Eating out can sometimes seem just as unfulfilling as cooking at home. We may not always know what additives or preservatives are contained within the foods ingredients. Thankfully, Beijing has a fantastic range of fresh-produce markets that not only make it healthier and affordable to cook at home, but which make shopping a whole lot of fun.

Here are just a few of the best fresh-produce markets around town.

Chaonei Nanxiaojie Vegetable Market

Despite its convenience, this market is less known by Westerners than many of the other produce markets in Beijing.With a large, two-floor market, it stocks everything from fresh figs in summer to dried fruits, meat and eggs.

Where: Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie, just south of the Chaoyangmen Police Station, Dongcheng district.

Open: 7am-7 pm

Chongwenmen Market

This market is an old favorite with the locals in the surrounding areas, so be prepared to fight for the marketers' attention.It stocks fresh meat, vegetables and noodles, but there are also bucket loads of dried foods, nuts and spices, as well as cooked food, to fuel up you while you shop.

Where: 1 Chongwenmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng district.

Open: 8 am-7 pm

Dayanglu Market

This large marketplace is one of Beijing's major wholesale produce markets.It is divided into halls and hangars of specific produce, including vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat and seasonings, and even has a 45,000-cubic-meter cold-storage facility just for bananas.

Where: Zhouzhuang Lu (east of the Shilihe Bridge on the East Third Ring Road), Shibalidian, Chaoyang district.

Open: 7 am-5.30 pm

Tel: 6747-2596

Web: www.dylsc.com