Your stay-young meal plan

This mix-and-match menu will slow down your body's clock.

Here's an easy-to-follow meal plan that combines all the laws of eating to stave off the aging process: colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, red wine and green tea, and whole grains. And because research shows that reducing calories by 25 percent has impressive anti-aging benefits, this diet contains around 1,700 calories a day—about a quarter fewer calories than the average requirement for an active 30-year-old woman. Each day, simply choose a meal or snack from each category, and you're done!

Breakfast

>8 oz fat-free plain yogurt mixed with 1/2 c raspberries; 8 oz green tea

>1 slice toasted whole-grain bread with 2 Tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter, like almond); 3/4 c strawberries

> 3/4 c high-fiber cereal with 1 c fat-free milk and 1/2 banana Snacks (two a day)

>6 oz (or a 100-calorie pack) low-fat popcorn sprinkled with 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

>A mini-sandwich: 1 slice whole-grain bread with 1 oz low-fat cheese and 1 tsp mustard; 3/4 c blueberries

>3 graham crackers with 2 Tbsp low-fat whipped cream cheese and 1/4 c berries of your choice

>1 Tbsp peanut butter on 2 whole-grain crackers; 8 oz raspberry iced tea

Lunch

>A salad of 2 c mixed greens, 1/4 c tomatoes, 1/4 c carrots, 1/4 c red cabbage, 1/3 c chickpeas, 1/3 c red beans, 1/3 c edamame, and 1 oz slivered almonds, tossed with 1 Tbsp olive oil and as much red-wine or balsamic vinegar as you'd like; 1 plum; 8 oz sparkling water mixed with 1/4 c pomegranate juice and a twist of lime

>A sandwich made with 2 oz white turkey, 3 spinach leaves, 2 slices tomato, and 1 Tbsp mustard on 2 slices whole-grain bread; 1 c red grapes; 8 oz green tea

>4-egg-white omelet made with 5 spinach leaves, 1/2 c diced red peppers, and 1 slice low-fat cheese; a small whole-wheat pita; 3/4 c grape tomatoes mixed with 1/4 c diced avocado; 3/4 c blackberries

Dinner

>3 oz grilled wild Alaskan salmon; 1 c brussels sprouts and 1/2 c sliced beets sauteed in 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small baked sweet potato; 1 glass red wine

>5 oz grilled albacore tuna; 1/2 c whole-wheat pasta tossed with 1/2 c broccoli and garlic to taste sauteed in 1 tsp olive oil; salad of 1 c red-leaf lettuce and 1/4 c shredded fresh beets topped with 1 Tbsp chopped pecans and 1 Tbsp dried cranberries and tossed with 1 tsp olive oil; 1/2 pink grapefruit; 1 glass red wine

>Veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun; 1/3 c brown rice; 1/3 c beans; 1 c sauteed yellow and green squash; a salad of 1 c mesclun, 1/4 c shredded carrots, 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts, and 1/2 c diced apple; 1 glass red wine

Via Women's Health