Nutrients are team players. Eating a little of this with a little of that will ensure a balanced diet and maximum nutrient absorption.  These perfect pairs are not just tantalizing for your taste buds, but can also improve your health.

Mandarin Oranges and Baby Spinach

Vitamin C assists in plant-based iron absorption.

Cooked Tomatoes and Olive Oil

Lycopene is a antioxidant that protects against degenerative diseases.  When paired with olive oil, it boosts absorption from the digestive system into the bloodstream.  Lycopene levels increase when tomatoes have been cooked.

Chicken and Broccoli

According to the Institute of Food Research, the selenium in chicken and the sulforaphane in broccoli are 13 times more powerful in fighting cancer when consumed together!

Rice and Beans

When eaten together, rice and beans make up a “complete protein” meal providing your body with the quality of protein found in animal sources.

Pasta and Vinegar

The acetic acid in vinegar doesn’t reduce the amount of sugar and starch in the pasta, but it can modify how the body metabolizes the sugar by slowing down the absorption into the body.

Sweet Potatoes and Chicken

Vitamin A and Zinc are important for boosting the immune system. Vitamin A found in sweet potatoes needs zinc (found in proteins such as chicken) to be metabolized and carried throughout the body.