As Filipinos increasingly prioritize their health and well-being, nutrition experts are highlighting a often-overlooked aspect of good eating: not just what you eat, but what you eat it with. Certain food combinations can significantly impact how well the body absorbs and utilizes essential nutrients, according to guidance released in conjunction with World Health Day.
A 2025 Health and Economic Empowerment Survey found that 79% of Filipinos expect to improve their health and well-being within a year, signaling a growing public interest in nutrition strategies that deliver measurable benefits.
The Science of Synergy: Why Pairings Matter
Susan Bowerman, Senior Director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife, explains that nutrition science has long recognized how food combinations influence nutrient uptake.
“You can influence nutrient uptake by choosing thoughtful food combinations at meals,” Bowerman said.
Rather than focusing on single “superfoods” or isolated nutrient targets, experts emphasize that consistent, balanced nutrition—achieved partly through strategic pairings—supports growth, metabolism, repair, and overall wellbeing.
Five Evidence-Based Pairings for Better Nutrition
1. Colorful Vegetables + Healthy Fat
Deeply colored vegetables such as spinach, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes contain carotenoids—naturally occurring plant compounds that act as antioxidants. Because these compounds are fat-soluble, they are absorbed more efficiently when eaten with dietary fat.
Practical applications: Adding olive oil dressing to salads, incorporating nuts or seeds into cooked vegetables, or blending avocado and spinach into smoothies.
2. Vitamin C + Iron (Critical for Filipinos)
The 2023 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) reported that approximately 2 in 10 (17.2%) of Filipinos aged 60 and above suffer from anemia and iron deficiency.
Iron supports oxygen transport and energy metabolism. While heme iron from meat, poultry, fish, and eggs is absorbed efficiently, non-heme iron from plant sources like beans, lentils, spinach, and grains is absorbed less efficiently. Vitamin C significantly improves non-heme iron absorption.
Practical applications: Adding tomatoes to chili, citrus segments to spinach salad, or strawberries to fortified cereal. For those using protein shakes or meal replacements fortified with iron, blending in pineapple, strawberries, or mango enhances absorption.
“These small additions can make a meaningful difference in meeting daily nutrient needs,” Bowerman noted.
3. Green Tea + Vitamin C-Rich Foods
Green tea contains catechin compounds that function as antioxidants. Adding lemon or consuming green tea alongside vitamin C-rich fruits—citrus, strawberries, or kiwi—improves catechin absorption.
Practical applications: Pairing green tea with Greek yogurt and pineapple, or enjoying it with a fiber-enriched protein snack bar and berries.
4. Vitamin D + Calcium-Rich Foods
Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, which supports bone health and muscle function. A 2020 study identified vitamin D deficiency among Filipino adults aged 20 to 39.
Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) and eggs provide vitamin D, while leafy greens, dairy, and fortified plant-based beverages provide calcium.
Practical applications: Mixed green salad with grilled fish, or spinach folded into scrambled eggs. For those who do not regularly consume animal foods, fortified products or vitamin D supplements combined with calcium-rich plant or animal sources can help meet requirements.
5. Protein + Fiber
Many adults fall short on daily protein and fiber intake—both crucial for satiety and digestive health. Combining these nutrients makes meals more filling and supports digestive function.
Practical applications: Blending berries, vegetables, or fiber into protein shakes, or pairing colorful salads with tofu, beans, eggs, chicken, or fish.
The Bigger Picture: Consistency Over Perfection
Bowerman emphasized that good nutrition is not about rigid rules or chasing single superfoods, but about regularly providing the body with necessary nutrients in ways that fit individual lifestyles.
“Nutrition is personal. The goal is not perfection. It is consistency,” she said.
While whole foods form the foundation of a healthy diet, fortified products, protein shakes, and fiber supplements can serve as practical tools to bridge nutritional gaps during busy schedules or periods of increased need.
By combining smart food pairings with healthy choices—including protein from plant and animal sources, colorful fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich grains, and healthy fats—experts say Filipinos can create a sustainable approach to meeting their body’s daily nutritional requirements.
As Filipinos increasingly prioritize their health and well-being, nutrition experts are highlighting a often-overlooked aspect of good eating: not just what you eat, but what you eat it with. Certain food combinations can significantly impact how well the body absorbs and utilizes essential nutrients, according to guidance released in conjunction with World Health Day.
A 2025 Health and Economic Empowerment Survey found that 79% of Filipinos expect to improve their health and well-being within a year, signaling a growing public interest in nutrition strategies that deliver measurable benefits.
The Science of Synergy: Why Pairings Matter
Susan Bowerman, Senior Director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife, explains that nutrition science has long recognized how food combinations influence nutrient uptake.
“You can influence nutrient uptake by choosing thoughtful food combinations at meals,” Bowerman said.
Rather than focusing on single “superfoods” or isolated nutrient targets, experts emphasize that consistent, balanced nutrition—achieved partly through strategic pairings—supports growth, metabolism, repair, and overall wellbeing.
Five Evidence-Based Pairings for Better Nutrition
1. Colorful Vegetables + Healthy Fat
Deeply colored vegetables such as spinach, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes contain carotenoids—naturally occurring plant compounds that act as antioxidants. Because these compounds are fat-soluble, they are absorbed more efficiently when eaten with dietary fat.
Practical applications: Adding olive oil dressing to salads, incorporating nuts or seeds into cooked vegetables, or blending avocado and spinach into smoothies.
2. Vitamin C + Iron (Critical for Filipinos)
The 2023 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) reported that approximately 2 in 10 (17.2%) of Filipinos aged 60 and above suffer from anemia and iron deficiency.
Iron supports oxygen transport and energy metabolism. While heme iron from meat, poultry, fish, and eggs is absorbed efficiently, non-heme iron from plant sources like beans, lentils, spinach, and grains is absorbed less efficiently. Vitamin C significantly improves non-heme iron absorption.
Practical applications: Adding tomatoes to chili, citrus segments to spinach salad, or strawberries to fortified cereal. For those using protein shakes or meal replacements fortified with iron, blending in pineapple, strawberries, or mango enhances absorption.
“These small additions can make a meaningful difference in meeting daily nutrient needs,” Bowerman noted.
3. Green Tea + Vitamin C-Rich Foods
Green tea contains catechin compounds that function as antioxidants. Adding lemon or consuming green tea alongside vitamin C-rich fruits—citrus, strawberries, or kiwi—improves catechin absorption.
Practical applications: Pairing green tea with Greek yogurt and pineapple, or enjoying it with a fiber-enriched protein snack bar and berries.
4. Vitamin D + Calcium-Rich Foods
Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, which supports bone health and muscle function. A 2020 study identified vitamin D deficiency among Filipino adults aged 20 to 39.
Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) and eggs provide vitamin D, while leafy greens, dairy, and fortified plant-based beverages provide calcium.
Practical applications: Mixed green salad with grilled fish, or spinach folded into scrambled eggs. For those who do not regularly consume animal foods, fortified products or vitamin D supplements combined with calcium-rich plant or animal sources can help meet requirements.
5. Protein + Fiber
Many adults fall short on daily protein and fiber intake—both crucial for satiety and digestive health. Combining these nutrients makes meals more filling and supports digestive function.
Practical applications: Blending berries, vegetables, or fiber into protein shakes, or pairing colorful salads with tofu, beans, eggs, chicken, or fish.
The Bigger Picture: Consistency Over Perfection
Bowerman emphasized that good nutrition is not about rigid rules or chasing single superfoods, but about regularly providing the body with necessary nutrients in ways that fit individual lifestyles.
“Nutrition is personal. The goal is not perfection. It is consistency,” she said.
While whole foods form the foundation of a healthy diet, fortified products, protein shakes, and fiber supplements can serve as practical tools to bridge nutritional gaps during busy schedules or periods of increased need.
By combining smart food pairings with healthy choices—including protein from plant and animal sources, colorful fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich grains, and healthy fats—experts say Filipinos can create a sustainable approach to meeting their body’s daily nutritional requirements.#
By combining smart food pairings with healthy choices—including protein from plant and animal sources, colorful fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich grains, and healthy fats—experts say Filipinos can create a sustainable approach to meeting their body’s daily nutritional requirements.#
