Eat this with: Here are three food combinations that boost nutritional benefits

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soybeans, and nuts are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals that keep our bodies running at high speed. (This is not surprising.)

They also contain thousands of phytochemicals, plant compounds thought to protect against chronic diseases.

But what you may not realize is that some nutrients and protective phytochemicals are not absorbed optimally when you eat these foods alone.

Instead, pairing certain foods can provide more nutritional value for your money — in other words, the whole is stronger than the sum of its parts.

The concept of food synergy

Food synergy refers to the interactions between nutrients and other components in foods, allowing them to be better absorbed and used by the body.

Eating two or more foods together may provide more nutritional value and potential health benefits than eating them alone.

That’s why nutrition scientists now study dietary patterns—the overall combination of foods eaten on a regular basis—rather than the health effects of individual foods or nutrients.

Dietary patterns reflect the complexity of nutrient interactions between foods.

Powerful nutrients and food pairings

Consider the following nutrient synergies and food combinations to boost the nutritional value of your meals and snacks.

Vegetable iron + vitamin C

Spinach, prunes, tofu, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds are rich in iron, but that doesn’t mean your body gets all the iron.

This is because the iron in plant foods, or non-heme iron, is poorly absorbed. Natural compounds called phytates bind to the iron, preventing its absorption. (Heme iron in animal foods is highly absorbable.)

You can increase the absorption of iron from plants by combining it with vitamin C. This nutrient converts non-heme iron into a form that the body can more easily absorb.

Add at least 50 mg of vitamin C to your plant-based meals to significantly increase iron absorption.

For example, add half a cup of sliced ​​strawberries (50 mg of vitamin C) to a spinach salad or add one cup of broccoli (81 mg) to sautéed tofu. Eat hummus with red or yellow bell pepper sticks; half a large red or yellow bell pepper contains 100 and 170 mg of vitamin C, respectively.

Carotenoids + fat

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, and collard greens are exceptional sources of beta-carotene and lutein, which are powerful antioxidants that belong to the carotenoid family.

It is stated that a diet consisting of vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

It is thought that high levels of lutein in food slows down the development of age-related macular degeneration and benefits cognitive health.

Carotenoids are fat-soluble, so you’ll need some fat with your greens to absorb these antioxidants. As little as 3 to 5 grams (about a teaspoon) should be enough.

Sauté greens in extra-virgin olive oil, add hard-boiled eggs to spinach salad (egg yolks are a good source of fat), or serve them with fatty fish like salmon or trout. Another benefit: Fat also increases the absorption of leafy greens’ brain-friendly vitamin E and bone-building vitamin K.

Other excellent sources of beta-carotene that can benefit from some fat include sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and pumpkin.

Note: Cooking your vegetables also makes it easier for your body to absorb beta-carotene and lutein.

Turmeric + oil + black pepper

It is known that this bright yellow-orange spice has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries.

Today, the potential health benefits of turmeric, its active ingredient, curcumin, are being actively researched.

Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is thought to help relieve arthritic joint pain, reduce the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver, and relieve symptoms of depression.

While these studies involved curcumin extract or turmeric powder supplements, it is a healthy and delicious spice that you can add to your diet.

However, turmeric is poorly absorbed by the body. To increase absorption, combine the spice with fat – add it to salad dressings with olive oil and vinegar, scrambled eggs and omelets, or smoothies with a little almond butter.

Pair turmeric with black pepper, too. Black pepper’s active ingredient, piperine, helps block the body’s excretion of curcumin. As little as 1/20th of a teaspoon of black pepper can improve the body’s use of curcumin.

Another way to increase the absorption of turmeric is to heat it up. Chickpea curry or turmeric latte, anyone?

Leslie Beck, a private practice dietitian based in Toronto, is the director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD