It’s no secret that antioxidants are incredibly beneficial to the skin, by keeping acne away and promoting collagen production. The antioxidants in food can help reverse sun damage, slow aging, protect against wrinkling, enhance your natural glow, and even increase your energy.

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 some say getting 7-10 servings is optimal.

Here are 12 easy ways to get more antioxidants into your beauty diet.

1. Breakfast

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a hurried toaster tart on the way out the door. Throw in some strawberries, a handful of spinach, a squeeze of raw honey, and almond milk into a blender; pour your delicious mixture into a cup and head out the door. You’ve just added two to three servings of fruits and veggies to your daily intake. Or throw some in some blueberries onto your cold or hot oatmeal.

2. Snacks

Here’s another easy way to get more antioxidants in your diet. How about a handful of dried apricots for a snack, or some fresh red grapes? Dip some dark chocolate in unsweetened Greek yogurt for some added protein and probiotics. You’ll feel decadent, but the cacao in the dark chocolate will provide the antioxidants you’re looking for. Need crunch? How about some baby carrots dipped in garlic hummus? Consider a handful of pecans or walnuts for crunch and a nice antioxidant boost.

3. Lunch and dinner

It might sound like a small move but adding a side 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.

4. Dessert

Berries with coconut whipped topping, or a few pieces of dark chocolate are a wonderful way to end your day of healthy, antioxidant-rich eating.

5. Beverages

Replace your soda with green tea or freshly squeezed green juice, both are rich in antioxidant compounds. Have a glass of red wine with dinner. Pinot noir has the highest concentration of the highly beneficial antioxidant resveratrol. For a real change of pace, pour yourself a glass of chai tea with a dash of cinnamon.

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 add to your rice salad a full serving of vegetables, and then add some beans for even more antioxidants.

7. Cook lightly

You think you’re being good, preparing vegetables each night for 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 lightly sauté vegetables and stop cooking them when they still have all of their bright color and most of their bite.

8. Use spices

Cooking lightly doesn’t have to mean less tasty! Spices and herbs of all kinds are packed with a load of antioxidants, like cilantro, rosemary, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon.

You can use spices to add a kick of flavor in all of your meals of the day, including beverages and even dessert! You can never go wrong with adding a variety of spices to your dish. If you’re new to cooking with spices, you can purchase a spice collection to get yourself started.

9. Plant an aeroponic garden

What is aeroponic gardening? Basically, aeroponic gardening is growing plants in the absence of soil, using nutrient-enriched air and mist. Aeroponic gardening is growing as a popular trend among city-dwellers because it takes up less space and requires less maintenance than traditional gardening. Plus, you can plant an aeroponic garden all indoors.

Experts believe that people who plant and harvest vegetables from their two hands are far more likely to eat more vegetables and fruits than people who buy their produce from the store. So plant an aeroponic garden, watch it grow and eat the fruits (literally) of your labor.

10. Take your beauty diet on vacation with you

Too many of us consider going on vacation as an opportunity to take a vacation from everything, including healthy/beauty eating. Think of a vacation as a way to be introduced to new nutritious foods. Order an interesting vegetable dish in a restaurant and then pay attention to how the chef prepared the dish. It could open new culinary doors.

11. 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 our antioxidant intake.

12. Take a multi-vitamin

If getting your daily allowance of antioxidants just isn’t possible, choosing a multi-vitamin sourced from whole foods may be a good call when you’re looking to create the optimal environment for skin health. My go-to brands, New Chapter and MegaFood, both offer premium supplements made with real food and added antioxidants.

While a multivitamin can be a great way to make up for the antioxidants your diet may be missing, doctors still suggest that you do your best to get antioxidants from your food. Ingesting whole foods which are naturally rich in vitamins is still the easiest form of antioxidants for your body to absorb.

Remember that beauty is an inside job

If you’re just starting to get more antioxidants into your diet, be encouraged! Intentions matter and it starts with the small things. You’ll be surprised how a small change x 365 days per year will really add up and start to make a noticeable difference. Start today by getting more antioxidants into your regular diet as part of your daily beauty ritual.

Photo by Haute Stock.