Step into any supermarket and you’ll see thousands of labels shouting

good-health claims: Whole grains! No trans fats! Essential vitamins and

minerals! But figuring out what really is part of a healthy diet is getting
harder and harder in these days of information overload. And it shows
in the sobering statistics: 66% of Americans are overweight or obese—
which is a big reason more of us are developing diseases such as
diabetes, and at younger ages.

That’s why Woman’s Day is launching a yearlong series, Eat Healthy

America. Our goal is to make healthy eating a no-brainer. In every
issue, you’ll find easy ideas and advice that’ll help you make smart
choices, plan balanced (and great-tasting) meals, get a grip on
portions, and more. We’ll also prompt you to take small, doable steps
that will help you eat better for good.

Start here: Clean out your kitchen, tossing as many unhealthy items
as you can. Single-ingredient foods— apples, chicken, cooking oil, etc.
—are keepers. Packaged foods with long lists of hard-to-pronounce
ingredients go out, especially if they contain more than 7% of calories
from saturated fat or more than 10% of calories from sugar. Now, turn
the page and find out what you’ve made room for!

52 Superfoods

Fill up on these nutrient packed foods, which can help you fight
disease. Feel more energetic and even lose weight.

1. Eggs Each egg has 6 grams of protein but just 72 calories. No

wonder researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, found that eating eggs for breakfast (as part
of a low-cal diet) helps you slim down.

2. Tomato sauce It’s loaded with lycopene, which makes your skin
look younger and keeps your heart healthy. In fact, a Harvard study
found that women with the most lycopene in their blood reduced their
risk of a heart attack by 34%.

3. Dried plums(prunes) They’re packed with polyphenols, plant

chemicals that have been shown to boost bone density by stimulating
your bone-building cells.

4. Walnuts Just 14 walnut halves provide more than twice your daily
dose of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that’s been shown to
improve memory and coordination.

5. Brussels sprouts They have more glucosinolates (compounds that

combat cancer and detoxify our bodies) than any other vegetable. For
a side dish that will make you wonder why you’ve been avoiding them,
slice each one into quarters, then sauté in olive oil with chopped sweet
Vidalia onions.

6. Acai juice A glass or two of this anthocyanin-rich berry juice can

dramatically boost the amount of antioxidants in your blood, say Texas
A&M University researchers.

7. Apples They contain quercetin, an antioxidant that may reduce your

risk of lung cancer.

8. Bok choy This calcium-rich veggie can protect your bones and may
even ward off PMS symptoms.

9. Steel-cut oats Because they’re less processed than traditional oats,

they’re digested more slowly—keeping you full all morning long.

10. Salmon You’ll get all the heart-smart omega-3s you need in a day
from just 3 oz.

11. Avocados Their healthy fat keeps you satisfied and helps you
absorb other nutrients. For a new u twist, brush a halved avocado (pit
removed) with olive oil and grill 1 minute. Serve with red onion, sliced
grapefruit and balsamic vinegar.

12. Spinach A half-cup provides more than five times your daily dose
of vitamin K, which helps blood clot and builds strong bones.

13. Canned pumpkin It’s filled with natural cancer fighters alpha- and
beta-carotene.

14. Cauliflower White foods can be good for you! This one is packed
with cancer-fighting glucosinolates.

15. Scallops A 3-oz serving has 14 grams of protein but just 75

calories.

16. Collard greens They’re exploding with nutrients like vitamin A,

zeaxanthin and lutein, which keep your eyes healthy.

17. Olives They deliver the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat

you get in olive oil, but for just 7 calories per jumbo olive!

18. Brown rice It’s a top source of magnesium, a mineral your body
uses for more than 300 chemical reactions (such as building bones
and converting food to energy).

19. Oysters These keep your immune system strong. A 3-oz serving
(about 6 oysters) dishes up a quarter of your daily iron, plus nearly
twice the zinc and all the selenium you need in a day.

20. Edamame One cup has a whopping 22 grams of plant protein, as

well as lots of fiber, folate and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.

21. Strawberries They’re loaded with ellagitannins, phytochemicals

that may halt the growth of cervical and colon cancers.

22. Lentils A great source of meat-free protein, a half-cup of cooked

lentils also gives you nearly half your daily folate, a B vitamin that
protects a woman’s unborn baby from neural tube defects.

23. Bran flakes Their whole grains keep your heart in tip-top shape by
reducing inflammation and melting away belly fat.

24. Kiwi Italian researchers found that it reduces asthma-related

wheezing, thanks to its high vitamin C content (one kiwi has 110% of
your daily requirement).

25. Black beans They’re loaded with protein, fiber, and flavonoids—
antioxidants that help your arteries stay relaxed and pliable.

26. Sunflower seeds A quarter-cup delivers half your day’s vitamin E,

which keeps your heart healthy and fights infection.
27. Sardines 3 oz provide more than 100% of your daily vitamin D.
Sardines are also a top source of omega-3 fats. Try adding mashed
canned sardines to marinara sauce and serving over whole-wheat
pasta.

28. Asparagus A half-cup supplies 50% of your daily bone-building

vitamin K and a third of your day’s folate, it’s a natural diuretic so it
banishes bloating, too.

29. Bananas They’re loaded with several kinds of good-for-you fiber,

including resistant starch (which helps you slim down).

30. Broccoli sprouts They have 10 times more of the cancer-

preventing compound glucoraphanin than regular broccoli.

31. Fat-free milk With a third of the calcium and half the vitamin D you
need in a day, plus 8 grams u of muscle-building protein, it’s the
ultimate energy drink.

32. Baked potatoes Each one packs a megadose of blood-pressure–

lowering potassium—even more than a banana.

33. Sweet potatoes Half of a large baked sweet potato delivers more
than 450% of your daily dose of vitamin A, which protects your vision
and your immune system.

34. Flaxseed Not only is flaxseed loaded with plant omega-3s, it also
has more lignans (compounds that may prevent endometrial and
ovarian cancer) than any other food. Store ground flaxseed in your
refrigerator and sprinkle on yogurt, cold cereal or oatmeal.

35. Greek yogurt It has twice the protein of regular yogurt.

36. Dried tart cherries Researchers at Michigan State University

found their potent anthocyanins help control blood sugar, reduce
insulin and lower cholesterol.

37. Wheat germ A quarter-cup gives you more than 40% of your daily
vitamin E and immune-boosting selenium.

38. Whole-wheat english muffins You get 4 ½ grams of fiber for only
134 calories.

39. Tea Both green and black tea prevent hardening of the arteries,
according to researchers at the University of Scranton.

40. Peanut butter This smart spread has arginine, an amino acid that
helps keep blood vessels healthy.

41. Blackberries The king of the berry family boasts more antioxidants
than strawberries, cranberries or blueberries.

42. Mustard greens These “greens” (actually a cruciferous veggie)

are a top source of vitamin K. For a tasty pesto, chop them in a food
processor with garlic, walnuts, Parmesan and olive oil.

43. Grapes They’re a leading source of resveratrol, the plant chemical

responsible for the heart-healthy benefits of red wine.

44. Soy milk A good source of vegetable protein, calcium-enriched soy

milk has as much calcium and vitamin D as cow’s milk.

45. Brazil nuts They have more selenium than any other food. One
nut delivers your entire day’s worth!

46. Canola oil A Tbsp of this heart-healthy oil has all the alpha-
linolenic acid you need in a day, plus two different forms of vitamin E.

47. Blueberries They improve memory by protecting your brain from

inflammation and boosting communication between brain cells.

48. Oranges One orange supplies more than 100% of the vitamin C
you need in a day. It’s also a good source of calcium and folate.

49. Watercress With just 4 calories per cup, this cruciferous veggie
delivers a hefty dose of vitamin K, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene
and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

50. Turkey breast It has 20 grams of satisfying protein but just 90

calories per 3-oz serving.

51. Barley A top source of beta-glucan, a fiber that lowers cholesterol

and helps control blood sugar.

52. Shiitake mushrooms One serving (about ¼ lb) provides as much

vitamin D as you’d get from a glass of milk.