364. Brachos on Two Different Types of Food

50:11 When eating two types of food that have the same bracha, like nuts and apples, which are both ho’eitz, if one can say the bracha over one and include the other, he must do so. One may not have the intention to specifically exclude the other item in order to repeat the bracha because one may not recite unnecessary brachos. One should say the bracha over the more significant item and include the other, even if he didn’t have specific intention to include it (since it’s right there in front of him – Mishnah Brurah 211:32). However, if one said the bracha over the lesser item, it does not include the more significant one unless he had specific intention to do so. Therefore, if he said the bracha on the lesser item without specific intention, he must repeat the bracha over the more significant item. (If one is a guest in another’s home, his default intention is to eat whatever his host serves him. Therefore, in such a case the more significant item would be included and no new bracha is recited - Bi’ur Halacha 211:5 s.v. bilvad.)

50:12 In our next scenario, one is eating two foods with different brachos, such as fruits on which one says ho’eitz and vegetables on which one says ho’adomah, or something on which one says shehakol. Even though shehakol works on everything after the fact, and ho’adomah works on all fruit after the fact, one may not set out to say these general brachos on foods that call for more specific blessings. One must say the appropriate bracha for each type of food. In our case, the bracha of ho’eitz would come first. (If one has a preference for the vegetable, or if it is one of the species of Israel, one would then say the ho’adomah first. Puffed kernels of wheat, for example, are ho’adomah [rather than mezonos] and would come before an apple in the order of brachos – Mishnah Bruruah 211:18.) If one has both wine and grapes and he wishes to drink the wine first, if he intended to include the grapes in his bracha of hagafen, it would work. Nevertheless, he should not do this. It is more appropriate to intend not to include the grapes so that he may say the proper bracha over them, which is ho’eitz. (If one has no particular intention about the grapes, they are not considered included by the wine - MB 208:69.)