Practical Nutrition/Special Topics/Food Combinations

Combo	Benefits	Examples
Vitamin D + Calcium	Vitamin D helps absorb, carry, and deposit calcium into our bones. Combining vitamin D rich foods with calcium-rich foods will boost absorption of calcium.	Vitamin D fortified milk or yogurt, salmon/tuna + broccoli/kale, eggs + cheese
Vitamin D + Healthy Fats	Since Vitamin D is fat-soluble—meaning it needs fat to be absorbed—pairing Vitamin D-rich foods with high-quality fat can increase your absorption of vitamin D.	Almonds, eggs, avocado, salmon
Non-heme iron + vitamin C	Vitamin C boosts absorption of non-heme (plant) iron. Heme iron comes from animal sources, while non-heme comes from plants.	Iron-fortified cereal + orange juice,
Vitamin B12 + acidic food	In response to hunger, humans produce hydrogen chloride which can assist in B12 and protein absortion. Adding acidic foods can boost acid content in the stomach resulting in even better absortion.	Vitamin D fortified yogurt or milk + berries
Probiotics + prebiotics

More examples

• Salmon (vitamin D and healthy fats) with kale (calcium) and lemon dressing (vitamin C)
• Scrambled eggs (vitamin D) with cheese (calcium) and spinach (iron)
• Smoothie with yogurt (calcium), banana, almond butter (healthy fats), and fortified plant-based milk (vitamin D)
• Salad with tuna (vitamin D and healthy fats), lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese (calcium)
• Toast with avocado (healthy fats), egg (vitamin D), and a sprinkle of chia seeds (healthy fats)