Women's changing bodies have varying nutritional needs, so finding the healthiest foods to eat requires some flexibility in the diet. In general, focus on iron-rich foods during child-bearing years, certain vitamins and minerals after age 50 and low-fat sources of protein throughout life.
For healthy skin, women's diets should include vitamin A, C and E food sources. To support heart health and other metabolic processes, the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend getting adequate fiber, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Enriched Cereal
Cereals with the lowest sugar are among the healthiest foods to eat daily. Some brands of breakfast cereal have elevated contents of iron, B vitamins and calcium. They also provide dietary fiber and protein, with almost no fat. Cereal is an important addition to women's diets before and during pregnancy, for its folic acid, or vitamin B-9, content, which helps prevent birth defects.
Women over 50 who need a consistent food source of B-12 should choose fortified cereal as well, note the USDA Dietary Guidelines. Some brands have added calcium and vitamin E content. Read the package label for the highest percent daily value, or DV, of the nutrients you most need.
Low-fat Dairy Products
Reduced-fat or nonfat yogurt and milk are among the American Heart Association's picks for the healthiest foods to eat daily. These low-fat protein items are also major food sources of calcium and vitamin D. Women's diets should include strong calcium contributions to build or maintain bone mass before and after menopause.
Fruits, Nuts, Legumes and Vegetables
Turn to plant-based food sources for a wide variety of vitamins and minerals in high-fiber, low-fat foods. Get large amounts of iron and other minerals from spinach, potatoes and legumes such as lentils and beans.
Find vitamin A in orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes, and vitamin E in nuts and green vegetables such as broccoli and collard greens. Most fruits offer high vitamin C content, as the USDA Nutrient Database relates.
Fish and Shellfish
Because women store more fat than men do, low-fat protein foods are instrumental in women's diets. The American Heart Association advises eating fish in two or more meals each week, as a substitute for higher-fat meats and poultry.
Salmon and other oily fish are among the healthiest foods for protein and B vitamins, as they also contain unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which have cardiovascular benefits. Clams and oysters make good choices for their high levels of dietary iron.
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