Where are the Vegetables in Vegetable Products?

Yes, vegetables are delicious addition to meals. They’re high in fiber, low in calories, and chock-full of all kinds of good-for-you nutrients and disease-fighting chemicals. The trouble is they take some planning to include at meals, particularly when the meal is something cobbled together from take-out or what’s in the pantry.

We’ve looked at the full vegetable spectrum, from vegetable-scarce to a full-fledged vegetable serving. The more you eat from the “full-fledged” side, the more benefits you reap.

A leaf of lettuce and a thin slice or two of tomato is a start, but it’s barely half a serving of veggies. So load on more veggies like sliced cucumbers, sprouts, spinach, and roasted red peppers. Aim for at least 1/2 a cup of veggies or add a side salad. Or opt to make a meat-free sandwich like these Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches. We start with roasted eggplant, sweet red peppers, and peppery arugula as a hearty base. You could add any variety of veggies from here.

• Read More: 6 Simple Sandwich Makeovers

This one’s a toss up. Some prepared soups are veggie-rich; others stuff in more pasta than vegetable or negate health benefits with hefty amounts of cream or fat. Look for vegetable(s) listed as one of the first two ingredients and try to keep a lid on sodium and fat. Better yet, make homemade soup that’s brimming with vegetables, like this Curried Potatoes and Squash stew. A heavy dose of flavorful veggies—potatoes, squash, tomatoes, green peas, green onions—make this a nutritional A+.