These 8 research-backed food combos will help you lose weight

We all have certain special people in your lives who simply bring out the best in us. Blame it on their positive impact, or on their ability to push us to our maximum potential, it’s amazing how they drive us to do things we can never imagine ourselves doing.

What’s also amazing is the fact that this ‘better-together’ effect applies to food too! Yes, you read that right. Certain foods, when eaten together, enhance each other’s nutritional benefits and make for a healthier meal–making them potent weight loss foods. Dieticians and nutritionists use the term ‘food synergy’ for this phenomenon and The Produce for Better Health Foundation defines it as ‘combining nutrients that work better together to create greater health effects.’

Here’s a list of some of the best weight-loss foods in combinations that you can cash in on:

1. Broccoli and tomatoes: Enjoy them raw in the form of a salad or simply toss the broccoli in tomato puree for an Italian feel, ladies. This combination isn’t just a cancer-fighting wonder as per a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, but is also a great low-cal meal packed with the goodness of vitamin C, fibre, and protein. So, you won’t even feel hungry afterward.

2. Salads and fats: When you reach out for a bowl of fruit salad or vegetable salad, don’t forget to add a dose of healthy fats in the form of flax seeds/crushed almonds/cheese/oil-based salad dressing. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, healthy fats taken with vegetables or fruits can improve the nutrition-absorption capacity of the body, apart from aiding weight loss!

3. Whole grains and whole grains: Another study published in this journal indicated that combining 3 or more different whole grains can help you lose weight and reduce the stubborn belly fat. So, opt for multigrain bread, mix brown rice with porridge, and add barley along with ground oats to your atta for great results.

4. Oatmeal with a tangy twist: Add a dash of tangy zest in the form of orange/strawberry/ kiwi slices to your bowl of healthy oats as eating oats with a side of vitamin C can help stabilize cholesterol level apart from making for a quick but extremely healthy breakfast, according to a 2004 study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

5. Spinach and lemon/tomatoes: Your mom will agree to this one for sure because the vitamin C in tomatoes facilitate better absorption of iron from spinach and that’s exactly why she adds a hell lot of tomatoes while making palak paneer at home.

6. Apples and purple grapes: Quercetin, a complicated but beneficial antioxidant present in apples when taken in combination with catechin which is another type of antioxidant found in purple grapes can help boost heart health, make your memory sharper, and decrease cancer risk.

7. Fish and garlic: Fish marinated in garlic paste and grilled to perfection is all you need for a great immunity and a healthy heart as per a study conducted in 1997.

8. Turmeric and black pepper: The healing powers of turmeric when combined with the metabolism-kicking power of black pepper can give you great immunity while helping with weight loss.

The someone-for-everyone philosophy applies to food too and we say you make a note of these combinations to whip up some very healthy food combinations to keep yourself fit!