PRODUCE: EAT LESS OF MORE

Go for the mixed vegetables: Colorado State University researchers report that when it comes to produce, variety may trump quantity. The scientists discovered that, despite eating one less serving daily, people who consumed a wider array of fruits and vegetables experienced more health benefits than those who chose from a smaller assortment. The protective mojo of plant foods comes from phytochemicals, compounds that guard cells against damaging oxidation—like Rust-Oleum for your DNA. However, phyto chemicals vary from one botanical family to another. “We saw more benefit from smaller amounts of many different phytochemicals than from larger amounts of a few,” says lead study author Henry Thompson, Ph.D. To see a list of the 18 botanical families you should be choosing from regularly— and the common fruits and vegetables in each.