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Leading a healthy lifestyle can get downright frustrating when the messages are mixed.

Case in point: soy.

For a while, studies seemed to indicate that consuming soy reduced a woman's risk of breast cancer. Then the pendulum swung, and eating too much soy could speed the development of tumors.

So which is it?

In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I decided to find out what nutritionists and dietitians believe to be the best cancer-preventing and fighting-foods in the market.

What they had to say may not surprise you.

Maintaining a healthy weight for your height and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption are particularly powerful ways to fight the chances of getting breast cancer.

"I think that is the best [scientists] know," said Nancy Robbins, who teaches nutrition at Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

But there are other tools to keep in the prevention kit, and if anyone remembers what Mom used to fuss at them to eat when they were youngsters, they've already got a pretty good idea what those not-so-secret weapons are.

Fortunately, with maturity comes a more sophisticated palate. What was yucky when we were 5 can be oh-so-delicious now.

To read the rest of this column, click here.

For a healthy, delicious recipe for Minestrone Salad, read on.

Minestrone Salad
Serves 13 (one cup each)

If broccoli upsets your stomach, you can leave it out. If you enjoy broccoli, feel free to add another cup.

12 oz. whole wheat elbow, fusilli or other pasta

2 to 3 cups small broccoli florets

1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 zucchini, cut into rounds and sliced into strips

1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 to 1 ½ cups regular or reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. During the final 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli to the pot. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the beans, scallions, carrots, zucchini and bell pepper. Add the drained pasta mixture and one cup of salad dressing and stir gently to incorporate. Add more dressing if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Source: "What to Eat During Cancer Treatment: 100 Great-Tasting, Family-Friendly Recipes to Help You Cope" by the American Cancer Society