Food combos add up to healthier eating

By Winnie Yu

updated 9:07 a.m. ET Jan. 20, 2009

Healthy eating is all about math: subtracting fat, counting calories, dividing portions.

But let's not forget adding: It's the little things we toss in the pot that often yield the biggest benefits. "Adding just one food to another can make a tremendous difference in your total nutrient intake and offer significant health gains," says Tara Gidus, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

With benefits ranging from stronger bones and better eyesight to a healthier heart and improved immunity, here are 15 of our favorite quick pairings for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks — even beverages — that taste great, take seconds to make, and add up to amazing health.

Whole grain cereal (any kind) + sunflower seeds for better immunity
Sprinkling ½ cup of sunflower seeds into your morning cereal provides more than 100 percent of your day's requirements for alpha-tocopherol, the most active form of vitamin E. As an antioxidant, vitamin E protects cells from damage caused by destructive free radicals that can lead to cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Scrambled eggs + red peppers for smoother skin
Tossing in ½ cup of chopped red peppers delivers more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin C need — which spells good news for your skin. Researchers in the United Kingdom looked at vitamin C intake in 4,025 women and found that those who ate more vitamin C had less wrinkling and dryness.

Smoothie (any kind) + wheat germ for faster healing of cuts and bruises
One-quarter cup of wheat germ packs nearly half of your day's requirements for zinc, an essential mineral that helps repair cells and strengthens the immune system. Even a slight deficiency can reduce your immunity, making it harder to heal.

Sandwich (any kind) + spinach leaves for decreased risk of night blindness
Stacking only three small leaves of spinach on your sandwich satisfies at least 20 percent of your day's vitamin A requirements. Vitamin A helps you see in the dark, but it also protects your eyes from age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to vision loss.

Garden salad + canned wild salmon for healthier brain and heart
Adding 3 ounces of canned wild salmon to your salad provides half of the weekly recommendation for healthy omega-3 fats. The fatty acids found in canned salmon are linked with improvements in heart and brain health. Choosing wild lowers your exposure to dioxin, which is a cancer-causing contaminant found in the feed given to the farm-raised variety, says Evelyn Tribole, RD, author of "The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet."

Stir-fry (any kind) + kale for stronger eyes
One-half cup of kale delivers at least 12 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in dark leafy greens that help combat cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Results from the Eye Disease Case Control Study found that people who ate the most of these nutrients — as much as 5.8 mg a day — had a significantly lower risk of AMD than those who ate the least. Stir-fry is the perfect way to throw it into the mix; if you're not a kale fan, other leafy greens such as Swiss chard and spinach offer similar benefits.

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