TOP 5 Best Food Pairings for Health and Happiness!

TOP 5 Best Food Pairings for Health and Happiness!

When we think of a soul mate, we think of someone who makes us better and who we also improve. Together, we create a healthy, happy, functional relationship. You can think of certain food pairings as soul mates. This TOP 5 list will demonstrate why some foods should be coupled in order to maximize healthy benefits. A healthy food twosome allows both foods to bring out their best wellness boosting quality.  Not only are these pairings good for you, they are delicious with each other.

Lean Red Meat and Veggies

Lean red meat is an excellent source of iron, which is especially important for women to be aware of since we tend to have low amounts. Why do we need iron? It is an essential component of hemoglobin, which is needed to transport oxygen and nutrients from our blood to our tissues.

Okay, so the next question is: why the veggies? Well, let’s be more specific. Think bell peppers, spinach, cauliflower and broccoli. These are all rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body to absorb as much iron as it possibly can at one time, so together meat and veggies create one dynamic duo! To get the most out of your meal, eat the vegetables raw because cooking them lowers the vitamin C content.

Sample meal: Broiled skirt steak with spinach and mandarin salad, topped with balsamic reduction

Avocado and Salad Greens

Avocado sometimes gets a bad rep because it is one of the only vegetables to have a significant fat content. In this instance, it is a benefit, not a curse. In fact, people who have a salad and just top it with lemon juice are making a mistake! While they think they are getting the most out of their salad and consuming the least calories, they are losing out on something very important: time! Topping your salad with avocado and the fat that it contains actually slows down digestion so that your body can better absorb the great nutrients in the salad itself. If you don’t like avocado or are allergic, you can always sprinkle nuts (like pine nuts) over the top or drizzle olive oil and they can also do the trick. Remember, the more colorful your salad is, the wider variety of nutrients your getting!

Sample meal: Arugula, chopped sweet red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, carrot shreds and avocado chunks

Wine and  Fish

Wine contains antioxidants, like resveratrol, that improve the absorption of the omega-3 components in fish. Antioxidants help to alleviate oxidative stress, which occurs naturally and tends to cause or worsen disease. Antioxidants help us to achieve a balance or even overcome this oxidative stress to prevent disease. Omega- 3’s are actually a type of fat that we find in some seafood and plants, but we do not produce it naturally in the body. That’s why we need to consume it! It, too, keeps disease at bay.

White wine is often paired with seafood dishes, while red wine tends to be coupled with red meat dishes. It doesn’t matter what wine you drink. The benefits are available from both!

Sample meal: Sauvignon blanc with Mahi Mahi flavored with lemon and garlic

Yogurt and  Bananas

The probiotics in yogurt help to support a healthy immune system, while bananas provide potassium to help balance out the heavy sodium in the American diet. Bananas are healthy carbohydrates (yes, a carb!) and yogurt is a healthy protein. This pair is especially great after a workout to heal and rebuild muscle.

Sample meal: Greek yogurt drizzled with honey, topped with banana slices

Green Tea and Lemon

Green tea is bursting with antioxidants called catechins and, if consumed on a regular basis, the dangers of cardiovascular disease can be severely reduced. A squeeze of lemon or lime helps to preserve the antioxidants in our systems so that the natural processes that go on in our bodies don’t break them down. This way we can get the full benefit of the antioxidants!

Sample meal: Iced green tea with lemon slices. Add club soda for some fizz!

Written by: Rebecca Lawrence