Synergy exists in foods; it is true. Pairing certain foods can make the sum of the meal healthier than the individual ingredients. While some food combinations are best avoided.
Take this quiz and see if you know how to combine foods to eat your way to health.
Food is more than fuel for your body — it's a tool to help you improve your health. Eating for your health can be as simple as adding certain ingredients to the food you're already accustomed to consuming.
Small changes can add up to improvements in your well-being while satisfying your hunger. Get inspired by these simple formulas from Prevention and keep them in mind the next time you're making a grocery list.
| Meal Base | Add-In | Health Benefit |
| Whole grain cereal | 1/2 cup sunflower seeds | Better immunity |
| Scrambled eggs | 1/2 cup red peppers | Smoother skin |
| Smoothie | 1/4 cup wheat germ | Faster healing of cuts and bruises |
| Sandwich | 3 spinach leaves | Decreased risk of night blindness |
To see the rest read more
At the onset of each year, American spice company McCormick offers its prediction for the top spice combinations. When we shared the company's top picks with you last year, your vote went to the vanilla and cardamom combo. Incidentally, throughout 2008, I encountered that flavor pairing in recipes and menu items from flan to peach pie. McCormick recently released its forecast for 2009. To see five of the new flavor combinations predicted to explode onto the food scene (and your tongue) this year, read more
Each year, the folks at McCormick put out a list of 10 flavor pairings. Last year things like clove and green apple reigned supreme, but this year it's more intriguing like vanilla bean and cardamom. To see all 10 of their food-pairing predictions, click the "Start Slideshow" button below.
If you're looking for some cooking inspiration, then be sure to check out the new Food Pairing website. Designed by the folks at Food for Design, the site creates food pairing trees generated by the flavor components of each ingredient. The shorter the distance between the two food products, the more flavors the food have in common. Right now, there are 42 ingredients to begin with — although there will be 250 when it's completed — and they range from blue cheese, to oysters, to blueberries. 
The folks at Food for Design hope that you use these trees to come up with new food pairings. For example, they've suggested strawberries and peas. You may not think of these two as complementary but think about a summer salad with peas, mint and strawberry, delish! So go ahead and give it a try and see what combinations you come up with.
