Combo Meal?

When you think combo meal, you probably think French fries — not exactly a health booster. But you can capitalize on the nutrition synergy of merging certain foods:

Plump produce: According to research, “good” fats aid the absorption of disease-fighting phytonutrients prevalent in most vegetables. One study found that adding avocado to a spinach, carrot, and lettuce salad lets you absorb 8.3 times more alpha-carotene and 13.6 times more beta-carotene from the carrots, as well as 4.3 times more lutein from the leafy greens.

Collaborative colors: It seems broccoli and tomatoes form a disease-fighting alliance that far exceeds their independent power. In a Journal of Nutrition study, the broccoli and tomato combo slowed the growth of prostate tumors in rats more than either item on its own.

Bad breath buddies: The potent coupling of garlic and onion doesn’t do much for halitosis, but their phytochemicals may work wonders on the heart. Garlic’s diallyl disulfide, already linked to lower colon cancer risk, appears to fight bad cholesterol. Combined with the glucose-lowering effects of onion’s allyl propyl disulfide, the pungent pair helps control diabetes and cardiovascular disease.