When you eat a good-for-you, well- balanced diet , many other things fall in place that keep your body working well. Foods that are rich in nutrients help fight infections and may help prevent illness. They’re delicious, too! Get to know the best sources.

If you're not quite sure how this saying goes, you can relax: Starving is never the correct answer.

Antioxidants

These can help keep your immune system strong. Antioxidants -- which include beta carotene and vitamins C and E -- are essential nutrients and can help keep your immune system strong. They help protect your body on the inside. One way they do that is to target “free radicals,” which are molecules that can harm things including cell membranes. By taking away their destructive power, antioxidants may help you stay healthy or bounce back faster if you do get sick.

The best way to include them in your diet is to eat more fruits and vegetables. If you cook them, use as little liquid as possible to keep the nutrients in the food.

Most health organizations recommend eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. That will give you plenty of antioxidants. For example, one quarter of a cantaloupe gives you nearly half the beta carotene you need in a day. Plus, it’s a rich source of vitamin C. And spinach gives you beta carotene, vitamin C, folic acid, and magnesium.

Foods rich in beta carotene and other carotenoids include: Apricots, asparagus, beef liver, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, guava, kale, mangoes, mustard and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash (yellow and winter), sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon.

Foods rich in vitamin C include: broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, orange juice, papaya, red, green or yellow pepper, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes.

Foods rich in vitamin E include: almonds, corn oil, cod-liver oil, hazelnuts, lobster, peanut butter, safflower oil, salmon steak, and sunflower seeds.