In an ideal world, we wouldn’t go first to a pharmacist to address maladies ranging from the common cold to cancer; instead, we’d create grocery shopping lists aimed at fostering optimal health. Good nutrition may not cure disease, but a growing body of research shows it could do something even more powerful: help prevent disease. “By choosing foods wisely, we can control our health destiny,” says Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat for Health (Gift of Health, 2008). “But we can’t make small, moderate changes to the average diet and expect prevention; we need to make aggressive, radical changes.”

Fuhrman developed a comprehensive nutrient-per-calorie ranking system, which he calls the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI). The charts on the following pages list the top ANDI-ranked foods by category. Use them as guides to make the healthiest eating choices for you and your family.