Peanut butter and jelly, milk and cereal, cheese and crackers, chips and salsa… Some foods just taste better in pairs! The three food pairings indicated below not only compliment one another’s flavor profiles, but enrich their nutritional composition and upsurge their desire that much higher. Take a bite out of these healthy food pairings for weight loss and health elevations!
Healthy Food Pairings
1. Tomatoes and Pesto
This nutrient-dense pairing will take you on a trip to the Mediterranean! Tomatoes are a notorious source of lycopene, a carotenoid providing tomatoes its deep, red color. Lycopene offers powerful antioxidant properties, ultimately suggested to prevent heart disease and numerous cancer types. It has been further shown use to improve asthma symptoms, particularly following exercise. The aroma of pesto is truly something to be desired, generally comprised of fresh basic, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil. Basil not only contributes to its vibrant, green color and earthy, yet pungent flavor, but enhances the vitamin and mineral content of pesto, including vitamin K, calcium, folate, and iron. Olive oil may even be the game changer in this food pairing, driving the health benefits all the way home. Considered a type of “healthy fat,” the use of olive oil is a key player in the Mediterranean diet. Its use has been promoted to reduce the risk of heart disease with researched evidence on reducing blood sugar levels. Olive oil further aids in the absorption of lycopene!
Try Balance by bistroMD’s Egg, Tomato & Pesto English Muffin Sandwich
2. Onions and Chickpeas
Also recognized as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are extremely valuable, offering an ample supply of plant-based protein for vegetarians, vegans, or individuals simply trying to lessen meat products. They are also packed with fiber (offering 35 grams of fiber per one cup!) and offer 20 percent of your daily iron and zinc needs, helping to fight fatigue and depression-like symptoms. Utilizing onion provides not only flavor to chickpeas, but enhances the nutritional profile with its vitamin C, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium content. And when combined together, the body is able to obtain and absorb the nutrients more efficiently. The duo stimulates an extensive variety of health benefits, including improved digestive health, lowered cholesterol levels, reduced risk of heart disease, and boosted mood.
Try Balance by bistroMD’s Moroccan Beef & Vegetables with Quinoa
3. Beef and Broccoli
With all the misconceptions of incorporating red meat in the diet, its intake is certainly valuable in moderation. Beef, a red meat source, is not only packed with protein, but with blood-oxygenating iron. And when it comes to the nutritional profile of broccoli, the nutrients are generous! From fiber, to vitamins C, K, and E, to chromium, calcium, copper, and potassium, broccoli lands itself as one of the most nutrient-rich vegetables to pair with lean beef! Like the other pairings mentioned above, consuming beef and broccoli together enhances the body’s ability to absorb the minerals each food provides, as iron-rich foods and readily absorbed with vitamin C-containing foods such as broccoli.
Try Balance by bistroMD’s Beef & Broccoli with Ginger Garlic Soy Sauce
