This season, get your vitamins the old-fashioned way -- with fruits and vegetables at the peak of summer freshness.

Fruits and vegetables picked at peak summer ripeness deliver the most flavor and texture. When you pair this produce with other healthy foods like fresh eggs, whole grains, savory cheeses, and lean meats -- plus a good dose of sunshine -- you're sure to get all the nutrients you need.

Completely unprocessed and unrefined, whole fruits and vegetables offer vitamins in a form your body uses best. In fact, no supplement manufacturer has been able to replicate the way nature's bounty preserves and delivers these nutrients.

"Plants are the world's best chemists," says Amy Howell, a nutrition researcher at Rutgers University, who explains that plant cells offer the perfect protective environment for vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals like flavonoids. This safe haven helps them stay potent and effective so that you get a full spectrum of healthy benefits.

There's another perk, too: With whole foods, you never have to worry about getting too much of a certain vitamin, or question whether one nutrient will cancel another one out. Just choose a variety of colors and let nature do the balancing act for you.