8 simple ways to eat more vegetables

Studies show that people who get their recommended daily intake of vegetables see many different health benefits. We'll give you some easy tips to get more of these nutritious and antioxidant-loaded foods into your diet.

1.  When you make a sandwich or burger, load up on the veggies. Sliced tomatoes, shredded cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, onions, and dark greens are all perfect toppers.
2. Top homemade pizza with zucchini or squash slices, fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli florets, shredded carrots, and fresh tomato slices.
3. Add extra fresh or frozen veggies to your favourite pasta sauce, chilli, lasagna, casserole, or stew.
4. Enjoy a bowl of minestrone or vegetable soup. In the summer, make gazpacho or cold cucumber soup.
5. Supplement frozen dinners or take-out with extra veggies. When eating out, order extra vegetables as a side dish, a side salad, or grilled vegetables as an appetizer.
6. Cut your favourite vegetables into snack-size pieces. Store them in clear plastic containers and make sure that they're the first thing you see when you open the fridge.
7. For convenience, shop for cut-up, cleaned, and ready-to-eat fresh vegetables.
8. For best value and top nutrition, buy in season. The produce manager at your grocery store can tell you which vegetables are the freshest and what to look for when choosing specific vegetables.

• Although baking soda keeps vegetables green during cooking, it also breaks down the plant tissues, making the texture mushy and destroying many of the vitamins.

Vegetables are tasty, low in calories, and often contain nutritious compounds that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Use these pointers to increase your vegetable consumption and improve your health.