For an easy meal upgrade, grow veggies and herbs indoors

Avocados

Health benefits: Superfood packed with healthy fats, vitamins A, E and B6

Growing tips: Instead of starting from an avocado pit, buy a dwarf avocado plant and care for it like you would a houseplant. Add sand to the bottom of the pot for drainage, prune regularly and water enough that soil is moist but not soggy.

Basil

Health benefits: Anti-inflammatory, blocks enzymes in the body that cause swelling

Growing tips: Begin with seeds or a starter plant; place in a 4-inch or larger pot with good drainage. Basil does best with lots of light, warmth and water about every other day. Prune the top leaves and flowers when they grow above 6 inches high.

Carrots

Health benefits: Rich in nutrients including thiamin, folate, niacin, potassium and vitamins A, B6 and C

Growing tips: Plant seeds in a pot at least 1 ½ feet deep and wide, with good drainage. Place seeds 1 inch apart in rows six inches apart from each other. Carrots need lots of light and moist, not soaked, soil. To help the seeds sprout, soak peat moss in water overnight and spread it over the seeds. They should sprout in about two weeks.

Cilantro

Health benefits: Contains carotenoids, which may protect against stroke, cancer and heart disease

Growing tips: Either buy a starter plant or purchase coriander seeds (this herb is actually cilantro in its seed form). Place in a well-draining container that’s at least 8 inches deep, filled with 6 inches of soil. Press the seeds into the soil, water until moist, then cover the pot with plastic wrap, held in place with rubber bands. Take the plastic off after seeds sprout and start pushing against the wrap. Make sure your cilantro gets a lot of light, and water daily.

Salad greens

Health benefits: Greens like arugula, spinach, romaine and other lettuces contain folate and iron, plus vitamins A, C and K

Growing tips: Buy seeds or starter plants and select a well-draining planter box. Fill with soil, then place seeds or starts into the soil about 4 inches apart (use your finger to poke placeholder holes in the planter to measure the distance). If using seeds, sprinkle a few in each hole, then cover with soil. If using starts, massage the roots, then place one plant in each hole and fill around with soil. Water regularly, making sure soil stays moist.

Scallions

Health benefits: May protect against free radicals, which cause cell damage; also linked to cancer prevention

Growing tips: No need to buy seeds — just get a bunch of scallions from your grocer, wrap the bulbs in a bunch with a rubber band, and place the bunch in a glass with about 1 inch of water. Change the water daily for 7-10 days, until new green shoots appear and the roots double in length. Plant the scallions in a shallow container, place in full sun and water evenly.

Tomatoes

Health benefits: Good source of lycopene, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that may help prevent heart disease

Growing tips: Choose a 6-inch pot for one plant or a 12-inch pot for two plants. Fill it with starter potting mix, then plant seeds ¼ inch deep. Water until moist, not soggy, and place in a sunny location, turning the pots occasionally so that all sides get even exposure to the light. Seeds will sprout in 5-10 days. When they grow 3 inches tall, transplant from starter mix to potting soil. About two weeks later, add organic fertilizer. As the plants grow larger, stake them to keep stems from breaking.