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

 Given all we know about antioxidants and their beneficial properties, it is fantastic that more people do not 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.

There are ten steps to getting more antioxidants into your diet.

1. Breakfast

Breakfast does not have to be a hurried toaster tart on the way out the door. Throw some strawberries, 100% juice, and yogurt into a blender; pour your delicious mixture into a cup and head out the door. You’ve added one to three servings of fruits to your daily intake. You can also throw some berries onto your cold or hot cereal.

Say you have no time in the morning and usually grab something on the run. Even the Golden Arches can be of some help here. Order a fruit and yogurt parfait and some apple slices. For about $2, you have breakfast that includes one to two servings of fruit.

2. Snacks

Here is an easy way to get more antioxidants in your diet. How about a handful of raisins for a snack or fresh red grapes? Dip some strawberries in yogurt. You will feel decadent, but the berries provide the color you are looking for. Need crunch? How about some baby carrots dipped in hummus? Consider a handful of pecans for crunch and a nice antioxidant boost.

3. Lunch and dinner

It might sound trite, but adding a salad to your daily meals can improve your overall health and well-being. They do not have to be boring, and they do not have to be just salad greens. If you are 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.

4. Dessert

With or without whipped cream or chocolate, Berries are an excellent way to end a day of healthy, antioxidant-rich eating.

5. Beverages

Replace your soda with tea or coffee, which boast antioxidant compounds. For a real change of pace, have a glass of wine with dinner or pour a glass of chai tea.

6. Think outside the box

We know we can get our antioxidant fix from berries, salads, etc. However, researchers say powerful antioxidants can also be found in unexpected foods, like russet potatoes, artichokes, and small red beans. Experts say that beans may have more antioxidant power than blueberries. So, add some beans to your rice salad full of vegetables for even more antioxidants.

7. Cook lightly

You think you are being good, preparing vegetables each night for your family’s dinner. However, if you are overcooking vegetables, you are cooking out many of the antioxidants' beneficial properties. Steam (do not boil) vegetables, and stop cooking them when they have their bright color and most of their bite.

8. Plant a garden

Experts believe that people who plant and harvest vegetables from their 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.

9. Take your healthy diet on vacation

Too many consider going on vacation an opportunity to escape 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 it.

10. Learn to cook

If you are cooking, you are not opening bags and boxes. Cooking involves scrubbing and peeling vegetables, preparing whole foods, and paying attention to how things are cooked. If you order out every night, you are far less likely to eat whole foods and natural fruits and vegetables that provide the base for our antioxidant intake.