Better Off Red

Beans may be a near-perfect health food -- especially if they're red.

We already know that beans are a great source of fiber and vegetable protein. But red kidney beans are also stellar when it comes to packing an antioxidant punch. In fact, red beans are right up there with blueberries when it comes to total antioxidant value. So brighten up your salads and stews by tossing in some crimson-colored beauties.

In addition to red kidney beans, other antioxidant champions include artichokes, russet potatoes, pinto beans, sweet cherries, plums, and pecans. What's so great about antioxidants? They help guard against the cell damage that can lead to cancer, heart disease, and early aging by swiftly mopping up free radicals -- cell-process by-products that can damage DNA. Here are the antioxidant winners in a recent study, which examined over 100 different plant-food sources:

Fruits: Cranberries, blueberries, blackberries
Vegetables: beans (red, kidney, pinto, and black), artichokes, and russet potatoes
Nuts: pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts