What it does: Boosts your immune system, improves lung function, and helps maintain eyes, teeth, and gums.
Why you need it: The good news is that vitamin A deficiencies are rarely seen in developed countries, but in places where malnourishment is common, side effects include night blindness (or even total blindness), maternal mortality, and poor lactation.
Where to find it: Mangoes, cantaloupes, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and fortified dairy products.
Helpful hint: In addition to its powerful punch of vitamin A, spinach is loaded with lutein, an antioxidant thought to preserve eye health. New research indicates that lutein can also benefit the heart by keeping arteries healthy.

What it does: This powerful antioxidant promotes healing and assists in the absorption of other vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C also improves heart health and has been found to have anti-aging benefits.Why you need it: A lack of vitamin C can lead to soft, bleeding gums and age spots. In extreme cases, a C deficiency can lead to scurvy.
Where to find it: Strawberries, citrus fruits, melons, broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach.
Helpful hint: Tomatoes are a highly nutritious staple when fresh. When cooked for long periods of time, as in sauces, they bring an added bonus: lycopene, a red-colored carotene that has been shown to benefit overall health.

What it does: Promotes colon, muscle, bone, and dental health, and also can help regulate hormones and reduce stress. But vitamin D’s most important jobs is to aid in the body’s absorption of calcium.
Why you need it: It may surprise you to learn that many people are vitamin D deficient, which can lead to bone loss, kidney and liver disorders, and osteoporosis. Some experts have begun pointing to the widespread use of sunscreen—which blocks the absorption of vitamin D from the sun—for the increasing number of deficiency cases. So have your doctor check your D levels at your next checkup.
Where to find it: Fortified dairy and cereal products, some fatty fish.

What it does: Prevents cell damage from such external factors as environmental pollutants. This antioxidant also boosts immunity and cognitive function and promotes skin, eye, and heart health.
Why you need it: Like vitamin A, vitamin E deficiencies are rare; patients with fat-malabsorption disorders are more likely to become deficient.
Where to find it: Peanut butter, almonds, vegetable oil, sunflower seeds, and blueberries.
Helpful hint: According to researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Center, blueberries are No. 1 in antioxidant activity when compared to other fresh fruits and vegetables. The antioxidant activity of blueberries is attributed to blue pigments called anthocyanins, which have been shown in studies to help preserve brain, eye, and vascular health.

What it does: Regulates calcium levels and maintains the blood’s ability to clot normally. Some studies show that vitamin K can help the elderly keep their bones strong.
Why you need it: A lack of vitamin K can lead to increased bruising or bleeding, but true deficiencies are uncommon in otherwise healthy people and generally occur only after taking a long-term course of antibiotics.
Where to find it: Dark green vegetables (think kale, broccoli, and romaine lettuce), soybeans, and canola oil.
Helpful hint: Kale is rich in both vitamin K and immune-boosting carotenoids—beta-carotene and lutein—and, as a cruciferous vegetable, has powerful phytochemicals. There are several varieties of kale available, including common kale, Russian kale (with a reddish color), and dinosaur (or Lacinato) kale.

What it does: Helps cells convert food into energy.
Why you need it: Usually seen only among heavy drinkers, a vitamin B1 deficiency can cause weakness, fatigue, and even nerve tingling.
Where to find it: Enriched grain products, rice, beans, and nuts.

What it does: Promotes healthy growth in children and acts as a support vitamin that aids in the absorption and function of other B vitamins.
Why you need it: Many people who become deficient in vitamin B2 notice inflammation around their mouth and gums and can even develop anemia.
Where to find it: Almonds, dairy products, avocados, fortified grain products, and dark green vegetables.

What it does: Releases energy from the protein, fats, and carbohydrates we eat. It has also been found to help treat high cholesterol and elevated triglycerides.
Why you need it: A lack of vitamin B3 can lead to bouts of dermatitis (dry, itchy skin) and digestive problems.
Where to find it: Meat, fish, peanuts, and whole grains.
Helpful hint: When opting for red meat, try grass-fed beef: It’s lean, with a favorable omega-3/omega-6 ratio, and with increased levels of vitamin E and the beneficial conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).

What it does: Vitamin B6 is especially important for women, since it can help regulate the menstrual cycle. (And B6 supplements have even been found to ease morning sickness in pregnant women.) But it also aids in the formation of insulin, disease antibodies, and hemoglobin.
Why you need it: Many patients who seek treatment for chronic headaches or anemia find their problems are caused by a vitamin B6 deficiency.
Where to find it: Poultry, fish, pork, egg yolks, bananas, and avocados.

What it does: Regulates metabolism and boosts red-blood-cell formation.
Why you need it: If you don’t get enough B12, you can start to experience fatigue and even develop mild depression and anemia.
Where to find it: Eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, and dairy products.

What it does: Aids in the release of energy from carbohydrates and helps the body metabolize the “good fat” (meaning the unsaturated fats) from food. It also helps reduce stress and regulate our moods.
Why you need it: Without adequate pantothenic acid you can experience fatigue and moodiness. Some people develop a skin rash.
Where to find it: Peas, starchy beans, lean beef, poultry, and whole grain cereals.
What it does: Metabolizes carbohydrates, fat, and protein, and turns them into energy. It can also improve the makeup of the DNA and RNA we pass on to our children.
Why you need it: A biotin deficiency can slow metabolism to a crawl and cause weight gain.
Where to find it: Egg yolks and liver. (Although it’s wise to limit your yolk intake to guard against high cholesterol, it’s okay to mix in a little with your egg whites. In fact, many prepackaged egg whites come with some yolk in order to provide a biotin boost.)

What it does: Folic acid is especially important for women of child-bearing age, as it has been found to help prevent brain and spinal-cord birth defects when taken before and during pregnancy.
Why you need it: Aside from jeopardizing the health of any baby you may have in the near future, a folic acid deficiency can also lead to diarrhea, mouth ulcers, anemia, and gray hair.
Where to find it: Peas, peanuts, oranges, fortified cereal, and dark green, leafy vegetables.

What it does: Choline is the guardian angel that protects your liver and gall bladder from the toxins they help to flush from the body. Choline also boosts cognitive function in adults and brain development in children.
Why you need it: Not getting enough choline can result in memory loss and even liver damage.
Where to find it: Egg yolks, leafy greens, and nuts.

What it does: This mineral is well-known for building strong bones and teeth, but it also aids in muscle contraction and blood coagulation, and can even lessen the symptoms of menopause.
Why you need it: A prolonged calcium deficiency can result in bone loss and osteoporosis. Many women are calcium deficient, so talk to your doctor about taking a supplement at your next checkup.
Where to find it: Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, fortified cereals, and canned sardines.

What it does: Prevents anemia (a condition where there is a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells in the blood).
Why you need it: Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, causing fatigue and even fainting spells. It occurs in 20 percent of women and 50 percent of expectant mothers, so ask your doctor if you’re at risk—especially if you’re thinking about conceiving.
Where to find it: Lean beef, pork, soybeans, chicken, and legumes.

What it does: This mineral maintains the body’s balance and distribution of water. It also aids in insulin secretion and boosts heart and kidney health.
Why you need it: Potassium deficiencies occur mainly in elderly people and can cause fatigue, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal troubles (including vomiting and diarrhea), muscle weakness, slow reflexes, and even dry skin.
Where to find it: Oranges, bananas, vegetables, potatoes, and milk.
What it does: Contributes to the body’s metabolism of carbohydrates, boosts immune function, and promotes healthy growth and sexual development in children.
Why you need it: Low zinc levels can cause a myriad of symptoms, including slow growth in kids, decreased appetite, hair loss, and delayed healing from simple cuts and abrasions.
Where to find it: Beef, turkey, fish, and whole grain bread made with yeast.

Although they’re neither vitamins nor minerals, fiber and water are essential parts of any healthy diet. Fiber not only regulates digestion but has also been found to improve heart heath and minimize cholesterol, and it may even have cancer-fighting benefits. If your diet is lacking in fiber, chances are you’ll know it; you’re likely to become uncomfortably constipated as a result. To turn the focus on fiber, look to oats, beans, whole grains, fruit (like apples, with the skin on), and vegetables. Helpful hint: The doctor was right—an apple a day is beneficial for heart and lung health. Most of the antioxidant power and fiber in the apple lies in the skin, so try new varieties and enjoy them sliced or whole.

Water is vital in helping the body absorb vitamins and minerals and helps prevent dehydration, a dangerous state that can adversely affect the oxygenation of the blood and cause all the body’s major systems to begin to shut down.

Now that you know which foods you and your family should be eating to maximize your health, you’re probably ready to head to the supermarket. But before you start filling your shopping cart, think about buying fresh, local produce instead. “Fruits and vegetables that have to travel aren’t picked at their ripest,” explains Reed. “And since all the nutritional value in these goodies comes from their stems, once they’re picked you lose the nutritional source.”

Your best bet is to buy fruits and vegetables from a farm stand or farmer’s market so you know they’re as fresh as possible—which means they’ve been allowed to ripen on the vine and often were picked that morning. The best news is that during the summer months, so many fruits and vegetables are in season in New Jersey. (For a rundown on what you can expect to find at your local farm stand and when it’s at its best, see our sidebar, “Bumper Crops.”) But good foods can be found everywhere—you just need to know where to look.

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For a referral to a dietician, call (866) 393-9272.

Bumper Crops