Fennel, asparagus, beets and radish. Photo: simonsmith001, Flickr

As summer comes to a close and autumn starts heading your way, why not add some fennel to your diet? It's at its best this time of year, it's readily available and it's delicious. Best of all, this crunchy and slightly-sweet veggie is packed with nutrition, says holistic nutritionist and trained chef Doug DiPasquale of That's Fit.ca.

A few fennel facts: Fennel is stocked with vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber. It can help lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and strengthen the immune system. It boasts an impressive phytonutrient profile, giving it strong antioxidant activity. And if you're concerned with trimming down, it never hurts to add another veggie to the mix.

Get started fitting fennel into your diet with DiPasquale's recipe for fish with fennel in foil.

Then up the nutritional kick you get from your every-day meals by trying these simple recipe swaps.