Eating a variety of foods helps to insure that you will get the vitamins you need to stay healthy. If you follow the MyPyramid recommendations and eat 5 cups of fruits and vegetables, 6 ounces of grains (at least 3 ounces of whole grains) and 3 cups of dairy products daily, you are likely to meet your vitamin requirements. Getting vitamins from foods is preferable to taking a vitamin pill because foods contain many other things that keep you healthy, including fiber, phytonutrients and water.

If you think you need to take vitamins, here are some common myths you should know about:

Vitamins give you energy. The fact is that only carbohydrates, proteins and fats can give you energy (calories are the measurement of energy). Vitamins are needed to process foods in your body but vitamins alone do not give you energy.

If you take vitamin pills, you don't have to worry about what you eat. A healthy diet is based on the right balance of foods to meet nutritional needs. Taking vitamin pills can't provide everything you are missing if you are not eating well.

If getting the RDA for vitamins is good, getting more than the RDA is better. Taking vitamins in large doses is not only a waste of money but also may have serious side effects. Large doses of vitamin B-3 can cause liver damage, of vitamin B-6 can lead to nerve damage and of vitamin C can increase the risk of kidney stones. Vitamin A in amounts only 5 times the RDA can cause organ damage.

Vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements help prevent heart disease and cancer. Studies have shown an increased incidence of heart failure with vitamin E supplements and an increased incidence of lung cancer in smokers taking beta-carotene supplements.

The more expensive the vitamin pill, the better it is for you. Price is not a good indicator of quality. Some expensive vitamins have added herbs and extracts that are of questionable value. If there is no Daily Value listed for an ingredient on the label, it means that the amount needed for good health has not been determined by the FDA.

Nutrition experts agree that eating nutritious, whole foods is the best way to get the vitamins you need. For example, broccoli is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, folate, and potassium as well thousands of phytonutrients. No pill can equal that!

To see how good broccoli can taste when combined with other vegetables in a chowder, come to the Cornell Cooperative Extension table at the Auburn Farmers Market Thursday, Oct. 9.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator with the Eat Smart NY program at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County

Broccoli Chowder

Makes about 6 cups

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups

1 large carrot, peeled and diced (1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, diced (1/2 cup)

1 1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 14-ounce cans)

3 cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)

1 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften (5 to 6 minutes). Add potato and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, mustard and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add broth and broccoli. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until broccoli is cooked. Transfer 2 cups of chowder to a bowl, mash and return to pan. Stir in cheddar and sour cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until cheese is melted.

- Source: Recipe modified from www.eatingwell.com/recipes