6 Food Pairings That Help Your Body Absorb More Nutrients

Eating a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. But did you know that how you combine certain foods can also make a difference?

I recently shared my comments with The Times newspaper about how some nutrients are absorbed more effectively when they’re eaten alongside other foods., and this blog post will show you that with a few simple tweaks to your meals, you can help your body get even more nutritional benefit from the foods you’re already enjoying.

As a gut health nutritionist, I love sharing practical nutrition tips that are easy to include in everyday life. These food pairings are backed by research, simple to put into practice and can help you make the most of every meal.

In this blog, I’ll cover six food pairings that can help improve nutrient absorption and better support your gut health.

1. Tomatoes and Olive Oil

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been linked to heart health and helping to protect our cells from damage.

Lycopene is a fat soluble nutrient, which means your body needs a source of fat to absorb it properly. That’s why adding olive oil to a tomato salad or roasted tomatoes can help you get even more benefit.

Even better, cooking tomatoes makes lycopene easier for your body to absorb, so a homemade tomato sauce drizzled with olive oil is a great combination.

2. Spinach and Eggs

Spinach is packed with nutrients, including carotenoids, which are beneficial plant compounds that support eye health and overall wellbeing.

These compounds are also fat soluble, so pairing spinach with healthy fats, such as the yolk of an egg, helps your body absorb more of them.

A spinach omelette, scrambled eggs with spinach or poached eggs served with wilted greens are all simple ways to maximise this food pairing.

3. Spinach and Vitamin C Rich Foods

Spinach also contains iron, but it’s the non-haem form found in plant foods, which is not absorbed as easily as the haem-form iron found in animal foods.

The good news is that it’s easy to improve. Eating spinach alongside vitamin C rich foods such as strawberries, kiwi fruit, oranges or peppers helps your body absorb more of the iron.

This is a particularly useful combination for women’s health, as iron requirements can be higher during the reproductive years.

If you’re looking for simple ways to include more gut supportive and nutrient rich foods in your diet, my free Gut-Healthy Shopping List is a helpful guide to the ingredients I recommend keeping at home.

4. Turmeric and Black Pepper

Turmeric contains curcumin, the natural compound behind many of its health benefits.

The challenge is that curcumin is not absorbed particularly well on its own.

Thankfully, there’s an easy fix. Black pepper contains a natural compound called piperine, which helps your body absorb more curcumin. Adding a little healthy fat at the same time can help too.

So next time you’re making a curry, soup or roasted vegetables, don’t forget to add a twist of black pepper.

5. Green Tea and Lemon

Green tea is packed with antioxidants called catechins, which have been linked to a range of health benefits.

Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon provides vitamin C, which helps protect these antioxidants and may improve how well they’re absorbed.

It’s a tiny change, but one that can help you get even more from your daily cup of green tea.

6. Broccoli and Mustard Powder

Broccoli contains compounds that can be converted into sulforaphane, one of the most researched plant compounds for supporting overall health.

Cooking broccoli reduces the enzyme needed for this process.

However, when you add a pinch of mustard powder after cooking, it provides the enzyme help to boost the sulforaphane formation and its nutritional value.

It’s a simple trick that many people are surprised to hear, but it’s an easy way to get even more goodness from your broccoli.

Summary

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the smallest changes can make the biggest difference.

By pairing certain foods together, you can help your body absorb key nutrients more effectively while supporting your gut health, energy and overall wellbeing.

These simple food combinations are an easy way to make your meals work harder for you, without needing to completely change the way you eat.

If you’re looking to improve your digestive health, support your health or get personalised nutrition advice, working with a nutritionist can help you build an approach that works for your lifestyle.

If you’re looking to optimise your nutrition and transform your health and please get in contact via Consultations or book a FREE 15-minute call and let’s chat about how I can help.

Did you find this post useful? If so please share it with others! For more nutrition tips and healthy recipes, check out my Instagram @elibrechernutrition

Check out my other nutrition-related blog posts below:

10 Tips To Feel Your Best This Summer

3 Common Myths About Gut Health & Weight Management

5 Reasons Tempeh Is Great For Gut Health

5 Reasons Why Tempeh is a Great Protein Staple (For All, Not Just For Vegans)

6 Signs Of An Imbalanced Gut

6 Tips for a Gut-Healthy Christmas

6 Tips To Support The Gut Microbiome

6 Ways to Support your Gut Health When Travelling

7 Nutrition Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

A Nutritionist’s Guide To Choosing Plant-Based Milk

A Nutritionist’s Guide To Protein Powders