Some foods, when eaten together, can assist one’s body in absorbing vitamins and improve general health.

Though eating a spinach salad is already healthy, incorporating a mandarin orange will help the body take in the iron as well as adding vitamin C into the meal, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wendy Bazilian, a dietician and PhD in public health, told the news provider many foods have multiple health benefits when eaten together.
"They give you a stronger defense than if consumed separately," said Bazilian.

For example, eating tomatoes and broccoli together have more powerful cancer-fighting qualities when eaten at the same time then when they are consumed alone, according to the article. Also, vinegar has the ability to decrease the glycemic index of sushi rice by as much as 35 percent.

However, adding fat-free salad dressing instead of one containing "healthful fat" can deter antioxidants in the salad from absorbing properly in the body, states the Tribune. Using roasted walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil are examples of healthful fat for a salad.

Bazilian added that an easy way for people to gain whole food nutrition is to make sure their salad has at least three different colors in it.