Research substantiates the claim that populations who consume plant-based diets have less chronic disease, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cardiovascular disease, some cancers, diabetes and obesity, says Anne VanBeber, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., associate professor and chair of the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University.

In addition, total serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels are usually lower in vegetarians, who are also at lower risk for osteoporosis, kidney stones and gallstones.

Plants contain vital health-promoting compounds in the form of pigments, phytochemicals and antioxidants that reduce the onset of disease.  These benefits are seen in individuals who consume carefully planned vegetarian meals on a consistent basis, says VanBeber.

I'm not suggesting that everyone become a vegetarian; however, we all could certainly benefit from eating more vegetables. So here are 10 ways to increase the amount of veggies in your diet.

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1. Join Something: How about joining a Community Sponsored Agriculture program (where you support a local farm and get shares of the produce) and/or an organic buying club? Community Sponsored Ag programs, as well as green markets, offer easy ways to access locally grown foods. You can start out by sharing a membership with neighbors and alternating pickups. Go to www.localharvest.org and put in your location to find these types of clubs in your area, or try one of the following:

- www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets - for a list of more than 4,300 farmer's markets currently operating in the United States.
- www.eatwellguide.org -  to find food in your neighborhood and when you travel that is healthful, humane, better for the environment, and that supports family farmers.
- www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa - for information about and listings of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.

2. Grow It:  A great way to get locally grown, healthy foods is to grow your own. Use a section of your back yard to plant a vegetable garden. You would be surprised at how many different types you can grow, depending on where you live. Also, look into the possibility of starting a community vegetable garden on unused or abandoned plots. Go to your local clerk's office or online to find the owner.   Here are a few Web sites to get you started:

- Burpee (www.burpee.com): A family-owned gardening and seed company that's been around since 1876.
- Renee's Garden (www.reneesgarden.com): Seeds in unique packets, including watercolor fronts and planting instructions. Also sells organic seeds.
- Planet Natural (www.planetnatural.com): Provides quality natural and organic products, including fertilizers, seeds and gardening equipment.
- Park Seed (www.organicseed.com): Committed to offering only the highest-quality, untreated, non-genetically-modified seeds, including certified organic, for 140 years.
- Seeds of Change: (www.seedsofchange.com): Extensive range of open-pollinated, organically grown, heirloom and traditional vegetable, flower and herb seeds.
- Smith & Hawken (www.smithandhawken.com): High-quality but expensive gardening products.
- Garden's Alive: (www.gardensalive.com): Environmentally responsible pest control.

3. Chop It Up and Have It Ready: Cut up vegetables such as onions, broccoli, peppers and asparagus in advance. Put them in pre-portioned baggies or containers and store them in the fridge.

4. Partially Prepared: Get bags of pre-washed lettuce (try for organic), broccoli and cauliflower florets or pre-cut mixed vegetables. Check out the salad bar to stock up on other pre-cut veggies. Yes, this can be more expensive, but it still costs less (and is a lot healthier) than ordering from a fast-food restaurant. You can also try veggies that don't require too much preparation, such as baby carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes.

5. Put Them in Front: Most people put their vegetables out of sight in the vegetable crisper drawer of the fridge (which provides increased air circulation and minimizes drying) to keep them fresher longer. But the problem is that you can forget you have them, which defeats the entire purpose. Keep your cut-up vegetables out in the open in the main part of the refrigerator for fast, crunchy, healthful snacks. They're also great for making a quick salad, tossing into soups and omelets or sautéing in a pan with garlic.

6. Buy Garlic and Fresh Herbs and Spices: Learn how to cook your vegetables with flavor. Seek out fresh herbs such as basil, dill and parsley, and spices such as oregano, salt, pepper, curry powder, cumin and, most of all, fresh chopped garlic. Not only does garlic make almost any vegetable taste amazing, it's an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C and a good source of selenium. Chopping garlic releases the enzyme that activates its phytochemicals. Cooking it too much, however, destroys that enzyme, so chop garlic and let it rest for about 10 minutes while you prepare other ingredients, then add it toward the end of the cooking process.

7. Get Inspired: There are several databases that offer healthful vegetarian (and vegetable) recipes, and they're free online.

- Allrecipes.com  (www.allrecipes.com): Go to the search box and put in" healthy" and "vegetarian" or "vegetables." Or you can click on the Healthy Living tab on the left. It also has an Ingredient Search, so you can pick your favorite veggies and get recipes to match. All recipes are submitted by users and include ratings and nutritional information.
- Myrecipes.com (www.myrecipes.com): Provides recipes from magazines and cookbooks you love and trust, including Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset, Coastal Living, Real Simple and Health.
- Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com): Click on the Healthy Eating tab on the top navigation bar.
- EatingWell (www.eatingwell.com): A Vermont-based Web site and magazine.
- Epicurious.com (www.epicurious.com):  Go to the Recipes & Menus tab and select Healthy.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/recipesearch.aspx): You may be surprised to find that a government agency has a pretty neat recipe finder. You pick the vegetables and/or fruits and the meal type - and presto - it spits out recipes.
- Recipezarr (www.recipezaar.com/recipes): 37,585 vegetarian recipes. Click on the Recipes tab, go to Browse Recipes By and select Diet. Hosted by the Scripps Networks, which includes sister sites Food Network, HGTV, DIY and Fine Living.
- Vegetarian Times (www.vegetariantimes.com): Also, you can get the Vegetarian Times starter kit at www.vegetariantimes.com/2007/pdf/vegetarian_starter_kit.pdf.
- Veggie Life (www.veggielife.com): Find veggie-friendly restaurants and recipes.
- Organic Gardening (www.organicgardening.com): Info and tips about soil, landscaping and growing your own vegetables.

8. Get a few Books:

- The Organic Food Shopper's Guide (Wiley, 2008) by Jeff Cox
- In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto ( Penguin, 2008) by Michael Pollan
- Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Fruit and Vegetable at the Market (Quirk Books, 2004) by Aliza Green
- Field Guide to Herbs & Spices: How to Identify, Select, and Use Virtually Every Seasoning at the Market (Quirk Books, 2006) by Aliza Green
- How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food (Wiley, 2007) by Mark Bittman

9. Experiment:

- Buy frozen veggies. It's not fresh or nothing. Frozen vegetables still retain most of their nutrients, so they are a fast alternative for people who have trouble keeping their fridge stocked with fresh. Look for frozen spinach, bell peppers, asparagus, peas, broccoli, mixed vegetables and green beans.
- Eat Chinese or Indian, but make sure that you order your veggies steamed, and get brown rice.
- Make a big pot of delicious veggie soup. It's easy.

10. Buyer Beware: Learn how to buy quality vegetables. Discover tricks of the trade, buy in season, and buy organic. Learn about the dirty dozen - the foods you really should be buying organic. See:  www.foodnews.org/fulldataset.php. _____________________________________

CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network and author of The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible (Simon & Schuster, 2007). Copyright 2008 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com.

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