amount. You can reach that mark by including whole grains and/or legumes in your diet.

Whole grains include:

  • Whole grain breads

  • Whole grain pasta

  • Brown rice

  • Quinoa

  • Farro

  • Oats

  • Wild rice

  • Farro

  • Barley

Legumes or beans can be purchased dried or canned. Both provide healthy nutrients. If you buy canned beans, just check to make sure that no salt has been added during processing.

Beans and legumes include:

  • Lentils

  • Kidney beans

  • Black beans

  • Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

  • Lima beans

  • Soybeans

  • Fava beans

  • Peanuts

  • Black-eyed peas

  • Peas

Have you noticed that some foods are included in more than one list? Peas, for example, can be considered a vegetable and a legume. For this challenge, you can check off both boxes when you choose to eat peas. Peas are also a good source of protein (8 grams per cup!), so you can check off a protein serving as well!

2 Movement Breaks

During the 5-4-3-2-1 Health Challenge, you are not necessarily required to exercise. But if you currently exercise, you’ll get more out of the challenge if you make your movement breaks hard enough to be considered a “workout.” That is, you want your heart rate to increase, and you should feel like you are working at a moderate to hard pace.

However, you also want your activity to feel good. If you are currently sedentary, take two breaks during the day to move. You can walk, stretch, lift light weights, march in place, or ride your bike. Each session should last a minimum of 22 minutes. You can do your two sessions back to back or at different times during the day.

Here are some options to consider:

  • One 22-minute morning yoga flow plus a walk after lunch

  • A 22-minute brisk morning hike plus a mid-afternoon stretch at your desk

  • One 45-minute morning spin class

  • A bike ride to work, plus a 22-minute weight-lifting session at the gym before dinner

  • A 22-minute stair climbing session at the office followed by calisthenics (such as push-ups, burpees, jumping jacks, lunges, etc)

Just remember that each session should last at least 22 minutes. You can also vary the intensity from day to day. For instance, you might want to do harder activities three days per week and lighter movement activities on the other four days.

1 Minute of Positive Self Talk

Science tells us that self-talk matters. Countless studies have shown that positive self-talk can help boost confidence and motivation and improve mental functions, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and planning. You are more likely to meet your goals—whether they are fitness goals, weight loss goals, or other performance goals—if you believe you can reach them. Practicing positive self-talk can help.

There are different ways to practice this component of the health challenge:

  • Write in your journal and acknowledge the day’s successes

  • Make a list of the smart decisions you made throughout the day

  • Choose a mantra and repeat it in your head while breathing deeply with your eyes closed

  • Make a mental list of the challenges you’ve overcome

  • List 10 things for which you are grateful

Tips for Making the 5-4-3-2-1 Challenge Work

This health challenge is meant to be uplifting and positive. If you struggle to complete each component every day, give yourself credit for the parts you accomplished and move forward. Make adjustments if you need to so that you feel the challenge is attainable.

There are a few other steps you can take to make this health challenge a success:

  • Schedule your 30-minute planning session at the same time every day

  • Prep your food in advance (optimally the night before) so you can grab your meals and go

  • Enlist help from others. Tell family and friends you are taking on this challenge and invite them to join you.

  • Brag about your participation on social media. You may get support from people in your social circle.

  • Make adjustments as needed. This is not an all-or-nothing challenge. It shouldn’t feel punishing.

Most importantly, give yourself credit as you move through the month. Every step you take in this challenge is a step that improves your overall wellness, so it should feel good.

When you finish the month, decide if you want to continue to participate in all or part of this program. The 5-4-3-2-1 Health Challenge is a great precursor to macro tracking. During the challenge you learn many of the skills (such as meal prep and food choices) that make macro tracking successful. So, consider picking up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies to start your macro-tracking journey.

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Macro Tracking Spreadsheet