6 ways to get more out of the produce aisle

How you grocery shop dictates how well you eat at home — and how well you manage your diabetes. Here are some ways to get the most out of the produce aisle.

It's smart to shake yourself out of the iceberg lettuce habit.

• Not only do baby spinach, arugula, watercress and green lettuces (Romaine, green leaf, Boston and Bibb) bring new crunch and flavour to your salads, they also pack in more vitamins.
• For example, 250 millilitres (one cup) of iceberg lettuce contains eight per cent of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A, the same amount of raw spinach leaves is packed with 50 per cent.

Bright and deep colours indicate the presence of different phytochemicals including antioxidants, which work together to neutralize free radicals, harmful molecules that your body may have in excess if you have diabetes.

These free radicals wreak havoc on cells and can increase your chances of suffering diabetes-related complications as well as heart disease.

• The deeper or more intense the colour of the produce, the better.
• Pick up red tomatoes and red peppers, opt for orange carrots or cantaloupe, and go green with broccoli, kale and spinach. Your meals will look and taste more interesting.

Yes, a bag of prewashed spinach is more expensive than a bunch of regular spinach, and the same goes for precut carrots, celery and peppers versus veggies you have to peel, wash and slice yourself.

• But the investment can be well worth it if you're pressed for time, or if the prep work discourages you from eating veggies at all.

That means three to five days' worth of fresh produce, supplemented with frozen or canned. "I haven't gone to the store in a week" is no excuse not to get at least five servings of vegetables per day.

• Frozen vegetables contain as many nutrients as their fresh counterparts — and they're easy to use.
• Sneaking a serving of frozen corn into your chili, or two servings of frozen spinach into lasagna or tuna casserole, are simple ways to ramp up your veggie intake.

Frozen onions are convenient — but expensive.

• Instead, chop items such as onions, celery, carrots, parsley or garlic, fill a plastic ice cube tray with them, add a little water (broth won't work), then freeze.
• Once they're frozen, put the cubes in a labeled plastic freezer bag or plastic box in the freezer. Add a cube or two to recipes as needed.
• This is also a good way to save produce that you can't use in time.

Fruits and vegetables suddenly become more interesting when you eat them in unexpected combinations.

• Try shredded carrots paired with chopped mangos, or pineapple paired with red onions, as toppings for grilled chicken breasts.

Vegetables' vibrant colours and unexpected textures infuse pizzazz into every meal.

• But what's more important is the nutritional benefits that can help you manage diabetes; they're chock-full of fibre, vitamins and disease-fighting antioxidants, and they're generally low in both calories and carbohydrates.