10 Ways to Get More Antioxidants in Your Diet

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 getting 7-10 servings is best. Where do you stand on these recommendations?

10 steps to getting more antioxidants

1.Breakfast

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a hurried toaster tart on the way out the door. Throw some strawberries, coconut water and almond milk yogurt 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.

Say you truly have no time in the morning and usually grab something on the run. Try some yogurt or overnight oats with chia seeds, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in a Mason Jar. Sprinkle granola on top, bee pollen, or flax seed for added nutrients and you have a plant strong, nutrient-dense breakfast! This is easy to prep the night before, so all you have to do is grab it on the go and you can feel good about eating a GOOD breakfast! Breakfast ✔

Don’t forget to store your berries in glass food prep containers to maintain freshness and provide easy visibility in the fridge. When you see fresh berries ready eat from your glass containers, you are more likely to partake!

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? I love my grapes frozen as snacks in the summertime. Dip some strawberries in yogurt. You’ll feel decadent, but the berries provide the color you’re looking for. Need crunch? How about some baby carrots dipped in hummus? Consider a handful of pecans for crunch and a nice antioxidant boost. Go grab some now and get your added antioxidants and energy!

3. Lunch and dinner

It might sound trite, but 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 rice salad with a mélange of fresh vegetables like string beans, tomatoes, peppers and red onions.

Try a vegetable spiralizer to substitute vegetables for pasta. Or try juicing vegetables and fruits with a high quality Juicer (check out my favorite juicer here.) Is your mouth watering yet?

4. Dessert

Berries, with or without whipped cream or chocolate are a wonderful way to end your day of healthy, antioxidant-rich eating. A calming berry-infused tea is always a great night time ritual. Get used to looking back on your day KNOWING you got your antioxidants in, because each meal and snack of the day had a rich source within.

Make Antioxidant-Rich Eating a Daily Ritual

5. Beverages

Replace your soda and beer with green tea or coffee, both of which boast antioxidant compounds. Have a glass of fresh cranberry juice for a change at breakfast, or for a real change of pace, pour a glass of chai tea. Make sure you have plenty of water in between and just be mindful of how much sugar in any of your beverages you are consuming on a daily basis.

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 rice salad full of vegetables, add some beans for even more antioxidants. For extra nutrients, make sure you soak your beans overnight (avoid canned beans) and cook up (be careful not to overcook) in the morning so you have beans on hand to sprinkle on your salads throughout the day.

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. Steam (don’t boil or microwave) vegetables, and stop cooking them when they will have all of their bright color and most of their bite. It’s all in the prep. Less is more…

8. Plant a garden

This one is my favorite. I grew up with a garden that I ate from daily. And today, I still garden to know my food is organic goodness. 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. Start with a small herb garden on your window ledge and try a new herb every day while you are cooking.

Just plant a garden, watch it grow and eat the fruits (literally) of your labor. You will love the ease of fresh veges and fruits that are readily available to you! And isn’t it comforting to know exactly what you are eating?

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 healthy foods. Order an interesting vegetable dish in a restaurant and then pay attention to how the chef prepared the dish. Eat fruits and vegetables in season and readily available to the region you are visiting. Be adventuresome and try something new everyday! More variety means more nutrients for your fuel to keep you energized throughout your vacation…

10. Learn to cook

If you’re cooking, you’re not opening bags and boxes. 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 your antioxidant intake. The more you do yourself in your kitchen, the better for your health. There are so many hidden additives and calories in dining out

Schedule a fun cooking class with a friend or loved one to get yourself in the groove. Purchase a new cook book or recipe pack from curated SHOP Recipe Pack section at trishsachs.com. Trust me, new recipes breed life to your cooking and take the boredom out of your kitchen…

Think Rainbow on your plate and in your glass

If you look at your 10 ways to get more antioxidants in your diet, you will notice that it becomes as simple as eating a rainbow. How many different colors can you represent on your plate and in your glass throughout the day? More color equals more variety and we know that brings Optimal Wellness to Optimal YOU. How can you start adding more color to your plate and glass today?