Find out what makes 7 foods so nutritionally superior - KSAT San Antonio

WESTON, Fla. -

Millions of Americans take vitamins in an effort to stay healthy but getting the right nutrition can be as simple as picking the right foods.

"My patients are always asking me 'what do I need to eat?'," said Cleveland Clinic Nutritionist Lillian Craggs-Dino. "The simple answer is 'healthy' but to make things even easier, I came up with a list of 7 nutritionally dense foods."

Craggs-Dino said nutrition density is measured by the amount of vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients, probiotics, fiber and low-fat protein a particular food contains.

"I wanted to offer a variety of things.  It was a hard list to make," she said.

First on Craggs-Dino's list are apricots, fresh or dried.

"These are a great source of beta carotene and vitamin A.  As a matter of fact, one apricot has over 900 international units of vitamin A, that's spectacular," said Craggs-Dino. 

Slightly warmed, Craggs-Dino said apricots can also aid digestive health.

Next on her list, black beans.

"These contain high levels of insoluble fiber, which reduces cholesterol and blood pressure," she said.

Third on the list, Greek yogurt.

"It has friendly bacteria, probiotics, and it's a good source of protein that's lower in sugar than conventional yogurt," said Craggs-Dino.

Craggs-Dino said Greek yogurt also contains conjugated linoleic acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation.

When it comes to vegetables, kale is king among many experts.

"Scientists have identified over 45 antioxidants that are found in kale. In addition, it's high in vitamin A, vitamin K and calcium," she said.

Sardines are not the most popular fish but they make the list for their super high content of omega 3's, as well as the levels of vitamin D and vitamin B-12 and calcium found in these little fish.

Sweet potatoes, which are actually a root, were chosen as a low-carbohydrate-high fiber source of vitamin A and beta carotene, and rounding out the list are walnuts.

"While I struggled between walnuts and almonds, which are both good cancer-fighting nuts, I chose walnuts because they're the only plant source of omega 3's," said Craggs-Dino. "For people who don't eat fish or strict vegans, this is a great way to get omega 3's and walnuts also have over six grams of vitamin E, which is good for cardiovascular health and fighting cancer."

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