These 8 Food Pairings Help You Absorb Nutrients Better, Say Nutrition Experts

Sometimes a combination can be worth much more than the sum of its parts.

Key Takeaways

• Eating certain foods together can help your body absorb more nutrients and make your meals healthier.

• Pairing vitamin C-rich foods with plant-based iron sources, like spinach and lentils, improves iron absorption for better energy.

• Adding healthy fats, such as olive oil or avocado, to colorful vegetables boosts absorption of vitamins A, E, K, and carotenoids.

Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is a great start to healthy eating, but it turns out that what you eat together can also make a difference. Some nutrients help your body absorb others more efficiently, while certain cooking methods and ingredient combinations unlock compounds that are otherwise difficult to use. The good news is that many of these combinations are foods you probably already eat or ones that it will be easy to add to your meals. We spoke to nutrition experts to find out the pairings they recommend most and learn their favorite ways to enjoy them.

Meet the Experts

• Lavanya Kethamukkala, RDN, CLT, LDN, founder and owner of Nourishing Expert

• Rachel Wood, RD, weight loss dietitian for women over 40 in Apple Valley, MN, and owner of Hēla Functional Nutrition

Plant-Based Iron + Vitamin C

This is one of the most important food pairings for anyone who relies on plant foods for iron.

Unlike the iron found in meat, poultry, and seafood, the iron in foods like spinach, lentils, beans, tofu, and pumpkin seeds (aka non-heme iron) isn’t absorbed as easily. Vitamin C helps convert that iron into a form that’s easier for your intestines to absorb, explains Rachel Wood, RD.

That’s why dietitians say this combo is especially important for vegetarians, vegans, women with heavy periods, and anyone with iron deficiency.

Try:

• Lentil soup with tomatoes

• Black bean tacos with fresh salsa

• Spinach salad with strawberries and lemon vinaigrette

• Tofu stir-fry with broccoli and red bell peppers

• Hummus with red bell peppers

Tip

Drink coffee or tea between meals, instead of with meals, since both beverages can reduce iron absorption, says Wood.

Healthy Fats + Colorful Vegetables

Adding some healthy fat to vegetables helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, E, K (and vitamin D if it’s present), along with carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. The vegetables that benefit the most are easy to remember, says Wood. Think colorful produce like carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, kale, broccoli, and bell peppers.

Fortunately, you don’t need much fat to make a difference. Lavanya Kethamukkala, RDN, CLT, LDN, says about 3 to 5 grams—roughly 1 teaspoon of olive oil, a few avocado slices, or a sprinkle of nuts or seeds—is enough to significantly boost absorption.

Try:

• Spinach salad with avocado and olive oil vinaigrette

• Roasted broccoli tossed with olive oil

• Carrots with guacamole

• Kale salad with walnuts

Cooked Tomatoes + Olive Oil

Tomatoes deserve their own category because heat changes their nutritional value. “Lycopene becomes more available after cooking,” says Kethamukkala, and adding olive oil further improves your body’s ability to absorb it.

Chopping, blending, and cooking break down plant cell walls, making nutrients easier to access, explains Wood. Even simmering tomatoes in olive oil for a few minutes to make a quick pasta sauce increases the amount of lycopene your body can absorb.

Try it:

• Homemade tomato sauce cooked in olive oil

• Roasted tomatoes with olive oil

• Tomato soup finished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Turmeric + Black Pepper

Turmeric’s star compound, curcumin, isn’t easily absorbed by the body on its own. But black pepper contains piperine, an alkaloid responsible for its pungency–which also has the added benefit of dramatically increasing curcumin absorption, says Kethamukkala.

Research published in the Journal of Food Science and Nutrition shows that adding turmeric and black pepper to a starchy meal improved post-meal blood sugar control and increased feelings of fullness, she notes.

Try:

• Lentil soup

• Chicken curry or vegetable curry

• Roasted vegetables

• Rice dishes

• Scrambled eggs

Prebiotics + Probiotics

Not every beneficial food pairing is about vitamin absorption. Prebiotic fibers feed the beneficial bacteria supplied by probiotic foods, creating a healthier gut microbiome.

Prebiotic foods include:

• Oats

• Bananas

• Garlic

• Onions

• Asparagus

Probiotic foods include:

• Yogurt

• Kefir

• Kimchi

• Sauerkraut

• Tempeh

• Miso

Try:

• Yogurt with banana and oats

• Tempeh with roasted asparagus

• Miso soup with vegetables

Garlic + Onions

Garlic and onions don’t simply taste good together; they also deliver more beneficial compounds when prepared correctly. Kethamukkala recommends chopping onions and mincing garlic, then letting them rest for about 10 minutes before cooking. This allows compounds such as allicin to form before heat begins reducing their activity.

These two form the building blocks of many recipes, and are an easy addition to soups, bean dishes, curries, stir-fries, and pasta sauces.

Calcium + Vitamin D

Vitamin D acts almost like a helper nutrient for calcium, allowing your body to absorb it more effectively. This combination is especially important for postmenopausal women, says Wood. She points to research showing that taking calcium and vitamin D together reduced hip fracture risk by 16 percent. The nutrients don’t have to be consumed at the same meal to provide benefits.

Kethamukkala also recommends older adults prioritize calcium-, vitamin D-, magnesium-, and protein-rich foods alongside resistance exercise to support muscle and bone health.

Try:

• Yogurt with fortified cereal

• Salmon with leafy greens

• Fortified dairy or plant milk in smoothies

Carbohydrates + Protein (For Recovery)

While this pairing isn’t about increasing vitamin absorption, it does help your body use nutrients more effectively after exercise. Pairing carbohydrates with protein replenishes glycogen stores while supplying amino acids needed for muscle repair, Kethamukkala says.

Try:

• Banana with peanut butter

• Greek yogurt with berries

• Cottage cheese on whole-grain toast

Easy Meals That Naturally Combine Nutrients

Many everyday meals include several of these pairings at once. Among the ones Kethamukkala and Wood recommend are:

• Spinach salad with lentils, strawberries, bell peppers, avocado, and lemon vinaigrette

• Lentil soup with tomatoes, carrots, garlic, turmeric, and black pepper

• Bean chili topped with avocado

• Tofu stir-fry with broccoli, peppers, garlic, and sesame seeds

• Whole-grain avocado toast with tomatoes and hemp seeds

• Roasted vegetables with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon

• Hummus with carrots and red bell peppers

• Edamame with mandarin oranges

• Oatmeal topped with berries, walnuts, and ground flaxseed

Getting more nutrition from your food doesn’t require a complete diet overhaul. Simple habits, like drizzling olive oil on vegetables, pairing beans with vitamin C-rich produce, or adding black pepper to turmeric, can help your body absorb key nutrients more efficiently. Over time, these small tweaks can make your healthy meals work even harder for you.