5 Fast, No-Fuss Ways to Eat Smarter

Who says healthy eating has to be work? Here are some super-fast, incredibly easy ways to fill up on foods that are good for you.

1. Get sneaky. That is, sneak fruits and vegetables — excellent sources of disease-fighting vitamins, fiber, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals — into the foods you already eat. Top off your morning cereal or yogurt, for example, with blueberries, peaches and the like. Add finely chopped carrots, broccoli and kale to pasta sauces, meat loaf, soups and salads. (Hint: Buy them ready-cut at your supermarket.)
   While you're at it, experiment with exotic fruits, such as papaya, mango, melon and fresh pineapple. Tropical fruits are especially potent sources of antioxidants.
2. Check your iron intake. Iron helps carry oxygen to the blood and deliver it to cells. Without enough iron on board, you're apt to feel sluggish and fatigued. But consult with your physician first to evaluate your iron stores, because too much of a good thing can be just as bad for you. To up your iron intake if needed, consume a vitamin C-rich food, such as orange or tomato juice, with meals. If there's iron in any of the other foods you're eating, you'll increase your body's iron absorption two to four times.
3. Drink vegetable juice. Besides offering disease-fighting nutrients, most vegetable juices are blends, so they provide more unique combinations of vegetables that you might not otherwise eat. A varied diet maximizes your body's arsenal of health-promoting nutrients.
   Milk those calcium moments. Choose calcium-fortified juice instead of the regular version — you'll get as much calcium (300 milligrams) as you would in a glass of milk (although milk has more nutrients, particularly vitamin D, which helps absorb calcium). Make oatmeal and other hot cereals with skim milk instead of water, and switch to skinny lattes (2/3 skim milk, 1/3 strong coffee) instead of regular coffee.
4. Don't bypass beans at the salad bar. They're an underrated source of disease-fighting fiber, as well as a great source of iron, protein and folate, the last of which is especially important for women of child-bearing age. Studies show that a diet high in fiber can even help keep your weight in check.Use canned, rinsed beans in salads, and incorporate them into soups, stews and sauces.
5. Choose fish. The average American eats fish about once a week. But two to three times a week is better — so why not grill some up, or make a filet in minutes in your broiler pan? Fish, especially coldwater fish like salmon, is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid, the heart-healthy fat that helps lower LDL (or "bad") cholesterol. Eating more fish may also reduce your cancer risk and even lower your blood pressure.