Some foods just go together….

Milk and cookies

Peanut butter and jelly

Turkey and dressing

Fish and chips

Chicken and waffles

Broccoli and cheese

Milk and cereal

Carrots and ranch

Steak and potatoes

Butter and bread

You get the point. 

Pairing food is often considered when you are thinking about tastes, but you should also be thinking about pairing foods nutritionally. But let’s back up and review some nutrition basics. 

Food Groups you should know

Grains: all the carbs that everyone thinks is bad (bread, pasta, rice, cereal)

Fruits: the sweet stuff (strawberries, apples, bananas)

Veggies: the stuff only healthy people eat (broccoli, kale, carrots)

Dairy: the stuff from cows that has caused lots of debates (milk, yogurt, cheese)

Protein: the meats – and beans for those vegetarians 

Okay, now that you are all caught up. Let’s talk about pairing foods. 

Pairing foods for meals and snacks is actually really important. It determines how your body will digest the food. Looking at the three main macronutrients (aka “macros” for the crossfitters), your body digest them all differently. Saving you from biochem lectures about glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and amino acids, you just need to know they all have different roles in the body. This translates into how long will you stay full based on how quickly your food is digested. 

Your body will digest simple carbs very quickly. So it’s not helpful to eat them alone. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat them. It just means they are best paired with some protein or fiber. You should try to choose two different food groups for a snack. 

When choosing snacks for example. Just eating pretzels is not going to sustain your appetite for long or keep your energy levels up. But if you pair pretzels with cheese, yogurt, or nuts, then you have a healthy snack that will keep your body at its best performance until meal time. 

For meals, you should always eat at least three food groups at a time. The MyPlate is a great example of what your plate should ideally look like. If you can’t get it perfect (like almost everyone), at least consume 3 different food groups. 

If you are not accustomed to pairing foods it can take a little practice at first, but once you understand it, it becomes simple to implement.  Sound difficult for you? Want someone to just tell you exactly what to eat? Don’t have time to research nutrition? I offer customized nutrition coaching for people just like you. I help you make a healthy lifestyle simple, sustainable, and scrumptious. Fill out a coaching application to get started!