Introduction: Have you ever paid attention to the pairing of foods in your diet? In fact, the dining table requires attention to pairing. The right combinations can help us get more nutrition. Let me introduce some food pairings to see how to eat more nutritiously!
Food not only has incompatible pairings, but also compatible ones that complement each other nutritionally.
Everyone has heard of the concept of "incompatible foods" in diet. From the perspective of modern nutritional science, two or more foods, when paired reasonably, not only will they not be "incompatible," but they can also be "compatible," playing a role in nutritional complementarity and mutual reinforcement. This is known as the "perfect match" in a common saying. Let's take a look at some common "perfect match" foods in the kitchen!
Red Wine + Peanuts
Effect: Beneficial for the heart.
Principle: Red wine contains components similar to aspirin, and peanuts contain a beneficial compound called beta-sitosterol. Eating them together can prevent blood clots and ensure cardiovascular health!
Fish + Tofu
Effect: Enhances flavor, supplements calcium, and can help prevent various bone diseases such as rickets in children and osteoporosis.
Principle: Tofu is rich in calcium, but its absorption rate is low when eaten alone. However, when eaten with fish, which is rich in vitamin D, it can have a better effect on the absorption and utilization of calcium.
Recommended Recipe: Fish Head and Tofu Soup
Pork Liver + Spinach
Effect: Prevents and treats anemia.
Principle: Pork liver is rich in hematopoietic materials like folic acid, vitamin B12, and iron. Spinach also contains a good amount of folic acid and iron. Eating these two foods together, one meat and one vegetable, complements each other.
Recommended Recipe: Stir-fried Pork Liver with Spinach
Mutton + Ginger
Effect: An excellent tonic for replenishing deficiency in winter, can treat symptoms like cold pain in the lower back and rheumatic pain in the limbs.
Principle: Mutton can replenish qi and blood and warm the kidneys. Ginger has effects like relieving pain and dispelling wind and dampness. When eaten together, ginger can not only remove the gamey taste of the mutton but also help its warming and cold-dispelling effects.
Beef + Potatoes
Effect: Tonifies the middle and replenishes qi, nourishes the spleen and stomach.
Principle: Beef is rich in iron and zinc, while potatoes contain vitamin C. Vitamin C can promote the absorption of iron and zinc from beef, increasing their bioavailability and achieving a multiplier effect.
Recommended Recipe: Beef and Potato Stew
Chicken + Chestnuts
Effect: Nourishes the blood and body, suitable for those with anemia.
Principle: Chicken is a food that nourishes the blood and treats deficiency, while chestnuts focus on strengthening the spleen. Braised chicken with chestnuts is not only delicious but also has a stronger blood-nourishing function, with an old hen being even more effective.
Recommended Recipe: Chicken and Chestnut Stew
Duck + Chinese Yam
Effect: Nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, suitable for individuals with a weak constitution.
Principle: Duck nourishes yin and can also clear heat and relieve cough. Chinese yam has a stronger effect of nourishing yin. When eaten with duck, it can remove greasiness and effectively nourish the lungs.
Recommended Recipe: Braised Duck with Chinese Yam
Lean Meat + Garlic
Effect: Promotes blood circulation, relieves body fatigue, and enhances physical fitness.
Principle: Lean meat contains vitamin B1. When combined with allicin in garlic, it not only increases the release of vitamin B1 and prolongs its time in the body, but also promotes blood circulation, quickly relieves body fatigue, and enhances physical fitness.
Recommended Recipe: Stir-fried Lean Meat with Garlic
Eggs + Lily Bulbs
Effect: Nourishes yin and moistens dryness, clears the heart and calms the mind.
Principle: Lily bulbs can clear phlegm-fire and tonify deficiency, while egg yolks can relieve vexation-heat and nourish yin and blood. Eating them together can better clear the heart and nourish yin.
Recommended Recipe: Lily Bulb and Egg Sweet Soup
Sesame + Seaweed
Effect: Beautifies the skin and prevents aging.
Principle: Sesame can improve blood circulation, promote metabolism, and lower cholesterol. Seaweed is rich in iodine and calcium, which can purify the blood and promote the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Eating them together enhances the beautifying and anti-aging effects.
Tofu + Radish
Effect: Aids digestion.
Principle: Tofu is rich in plant protein, which can cause indigestion in people with a weak digestive system. Radish has a strong ability to aid digestion. Cooking them together allows the nutrients in the tofu to be absorbed more effectively.
Brown Rice + Coffee
Steam the brown rice, grind it into a powder, and add milk and sugar to drink. Brown rice is rich in nutrients and has a good therapeutic effect for hemorrhoids, constipation, and hypertension. Coffee can refresh the mind, and mixed with brown rice, it has a unique flavor.