Eating healthy is a lot like math: you need to divide portions, count calories and subtract fat. On top of that, keep in mind that adding one type of food to the other can make a big difference in your total nutrient intake. Here are our 10 quick and easy-to-make healthy food combinations.
1. Scrambled eggs and red peppers – adding 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers is enough to deliver more than 100% of your daily vitamin C requirements, which is absolutely great for your skin. Women who eat more vitamin C have smoother skin with less wrinkles!
2. Smoothie and wheat germ – 1/4 cup of wheat germ is enough for half of your daily requirements for zinc. Zinc is an extremely important mineral, as it repairs cells and strengthens your immune system.
3. Sandwich and spinach – putting just 3 small leaves of spinach in your sandwich can satisfy 20% of your daily vitamin A needs. Vitamin A is important as it protects your eyes from macular degeneration, which can eventually lead to vision loss.
4. Garden salad and canned white salmon – if you put 3 ounces of canned white salmon in your salad, you already satisfied half of the weekly recommendation for omega-3 fatty acids, which are extremely important for your body as they are linked with improving heart and brain health.
5. Salsa and chickpeas – this combination will make you feel full without too many calories involved and will boost your protein intake. Also, keep in mind that people who eat chickpeas on a regular basis eat less food overall!
6. Non-fat Greek yogurt and strawberries – Greek yogurt should be a staple in your diet, as it contains twice the protein of regular yogurt. Protein is crucial for building, repairing and maintaining muscles, as they burn more calories than fat.
7. Pasta and parsley – only 6 springs of parsley in your pasta offers a full day’s supply of vitamin K, along with a boost of fresh and wonderful flavor. Vitamin K is very important for your bone health, as it prevents fractures and protects against bone loss.
8. Seltzer and grape juice – grape juice is very healthy as it contains a phytochemical called resveratrol, which lowers blood pressure and reduces LDL cholesterol.
9. Burger and ketchup – a tablespoon of ketchup is great as it provides you with a healthy does of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against different types of cancer, by blocking cell-damaging free radicals. Keep in mind that processed tomato (ketchup, tomato sauce) is even healthier than fresh one, so use it in your diet frequently.
10. Lemon and green tea – green tea is very rich in antioxidants as it is, but adding some lemon to it leads to a fourfold increase in disease-fighting catechins. Orange and lime juices are also effective, though less potent.
