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We all know that when it comes to getting, and staying, healthy, the one of the best places to start is with what you're putting into your body, and on your plate, at each meal. Nutrient rich foods are natural sources of the things your body needs to stay healthy and disease free. Best of all, you can start enjoying these superfoods at any age!

For 20-somethings...

Be sure you're doing all you can to build your bone mass, as this is the last chance you'll get to do so. According to government numbers, more than half of women in their 20s don't get the 1,000mg of calcium they need each day. Most of us get about half that amount. Later on, eating right and exercising will help you keep the bone mass you've built in these years.

Great sources of bone building calcium include a cup of plain, nonfat yogurt, one cup of calcium fortified soy milk or orange juice, one cup of fat free milk or one ounce of cheddar cheese.

Folate is another important nutrient at this age, and if you're planning to become pregnant, you should be aware of how much you're getting. As many as 70% of neural tube defects (including spina bifida) could be prevented if women got enough of this important vitamin at the right time. Even if you're just "trying" go for 400 mcg daily and up this to 600 mcg once you become pregnant.

You'll want to get your folate in supplement form for best absorption, and try natural sources like cereal with 100% the daily value (400 mcg) of folic acid, 4 spears of asparagus, a cup of raw spinach, one ounce of peanuts, or a slice of whole wheat bread.

For 30-somethings...

Iron is a fantastic fatigue fighter, and this is key during the time of your life when you're juggling family, work and relationships. Many women in this age group aren't eating much meat and don't get the 18mg of iron recommended by experts. Your body gets the most iron from animal protein, plant foods can give you more if you pair them with foods that are loaded with vitamin C, like strawberries or red peppers.

Your best sources of iron are ¾ cup fortified cereal (18 mc of iron), a half cup white beans, a half cup cooked spinach, 3 ounces of beef or chicken.

The 30s are also a great time to help out your heart by adding omega-3 fats, as eating them regularly can cut your risk of heart disease by lowering those triglycerides. You'll want to eat at least two servings of low mercury fish each week. Seafood sources of omega-3s are best for brain health.

Best bets for these heart-healthy omega-3 fats are three ounces of salmon, flounder, halibut, shrimp, or canned light tuna.

For 40-somethings...

Fiber is your friend in the 40s, as it will help you feel fuller and eat less. At this age your metabolism is slowing, and your muscle mass getting smaller, so the calories you need a day drop by about 100. Fiber also keeps constipation (more common as you get older) at bay while also bringing down cholesterol numbers. We need 25 grams daily, but most women get far less than this.

Get enough with a half cup 100% bran cereal, half a cup black beans, a small pear with skin, a half cup raspberries, an ounce of almonds or a half cup of whole wheat pasta.

Potassium is another good nutrient at this age. This is the time of life when blood pressure can start creeping up, but if you do something now you could avoid medication altogether. Getting enough potassium doesn't just lower that elevated blood pressure; it also works well against the blood pressure raising effects of sodium. It might even lessen bone loss. Hit the 4,700 mg a day mark to get the benefits to your body.

Get enough by enjoying a medium sweet potato or potato, a medium banana, three ounces of pork tenderloin, a cup of fat free milk or a half-cup of cooked lentils.

There's now good evidence that eating foods rich in antioxidants might spare you from cognitive decline (even dementia and Alzheimer's) according to work out of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. You'll want to get the most antioxidant content you can, so try for 5 servings of these foods each day.

Best bets for antioxidants are a cup of blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, a half cup dried plumbs, a Granny Smith apple, a cup of red grapes - veggies include a medium russet potato, a cup of artichoke hearts, a half cup broccoli or a half cup of raw red cabbage.

For 50-somethings...
Now's the time that vitamin D can really help, every cell in your body needs this nutrient to work, which might explain why its been tied to so many health benefits - everything from lowering risk for cancer to protecting against depression. You want to try for the minimum 400IU, but at this age people make about 30% less from simple exposure to the sun so what you get from diet becomes even more important.

Best bets for vitamin D include 3 ounces of canned light tuna, a cup of D-fortified milk/juice or one egg. Most multivitamins give you 400IUs a day, though you might want to add a vitamin D supplement of 1,000 IUs a day, an amount that many experts are now recommending.

Another great nutrient, B12, will help you stay sharp, but most people over 50 don't produce enough stomach acid to digest the vitamin from the foods we eat. That's troubling since this vitamin is needed to produce red blood cells and involved in brain function. Low B12 levels can bring on high levels of homocysteine, linked to heart disease. Your doctor can test your B12 levels if you're worried.

This is an age where you'll do better to take the B12 in supplement form, as you'll absorb it better and more easily. A multivitamin or a bowl or fortified cereal (100% DV of B12) will give you what you need. 2.5mcg a day is what you'll be shooting for.

Some great sources of B12 include a cup of that fortified cereal, three ounces of beef, a cup of yogurt or a cup of milk.

Kirsten Whittaker
Daily Health Bulletin Editor

Other sources: CNN health.com