A healthy genetic blueprint doesn’t guarantee you’ll stay healthy or age gracefully. Sure, it plays a part, but lifestyle choices, including diet, play a huge role in supporting our immune system and slowing (or accelerating!) our aging clocks.

With our hectic lifestyles, it’s ultra easy to skip a meal or eat the wrong thing. We all do it. But a busy day  doesn’t have to stand in the way of feeling your best. Yes, a multivitamin is great insurance for days when you do miss a meal (or two!), but real food should always be your primary source of nutrients. Besides, mega-dosing with supplements can actually have pro-oxidant (pro-aging) effects.

Antioxidants, on the other hand, are vitamin-like compounds that naturally occur in whole foods. They boost our immune system and researchers believe they also help slow the aging process.

Here is a convenient shopping list of foods to keep your energy revved and your immune system charged, and to slow aging. Post it on the fridge and keep a generous sampling of these foods on hand. You’ll not only be prepared to whip up an easy and delicious meal or snack when hunger strikes or friends come knocking, but they’ll pull double duty keeping your disease risk down.

1. Berries: Although all whole fruits are stellar sources of nutrients, berries stand out. They contain many antioxidants, and fresh berries are a delicious way to give your memory a boost as well as protect your body against cancer and heart disease. Their vitamins are at peak amounts when the berries are freshly picked. Fresh berries are also better if you’re watching your weight because the extra water they contain makes them more filling. Enjoy berries stirred into yogurt, sprinkled on cereal, blended in smoothies or whipped in a frothy mousse.

2. Citrus: Whether it’s that cold and pulpy morning sipper, an energizing snack, juicy segments in a salad, or a sweet ending to your evening meal, citrus — grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes — fits just about anywhere. One orange has a whole day’s vitamin C requirement — but did you know that 53 percent of the vitamin C is found in the peel? And those vibrant outer peels contain limonene, also thought to inhibit a variety of cancers.

A slew of flavonoids in citrus juice lower the liver’s production of cholesterol, inhibit blood clot formation and boost the bang of vitamin C. Citrus fruits are also loaded with soluble fiber. The primary form, pectin, binds and dilutes cancerous substances in the intestinal tract, lowers cholesterol and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

3. Vegetables: There’s not a bad one in the bunch — but which is better, raw or cooked? Some vitamins are water soluble, meaning they’re lost through cooking. Others, fat-soluble vitamins, become more concentrated through cooking, when some of the water is lost. The best solution is to eat a variety of different colors, both raw and cooked, as the rainbow of colors reflect the wide range of vitamins they contain.

Their powerful antioxidant effects boost immune system function, provides protection from sunburn and inhibits the development of certain types of cancers. Vitamin A is also involved in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin and hair.

4. Whole grains: The grain family includes barley, corn, millet, oats, brown rice, rye and wheat. In addition to protein, B vitamins, minerals and fiber, they contain antioxidants — most of them were intended to safeguard the plant, but emerging research says they protect us, too. Beneficial effects against heart disease, some cancers, obesity and diabetes are being touted. Sure, they take a little longer to prepare than their quick counterparts, but the benefits — and flavor — they provide are well worth it.

5. Salmon and Omega-3-rich fish: Omega-3s are essential fatty acids — our body doesn’t produce them so it’s essential we include them in our diet. In addition to brain function, omega-3s are vital for healthy skin, hair, and our heart and nervous systems. Though coldwater fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herring) are premier sources, omega-3s are also found in seaweed, watercress, flaxseed, walnuts and almonds. The plant forms take longer to convert to the active form we need, so coldwater fish are the optimal sources.

6. Beans and legumes: These inexpensive, powerhouse foods have priceless benefits. The legume family — beans, peas, peanuts and lentils — are excellent sources of fiber and rich in folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and antioxidants. Their high protein and complex carbohydrate profile provides steady energy that lasts for hours.

A daily serving of cooked beans may lower blood cholesterol by as much as 18 percent. Most legumes contain protease inhibitors, compounds thought to suppress cancer cells and to slow tumor growth.

The peanut is a legume, too. It contains resveratrol, an antioxidant that fights heart disease by decreasing cholesterol and preventing blood clotting.

7. Nuts and seeds: It’s true most of their calories are from fat, but our bodies need some of the good fats that nuts and seeds contain. When combined with a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains, they provide protection from heart disease and help reduce blood pressure. They’re rich in protein, and many nuts also contain omega-3s.

Like peanuts, avocado and soy foods, many nuts and seeds contain phytosterols, which promote heart health and are thought to slow cell reproduction in the large intestine, possibly preventing colon cancer.

Sesame seeds are a stellar source of calcium and heart-healthy fats. They also contain vitamin E, believed to play a role in the prevention of aging-related diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

8. Lean proteins: In addition to fish, excellent sources of lean protein include the skinless light meat of chicken and turkey, pork tenderloin, cuts of beef such as the top round, and fat free and lowfat dairy products. Though they don’t contain the antioxidants and vitamins that plant foods do, lean proteins contain valuable micronutrients, such as calcium, iron, selenium and zinc. These are not only essential for bone formation and nerve transmission, they help fight cancer, form blood cells and keep our immune systems robust.

Lean proteins are also required for tissue repair, building and preserving muscle, and making important enzymes and hormones.

9. Green tea is an excellent source of vitamins and potent antioxidants with heart-healthy benefits that promote lower cholesterol. Green tea also appears to fight some cancer cells. One study revealed that people who drank three or four cups of green tea daily burned an additional 80 calories per day.

10. Olive oil is a good fat that contains most of the top anti-aging vitamins and nutrients. Choose extra virgin oil for uncooked dishes where its assertive flavor will complement your finished dishes.

Cheryl Forberg RD is a professional chef and the nutritionist for NBC’s The Biggest Loser. She is the author of “Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You.” For more information visit her Web site at www.cherylforberg.com.