The 20 fittest foods: we count down the absolute best foods you can pile on your plate. How does your diet stack up?

Men's Fitness, April, 2006

It's true. You really are what you eat. And that's why some days you end up feeling more like a cream-filled Twinkie than the lean cut of beef you aspire to.

But you probably already know that. That's why, like all of us, you're most likely trying to clean up your act and start eating healthy. But the truth is, that's just not enough. Because if you're gorging yourself en apples, bananas, and salads made with iceberg lettuce, you may bc eating healthy--but you're not eating smart.

In order to build the body you want--the thunderous arms and the rock-hard abs, the lightning-quick brain and the unquenchable libido--you need to make every bite of food you put in your mouth count. That means building your diet around the most potent, nutrient-dense, disease-fighting, muscle-growing foods around.

But where do you start? And what thuds are the absolute fittest? To find out, we decided to put some of the nation's top nutritionists to the test. First, we polled 40 of the country's most respected food experts--registered dietitians, college nutrition professors, and authors--asking them each: What are the 10 most important foods every guy should include in his diet for maximum fitness?

Then, as the results rolled in, we ranked our experts' recommendations. The more often foods appeared in the survey results, and the higher those foods' position on the list, the more overall points they were awarded.

Which foods made the list? How much of each should you cat on a weekly basis? How much fitter can your diet get? Read on to find out.

20 TURKEY BREAST 72 CALORIES PER 3-OZ SERVING EAT 3 SERVINGS PER WEEK

Buy it skinless and you get seven grams of muscle-building protein per ounce. Turkey is high in B vitamins, zinc (a known booster of sperm production), and the cancer fighter selenium. "It's also got a ton of amino acids, and there are little or no saturated fats," says Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D., a nutritionist in Reading, Mass. "Pius, it's one of the most versatile cuts of meat around, so you can easily eat it throughout the week and never have the same thing twice."

19 OLIVE OIL 119 CALORIES PER TBSP EAT 2 TBSP PER DAY

Olive oil is rich in good monounsaturated fat, making it an ideal food for heart health. In fact, studies show that replacing two tablespoons of saturated fat (found in butter and lard) with monounsaturated fat may reduce the risk of heart disease. But that's not the only reason to eat it. A study in the journal Nature reports that olive all also has potent anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it can help reduce pain and swelling just like a dose of ibuprofen. In addition to cooking with olive oil and using it as a dressing for your salad, you can get even more in your diet by mixing a tablespoon or two into your daily protein shake.

18 QUINOA 318 CALORIES PER HALF CUP EAT 2-3 SERVINGS PER WEEK

Chances are you may not be familiar with this exotic whole grain grown in the Andes mountains. But you should be. It has a light, mild flavor--making it ideal for guys who hate other whole grains. Even better, it's higher in protein than any other grain around, and it packs a hefty dose of heart-healthy, unsaturated fats. "Quinoa is also a great source of fiber and B vitamins," says Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Louisville.

17 BLACK BEANS 227 CALORIES PER CUP EAT 2 SERVINGS PER WEEK

Tiny as they are, beans can help you feel energized and fuller longer than almost anything else you can eat. The reason is twofold: They're incredibly high in fiber, which swells in your stomach and promotes a feeling of fullness. And they're stuffed with a highly complex form of carbohydrate that can take your body a long while to convert into energy. Like meat, they're also packed with protein. But unlike meat, they have no saturated fat. "Beans of all types are always high on most nutritionists' lists," says Chicago-based nutritionist Jennifer R. Bathgate, R.D. So why'd our experts pick the black variety? Easy. Ounce for ounce, they have more fiber per serving than any other member of the legume family.

16 GREEN TEA 2 CALORIES PER CUP DRINK 1-3 CUPS PER DAY

From cancer prevention to weight loss to potentially slowing the development of Alzheimer's, green tea has been shown to help fight almost every major medical ill. "Hot or cold, there's almost nothing better you can drink," says Mohr. Not the tea-bagging type? Try buying a liquid extract. Drop a bit in water and voila! Instant tea.

15 EGGS 74 CALORIES PER LARGE EGG EAT 3-7 EGGS PER WEEK

"An egg a day is A-OK," says Ward. Here's why: Eggs contain a heavy-hitting four grams of pure muscle-building amino acids inside every shell, in addition to boasting one of the highest naturally available doses around of a vitamin called choline, which is thought to help enhance memory. "They're the gold standard in terms of providing all the right nutrients for muscle growth," says Ward.

14 MILK 118 CALORIES PER CUP GET 3 SERVINGS OF DAIRY PER DAY

You know milk does a body good, but you may not know that skipping dairy makes your body angry, sort of. When you're not getting enough, your body releases hormones that cause your cells to retain calcium--and fat, says Michael Zemel, Ph.D., director of The Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee. Calories still count, so you should drink your milk by the glass rather than the gallon. But just make sure you get some. "There are components in dairy that help turn en your body's fat-burning system and slow down the storage of fat," says Zemel. And although other forms of supplements are great, this is one case in which the real thing works the best.