It’s no secret that antioxidants are incredibly beneficial to good health. It’s believed the antioxidants in food can help prevent cancer, reverse or slow aging, enhance your immune system, increase your energy and improve heart and other organ health.

Given all we know about antioxidants and their beneficial properties, it’s amazing more people don’t get enough fruits and vegetables, the primary sources of antioxidants. Experts recommend a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but say that getting 7-10 servings is best. I personally feel my best the more servings of fruits and vegetables I eat. I would describe my favorite diet as 80% plant based with 20% meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. This helps the body maintain proper acid alkaline balance.

Read More: How A pH Imbalance Impacts Your Health and Seven Tips for Creating an Alkaline Diet

Did you know that recent surveys showed that most Americans are consuming 1 or less servings of vegetables per day?  This has negative impacts to gut microbiome and overall health. Slowly increasing intake of antioxidant-rich foods is a good first step.

Easy Ways to Get More Antioxidants into Your Diet:

1. Breakfast

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a hurried toaster tart on the way out the door. Throw some berries, a nutritional support protein powder, and some water or dairy free milk into a blender; pour your delicious mixture into a cup and head out the door. You’ve just added one to three servings of fruits to your daily intake. Or throw some berries onto your cold or hot cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt. If you have more time to cook in the morning, sautéing sliced apples with some cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and Himalayan salt is like having a healthier version of apple pie filling for breakfast.

If you truly have no time in the morning and usually grab something on the run, there are better options now while out and about. I wouldn’t normally recommend McDonald’s as a place to eat, but their menu includes a fruit and yogurt parfait and apple slices. For a few dollars, you have a breakfast providing one to two servings of fruit. Panera Bread also has parfaits and smoothie options, as do convenience stores with fresh markets, like Kwik Trip.

2. Snacks

Here’s an easy way to get more antioxidants in your diet. How about a handful of raisins for a snack, or some fresh red grapes? Dip some strawberries in yogurt or dark chocolate. Need crunch? How about some baby carrots dipped in hummus? Consider a handful of pecans for crunch and a nice antioxidant boost. One of Sarah’s favorites when she wasn’t able to eat much was apple sauce pouches or the pouches with blends of fruits and veggies. They were easy to toss in a bag and take on the go.

3. Lunch and Dinner

An easy way to cook vegetables for dinner is to bake or roast them in the oven with some olive oil and seasonings or steam them on the stovetop. Consuming vegetables and fruits cooked different ways can open your world to new flavor profiles. For example, raw spinach is very different tasting than suateed, and roasted broccoli tastes different than steamed. As you are getting used to eating more vegetables, choosing to eat them cooked versus raw can help them digest better. Preparing a soup is another way to get multiple antioxidant ingredients into your daily intake.

Adding a salad to each of your main daily meals can add loads to your overall health and well-being. They don’t have to be boring, and they don’t have to be just salad greens. If you’re going classic, add some red pepper slices to your green salad, some tomatoes to the Greek salad, or tart cranberries to your field greens. Whip up a broccoli salad for lunch, or be adventurous and mix up a quinoa salad with a mélange of fresh vegetables like string beans, tomatoes, peppers and red onions. An underrated option is fresh coleslaw made of shredded cabbages and carrots with a creamy dressing.

4. Dessert

Berries, with or without whipped cream or dark chocolate are a delicious way to end your day of healthy, antioxidant-rich eating.

5. Beverages

Replace your soda with tea with antioxidant compounds. Green tea and herbal blends are a good place to focus. Fresh cold-pressed juices, like pomegranate, are also full of antioxidants.

6. Think Outside the Box

We know we can get our antioxidant fix from berries, salads and the like, but researchers say powerful antioxidants can also be found in a variety of unexpected foods, like russet potatoes, artichokes, and small red beans. The beans, in fact, may have more antioxidant power than blueberries, experts say. So to your quinoa salad full of vegetables, add some beans for even more antioxidants.

7. Cook Lightly

You think you’re being good, preparing vegetables each night for your family’s dinner. But if you’re overcooking the vegetables, you’re cooking out a lot of the beneficial properties of the antioxidants. It can be intimidating to cook a new ingredient a new way. I recommend leveraging YouTube and other search engines to find videos that teach you how to do certain cooking techniques so you can feel more confident. Invest in a stainless steel steamer basket and look up how long to steam your ingredients. Steam (don’t boil) vegetables, and stop cooking them when they will have all of their bright color and most of their bite.

8. Plant a Garden

Experts believe that people who plant and harvest vegetables from their own yards are far more likely to eat more vegetables and fruits than people who buy their produce from the store. So plant a garden, watch it grow and eat the fruits (literally) of your labor. Sarah and I plant an organic fruit and vegetable garden each year and nothing beats the flavor and nutritional value of freshly picked produce. Growing your own food also helps you afford to eat more servings each day.

9. Take Your Healthy Diet On Vacation

Too many of us consider going on vacation an opportunity to take a vacation from everything, including healthy eating. Think of vacation as a way to be introduced to new foods. Order an interesting vegetable dish in a restaurant and then pay attention to how the chef prepared the dish. Another helpful technique is to take a fruits and veggie supplement with you, in case you don’t have access to produce. We work with our clients to find creative ways to travel and still get the nutrition you' need to feel your best. Planning makes it a lot less stressful.

10. Learn to Cook

If you don’t know how to already, learning to cook is one of the most health beneficial activities you can do, especially if it’s not just reheating food out of boxes or packages. Cooking involves scrubbing and peeling vegetables, preparing whole foods and paying attention to how things are cooked. If you’re ordering out every night, you’re far less likely to be eating the whole foods and natural fruits and vegetables that provide the base for our antioxidant intake. If you do order takeout, look for restaurants that feature a variety of fresh ingredients.

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by sarah southerton

Certified Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP2) & Functional Medicine Health Coach

I specialize in helping people heal chronic illnesses and achieve optimal health. After my own battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), I was thrust into the world of alternative medicine, herbal healing, and low-tox/low-stress living. I have since restored my health and no longer suffer with debilitating symptoms and I’m passionate about help other people who are suffering, so they can feel better a lot faster than I did.

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