Tired of navigating your way through the grocery store aisles and buffet lines of life trying to avoid foods you know you should eat less of?

"Try instead to focus on foods you should eat more of," suggests registered dietician Nicole Enzminger. By switching your focus to what you should be taking in throughout the day, like plenty of fruits and vegetables, you may be less interested in what the dessert tray has to offer. At least not at every meal.

Enzminger, who works at Medcenter One, advocates choosing at least five to nine fruits and vegetables a day plus whole-grain breads and cereals, lean meat and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. And among those categories, there are certain foods that seem to pack an extra powerful nutrition punch.

Granted, fruits and vegetables have an unfair advantage. Naturally low in fat and high in fiber, produce has hundreds if not thousands of phytochemicals - the natural chemicals found in fruits and vegetables that give them their color and flavor and are credited with reducing the risk for diseases such as heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

That said, stock up on these nutrition marvels:

Baby carrots

Complete with all the benefits of regular carrots, including vitamin A, fiber and a plethora of phytochemicals like beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease, baby carrots don't require peeling and are fun and easy to eat on the run.

Broccoli

A star-member of the cruciferous vegetable family, broccoli's powerful phytochemicals are believed to detoxify cancer-causing substances before they have a chance to cause harm. Regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of breast, colon and stomach cancers, Enzminger said. Other good bets in the cruciferous family include brussells sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and bok choy.

Blueberries

Berry for berry, these little gems contain phytochemicals linked to maintaining brain and eye health, Enzminger said. Blueberries also are credited for reducing risk for heart disease and cancer and can help you lower your cholesterol. One more plus: just like cranberries, blueberries seem to fight off urinary-tract infections by preventing E. coli bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.

Oranges

One of the few fruits North Dakotans can enjoy throughout the year, oranges are an excellent source of folate - a B vitamin found to reduce risk of stroke, heart disease and colon cancer - plus vitamin C and potassium, a mineral needed for normal muscle contraction (i.e., cramp relief). Oranges also supply pectin, a cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, and, according to American Journal of Nutrition, more than 100 health-promoting antioxidants linked to lung and eye health.

Oatmeal

Packed with soluble fiber, oatmeal has been proven to reduce blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease, said Kathy Stewart, a registered licensed dietitian at St. Alexius Medical Center.

Because soluble fiber tends to bind to cholesterol in the intestinal tract, it reduces the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed, Stewart said. Other good sources of soluble fiber are brown rice and barley.

Another plus: The dietary fiber and protein in whole-grain products like oatmeal make you feel full fast. If you're trying to lose weight or lower your cholesterol, make oatmeal a part of your daily routine.

Beans

Beans offer a hearty supply of fiber, potassium, folic acid and protein, are low in fat and contain no cholesterol. Enzminger recommends eating a variety of beans throughout the week, including kidney, garbanzo, pinto, lentil and split pea. Try adding beans to soups or salads. To head off bean-induced aftereffects, take Beano just before eating. Beano, by the way, advertises that it works just as well on other culinary culprits, including vegetables and certain grains.

Salmon

Like all fish, salmon is an excellent

source of protein. But what makes salmon such a great catch is its omega-3 fats, which are associated with reduced heart-disease risk and may help protect brain cells from the diseases like Alzheimer's. Other good sources of omega-3s: tuna, herring and mackerel.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes' claim to fame is lycopene, the antioxidant that gives this red vegetable its rich color and is credited for fighting prostate cancer, Enzminger said. An interesting attribute of lycopene is that it is more potent when tomatoes are cooked, so good sources include tomato sauce, tomato soup and catsup.

"Raw tomatoes are a good source, too," Enminger said. They're also a good source of vitamin C.

Spinach

One of many vitamin-packed leafy green vegetables, spinach is loaded with iron and folate plus two important phytochemicals - lutein and zeaxanthin - that appear to be critical in warding off macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, Enzminger said. Other greens to eat more of: kale, Swiss chard and collard greens.

Yogurt

With protein, calcium, magnesium, riboflavin, vitamins B-6 and B-12 and vitamin D, plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt is as nutritious as skim milk. Add fresh fruit for added nutrition and choose yogurt that lists "live active cultures" which help decrease the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

Watch for upcoming reports linking low-fat dairy products to weight loss. A recent study conducted at the University of Tennessee's Nutrition Institute reported that adults on a reduced-calorie diet that included three to four daily servings of milk, cheese or yogurt lost more than a control group who also reduced calories, but ate no dairy. The study's theory, Enzminger said, is that the mix of essential nutrients in dairy foods appears to speed up metabolism and improve the body's ability to burn fat.

Nuts

Though they're high in calories and fat, nuts are an excellent source of the "good" fat - the kind that lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - and can help reduce the risk for heart disease. Nuts also are a great source of fiber vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that may help ward off heart disease and cancer.

Add them to dried fruit for even more fiber and nutrition.

Beef

Women in particular are notorious for avoiding beef. The problem with that is they miss out on the vitamins and minerals specific to red meat, particularly iron.

"Beef is such a good source of iron," said Stewart, who recommends choosing lean cuts of red meat three or four days a week to achieve recommended daily values for iron.

To maximize iron absorption, choose orange juice or fresh pineapple with your steak.

"Eating foods high in vitamin C help with iron absorption," Stewart said.

On the other hand, calcium can interfere with absorption, so skip the milk when you choose beef.

As a general rule of thumb when it comes to nutrition, Enzminger encourages variety.

"Over the course of the day, look at the types of food you're eating and look at the color. You should have a variety of food groups and a variety of colors, particularly when it comes to fruits and vegetables," she said.

Another rule of thumb: "If you're eating more desserts than fruits and vegetables, something's out of whack." Good rule.

(Marnie Walth is a marketing coordinator in Bismarck and a self-professed fitness fanatic.)