We called on nine nutritional savants—medical doctors, Ph.D.s, the head of a major health organization, a senior medical correspondent—who serve up nutritional advice to the general public for a living. Here are their "perfect foods" and why they chose them.

Breakfast of Champions
"Cereals. Four or five kinds, actually—whole-grain corn puffs, Cheerios, shredded wheat, Bran Buds, corn bran, or oat squares—with 10 ounces of "half-percent" milk," she explains. "I mix skim and 1 percent milk because I like the taste better than pure skim. I top off the cereal with pineapple, raisins, bananas, or strawberries—whatever is in season—and always walnuts. You can call it my breakfast salad. I'm looking for a good nutrient mix of vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, and calcium that also tastes good. Plus it keeps me feeling full for four or five hours. But most important, I just love eating it. The combination is so interesting," she adds.
Jane Brody, personal-health columnist for the New York Times and author of Jane Brody's Nutrition Book and nine other books

Recipe: Three-Grain Breakfast Cereal with Walnuts and Dried Fruit

Talking Tofu
"My favorite foods are red wine and dark chocolate. My perfect food is tofu, made from soybeans. I combine it with dark chocolate to make a tasty pudding. That's the great thing about tofu—mix it with anything and it magically takes on the taste of those foods you can't live without, like chocolate. Other virtues of tofu are that it not only may help reduce the symptoms of menopause—hot flashes and so on—but it also may help lower cholesterol and cut the risk for breast cancer (although the jury is still out on that). Tofu is also a great choice if you're looking for plant sources of protein. I like other sources of soy for the same reasons. When I don't want to cook, which is quite often, or get home late at night after a conference, I'll usually open up a can of spicy vegetarian chili that has lots of—you guessed it—soy protein."
Susan Love, M.D., medical director of the Susan Love, M.D., Breast Cancer Foundation and author of Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book

Recipe: Ma Po Tofu

Hooked on Tuna
"I love tuna. I eat as much of it as I can. It's a lean source of protein, has heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, and is low in calories. Most of all, I'm in love with the taste. I go to a restaurant across the street from where I live and order fresh grilled tuna several nights a week. I like it plain with no spices—maybe the chef puts a little olive oil and garlic on top. Actually, I try to eat grilled tuna everywhere I can, even on the road."
Marianne J. Legato, M.D., founder of The Partnership for Women's Health at Columbia University and author of Eve's Rib: The New Science of Gender-Specific Medicine and How It Can Save Your Life

Recipe: Grilled Tuna Sandwiches with Onions, Bell Peppers, and Chile-Cilantro Mayonnaise

Salad Days
"I have a perfect dish. It's a salad that includes greens like baby spinach and green lettuce, almonds, modest amounts of a flavorful cheese like chévre, a seasonal fruit like grapes, and perhaps an olive oil and vinegar dressing. The greens and fruit provide fiber and many vitamins and phytochemicals. The nuts provide healthy fats and more vitamins in a crunchy and tasty form, and the small amount of cheese delivers great flavor and some calcium. The dressing adds more healthy fats, energy, and antioxidants. And the best part is you can make it in an almost infinite number of ways, using your favorite ingredients."
Walter Willett, M.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and author of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy

Recipe: Frisee, Baby Spinach, and Golden Beet Salad

Health by Chocolate
"Here's a bit of a curveball: high-quality dark chocolate. I'm talking Belgian or French chocolate with no ingredients other than cocoa or chocolate liqueur, cocoa butter, and sugar, and maybe tiny amounts of flavoring like vanilla. It's a portable, highly concentrated source of nutrition. The dark kind usually has lower amounts of sugar compared with milk chocolate, and most of the saturated fat comes in the form of stearic acid, which is converted in the body to oleic acid—the main fatty acid in heart-healthy olive oil. Plus, it has antioxidants. All of which are good for heart health. I eat it pretty regularly�an ounce or two every couple of days."
Andrew Weil, M.D., author of The Healthy Kitchen

Recipe: Shrimp with Mole Poblano

Bowled Over by Fruit Salad
"A perfect food for me is fruit salad. I make it using cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, pears, and dried cranberries. It's sweet and healthy at the same time. It's low in calories and fat, and high in phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, and other vitamins essential for good health. Studies suggest that increasing your fruit consumption can help reduce your chances of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fruit also leaves you feeling fuller longer, which can help with weight maintenance. The other benefit is that you can find these fruits almost year-round now in the produce aisle of most supermarkets."
Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders

Recipe: Melon, Berry, and Pear Salad with Cayenne-Lemon-Mint Syrup

Blueberries—A Pint of Cure
"Pint for pint, berry for berry, blueberries are just packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals�and they taste great as well. You can find them year-round in supermarkets. They may be a hedge against Alzheimer's and colon cancer, plus they help fight the aging process—wrinkled skin and so on. I usually have a big bowl of them at home; I'll also put them on cereal and on ice cream instead of chocolate or caramel sauce. As a doctor, I'm always looking for foods that work for your health and are delicious to eat. These wonderful berries deliver on both fronts."
Sanjay Gupta, M.D., senior medical correspondent for CNN

Recipe: Chicken with Blueberry-Ginger Chutney

Souping Up Supper
"My perfect food is a perfect meal—vegetable soup using V8 juice (the spicy kind) and water as a base with a mixture of vegetables, especially corn, lima beans, tomatoes, green peas, carrots, and other veggies I have on hand, fresh or frozen. I'll add a dash of cayenne (ground red) pepper, garlic powder, white pepper, and a small piece of cinnamon stick (my secret) that is left in the soup only for a short while. I go heavy on herbs like basil and rosemary, and might add some chopped chicken or diced stew beef for flavor. It's a one-pot meal, easy to make, tastes great, and delivers several servings of vegetables, as well as phytochemicals, vitamins, and fiber in a single bowl. Plus, it provides leftovers during those busy weeks."
Vivian W. Pinn, M.D., director of the Office of Research on Women�s Health, National Institutes of Health

Recipe: Chilled Vegetable Basil Soup with Vegetable Confetti

Rewarding Raspberries
"I love to eat raspberries straight—no sugar, perhaps with some low-fat frozen yogurt for dessert or paired with blueberries when they're in season. I also put them on my cereal in the morning and just snack on them during the day. I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, so I have a deep appreciation for fresh fruits and vegetables. I also appreciate raspberries' nutritional benefits. They are a storehouse of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. Raspberries' lignans and ellagic acid may reduce the risk of some cancers, and the phytochemicals may help promote heart health. I have my own raspberry bushes at home and get a good crop in July and then again in November. I can sum up the berries in two words: They're sweet."
Susan Laramee, M.S., R.D., president of the American Dietetic Association

Recipe: Raspberry-Mango Crisp