7 Food Combos You Should Always Eat Together (2024)

Certain foods just belong together — and no, we're not talking about peanut butter and jelly (although that's definitely delicious!). In combination, some foods not only taste great, but they help you absorb nutrients more effectively.

Of all the smart eating tips and tricks that nutritionists swear by, this is one of the best: You'll easily increase the nutritional value of your meals — and with very little effort. “There are definitely advantages to mixing and matching healthy foods,” says Johannah Sakimura, RD, the writer behind the Everyday Health columnNutrition Sleuth.

Smart pairings like the ones in this list work in concert to bring out the best nutrition from each food. Not only do these foods complement each other nutritionally, they also taste delicious together. And if you're in charge of feeding kids, you'll notice some of these combinations encouragefun dipping, including bananas in yogurt and carrots in hummus. Let your tots dunk away — they'll get an excellent nutritional boost and have fun eating at the same time.

Different food pairings also give you the chance to branch out and try new textures on your plate — and it just might keep you more interested in the meal than you would be if every food was the same consistency. Many of these fun combos happen to pair brightly colored foods, which will help you to "Eat the Rainbow," something the American Heart Association has been urging folks to do for a few years now.

Finally, the combos that follow are not only quick to toss together, they're eminently portable, which means you can easily put them together for fast snacks or lunch at work or home. And generally speaking, a midday meal you've prepped yourself is healthier and better sized than something you'd order at a restaurant. In fact, in a studypublished in January 2016 inthe Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers found that 92 percent of the meals from both chain and local restaurants have more calories than is recommended for the average adult woman at a singlelunch or dinner.

The bottom line: Be smart about how you pair your foods and then try to incorporate these combos in your daily diet. Here's how these seven smart duos can work double-time for you.

Nutrient Duo: Protein and Potassium

Turns out, your go-to portable breakfast may also make the perfect post-workout snack. Combining the potassium found in bananas with high protein foods like yogurt (especially Greek yogurt) helps build muscle and replenish amino acids that are depletedduring exercise. So enjoy the easy-to-grab pair on your way home from the gym or add them to your post-workout smoothies.

Nutrient Duo: Healthy Carbs and Protein

Looking for a way to beat the afternoon munchies? “Choosing snacks that combine protein and healthy carbs can help to curb hunger and give you an extra boost of energy,” says Sakimura. Hummus, which is made from chickpeas, is high in protein; combine it with high-quality carbs that are also high in soluble fiber, like a few baby carrots, and you’ll have an easy, packable snack for busy days. Other good options include yogurt and fruit, an apple with peanut butter, or cheese and whole-grain crackers.

Nutrient Duo: Healthy Fats and Carotenoids

Good news if you love going out for Mexican: Salsa with avocado is a nutritional power duo. Bright and colorful veggies in salsa are rich in carotenoids, disease-fighting plant pigments that help protect you from cancer and heart disease. Adding healthy fats, like those found in avocados, can maximize the protective benefits. One studyin the Journal of Nutrition found that eating avocado with salsa boosted the absorption of lycopene — a carotenoid in tomatoes — by almost five times. Add a dollop of guacamole to your salad, since leafy greens are also high in carotenoids.

Nutrient Duo: Vitamin D and Calcium

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb bone-strengthening calcium, but the nutrient is available in very few foods naturally. Eggs yolks are one source of D, so go ahead, whip up that omelet you’ve been craving for breakfast. Sprinkle in your favorite cheese (though you can go lighter on the cheese if you want to limit fat and calories) and double down by adding some chopped broccoli, a little-known source of calcium, for an extra boost of nutrients.

Nutrient Duo: Vitamin K and Good Fats

According to a study published in the October–December2013 issue of the Journal of Densitometry, vitamin K protects your bones and is important for blood clotting (without it, you could bleed too much). But because the vitamin is fat-soluble, your body can't absorb it as effectively without eating some fat at the same time. That's why you should always combine healthy fats — like those found in walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, or olive oil — with your leafy greens, a great source of vitamin K.

Nutrient Duo: Vitamin C and Iron

The most common nutritional deficiency in the United States is lack of iron, a crucial ingredient in hemoglobin, theoxygen-bearing component of your blood. Low iron can lead to anemia, which causes fatigue, muscle weakness, and even hair loss, so it's important — especially for women — to get as much of the mineral as possible from food.

One way to do so: Eat iron-rich foods with a side of vitamin C. “Combining vegetarian sources of iron with vitamin C–rich foods like citrus fruits helps to enhance uptake of this important mineral,” says Sakimura. Try making a colorful salad with iron-rich spinach and sliced strawberries, which are surprisingly high in vitamin C. Other similar combos: broccoli with bell peppers, chickpeas with tomatoes, or iron-fortified cereal with orange juice.

Nutrient Duo:Carotenoids and Egg Yolks

Next time you’re at the salad bar, add a few hard-boiledeggs to your bowl. Research out of Purdue University presented at the American Society for Nutrition's Annual Meeting at the Experimental Biology conference in March–April 2015 suggests that the protein-packed topping may help increase the nutritive properties of raw vegetables.

In the study, men who ate a raw veggie salad of tomatoes, carrots, and spinach with scrambled whole eggs had a higher absorption of carotenoids than when they ate the same salad without the egg. These carotenoids, specifically beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin have antioxidant properties that have been shown to help protect against certain cancers and eye diseases.