5 Bad Food Combinations That You Should Never Eat Together!

Nutritionists recommend to eat food combinations that have variety in it. Not only does it provide us with a variety of nutrients, but because some food combinations even maximize the benefits of certain nutrients when eaten together. However, not all food combinations are good for us. There are actually some food combinations that are not only bad, but may also pose a risk to our health. These bad food combinations may leave you bloated, raise blood sugar levels, and reduce the absorption of essential nutrients.

Here’s a list of food combinations that you should never eat together!

1. Milk and Tea

Milk and tea has been a popular drink combination for centuries. It has that tangy and creamy taste that is actually addictive. Now, if this is your favorite drink, you might want to start avoiding it. According to Alissa Rumsey, MD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, black tea is full of antioxidants that decreases inflammation associated with many chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. Now, when you add even a little milk into a cup of tea, the milk destroys those antioxidant benefits because the milk proteins bind with the antioxidants in the tea and stop them from being absorbed by the body. Moreover, the caffeine in the tea can also decrease the calcium in milk from being absorbed by the body. So if you want to maximize the benefits of tea, stop adding milk to it!

bad food combo

Combining milk and tea is a bad idea!
Photo Credit: Wallpapers for Desktop – Eu

2. White bread and Jam

Yes, you read that right, white bread and jam is one popular breakfast food combo. What makes eating this food combination bad for us? Simple carbohydrates increase blood sugar the most. If we combine white bread and jam, it creates a havoc to blood sugar levels, says Liz Weinandy, RD, MPH, a dietitian at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Because of the very high levels of blood sugar, the body works double time to lower it by releasing insulin from the pancreas. This process can sooner or later wear out the pancreas and produce insulin resistant diabetes, adds Weinandy. A clever idea is to eat fiber-rich whole grains instead of refined carbs. This will keep you off from blood sugar spikes by helping slow down digestion.

3. Salad and fat free dressing

Meltzer Warren, RDN and author of “The Smart Girl’s Guide to Going Vegetarian”, says that when people stay away from fat on their salad, they put a barrier to the absorption of its nutrients. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that carotenoids are more quickly absorbed when combined with full-fat dressing in contrast to low-fat or fat-free varieties. So, if you want to maximize the nutrients in your salad, choose the regular salad dressing!

4. Alcohol and Caffeine

Most people who drink wine want to perk themselves up by drinking coffee afterwards. The energy lift they get from caffeine in coffee can cover intoxication, so they miscalculate how drunk they are. This is also true when mixing caffeine and alcohol (like mixing vodka and Red Bull or the coffee-flavored sugar-based liqueur Kahlua). Research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine revealed that people who mix alcohol and caffeine have a greater chance of being involved in accidents than those who don’t combine them. Getting drunk with alcohol is a bad idea, but drinking caffeine with it (or afterwards) is actually much worse!

5. Burgers and beer

This food combination is one favorite combo men love to pig out on. Too bad, taking burgers and beers together is not only bad for the health (it’s doesn’t have much nutrients and is packed with calories you don’t need), it can also make you feel bad literally. We all know that burger is a high-fat food, right? Well, fat and alcohol are processed in the liver, and naturally, our body breaks down the alcohol first because it distinguishes alcohol as a toxin. This would leave fat floating in our bloodstream where it can be stored in our fat tissues. Since fat causes food to digest more slowly, it will make you feel stuffed and bloated after you eat it. So, if you’re feeling bad about something, don’t take beer with a high-fat meal like burger, you will only feel worse afterwards.

So, which among the food combinations mentioned above is your favorite? Will you start avoiding it? Leave a comment below.

Share this: