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Have you ever felt exhausted after a big lunch?
One reason you may feel that way is that digestion takes energy. According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 10% of the calories we consume are used for digestion and nutrient absorption. (source)
It stands to reason, then, that the best way to free up some extra energy is to make our digestion as quick and efficient as possible.
That’s where food combining comes in.
I was introduced to the concept of food combining while reading The Raw Food Detox Diet. The general idea is that you can ease digestion by not eating too many dense foods all at the same meal.
Instead, you’ll pick one category—such as animal protein, for example—then fill the rest of your plate with raw or cooked non-starchy vegetables, like a green salad and roasted cauliflower.
By simplifying your meals, your digestive system doesn’t have to tackle too much in one sitting, helping you avoid the bloated, sluggish feeling that can put a damper on the rest of your day.
The Science Behind Food Combining
There isn’t a lot of research behind food combining, so much of what you’ll read is anecdotal. (Read the comments below if you’re curious!)
Here’s some supporting research I’ve found:
- One study has shown that humans tend to overeat when offered a wide variety of foods during a meal. (source) By simplifying our meals, we will naturally eat less, without needing to count calories or worry about portion sizes. This might be why people see success in weight loss when following food combining principles.
- One study suggests that primarily eating protein at lunch and then mostly carbohydrates at dinner could have a positive impact on diet-induced thermogenesis (the number of calories burned from digestion) and glucose levels. (source) In this study, eating primarily carbs at lunch and then protein at dinner had a negative impact on glucose, so this may suggest that timing matters when you choose a food category.
- We know that the body releases different enzymes to digest carbohydrates vs proteins. (source) It stands to reason that if you eat primarily from one category, fewer enzymes will need to be released, thereby easing the digestive process.
If nothing else, food combining simplifies your meal choices and encourages you to fill your plate with vegetables. I think many people enjoy it because it makes you mindful of your meals, without cutting out entire food groups the way a low-carb diet or keto diet does.
Food Combining Categories
Food combining principles vary from expert to expert, so I’ll share a simplified version, as it’s a good starting point.
Here are the main categories to choose from:
- Fresh fruit. Most food combining plans recommend eating fresh fruit on an empty stomach, usually in the morning. This is because it digests quickly, so you don’t want it to be slowed down by other foods.
- Starches. This category includes winter squash, sweet potatoes, avocados, beans, lentils, and all grains, including oatmeal, rice, quinoa, and buckwheat.
- Protein. This category primarily includes animal protein, such as eggs, dairy, meat, and fish, as well as tofu, which is a rich source of protein.
- Nuts, Seeds + Dried Fruit. This category includes all nuts and seeds, as well as dried fruits like raisins and dates. Some suggest that bananas can be enjoyed with nuts, since they are slower to digest than other fresh fruit.
You can pair any of the above categories with non-starchy vegetables, like carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, or broccoli. A good way to determine if a vegetable is non-starchy is to see if it can be consumed raw. You can eat lettuce, beets, and green beans raw, so you know they are non-starchy, even if you do decide to cook them.
I’ve created a handy chart below to help you easily prepare a properly combined meal. Feel free to print it off and stick it on your fridge if you want to give this a try.
(click on chart below to enlarge or print)
How to Create a Properly Combined Meal
For a properly combined meal, choose ONE category and only eat foods out of that category for that particular meal. The foods listed within the same category combine well with each other, and you may also include anything from the “Neutral” column to fill out your plate.
Wait 3-4 hours between each meal, before switching categories.
Starch Meal Examples
- Veggie Sandwich. Start with whole-grain bread filled with avocado, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts. Serve with a leafy side salad and a baked sweet potato topped with butter. You could follow this meal with some dark chocolate for dessert!
- Pasta with Vegetables. Use whole-grain pasta or gluten-free pasta, tossed with sautéed vegetables and olive oil.
- Quinoa Salad. Any grain-based salad topped with beans, veggies, and avocado will work. Try my Quinoa Black Bean Salad or Quinoa Chickpea Salad for properly combined recipes.
- Baked Potatoes. Sweet potatoes or white potatoes topped with veggie chili would be a hearty option.
- Soup. Hearty vegetarian soups, like Lentil Soup or Black Bean Soup, are easy options.
Animal Protein Meal Examples
- Meat and Fish Entrees. Serve baked chicken breasts or the best baked salmon over a large, leafy green salad, or with a side of roasted cauliflower or broccoli.
- Veggie Pizza Crusts. Try my cauliflower pizza crust or zucchini pizza boats topped with cheese and your favorite toppings.
- Spiralized or Shredded Pasta Alternatives. Instead of pasta, try sautéed cabbage, a bed of steamed cauliflower, or zucchini noodles with your favorite meatballs or meat-based spaghetti sauce on top. You can add Parmesan cheese on top to make it ultra-comforting.
- Lettuce Wrap “Tortillas.” Your favorite tacos and chicken fajitas can be served in a lettuce wrap or over a salad, allowing you to enjoy your favorite comfort food flavors without the sluggish digestion that often follows.
Nut, Seed + Dried Fruit Examples
- Salad with Nuts. For a main course, try a large leafy green salad topped with dried cranberries and raw walnuts, along with plenty of extra non-starchy vegetables for added texture. I also love a shredded carrot salad with raisins and nuts, or tahini dressing for a creamy salad.
- Bean-Free Hummus. Try my zucchini hummus served with sliced veggies as an appetizer for a nut-based meal.
- Grain-Free Breakfast Cereal. Start your morning with a bowl of Paleo Granola topped with almond milk. (Sliced banana could be added on top, too.)
- Nut-Based Desserts. Try a slice of raw cheesecake or a coconut macaroon after your nut-based meal.
Fresh Fruit Examples
Fruit is often eaten alone because it digests so fast. However, it can be combined with other fruits and leafy greens in a smoothie made with your favorite non-dairy milk.
Fruit is generally not recommended as a dessert after a meal, as it may potentially cause fermentation and bloating. You can eat it as an afternoon snack or post-workout, provided it’s been at least 3-4 hours since your last properly combined meal.
Here are some sample smoothies that are properly combined:
- Dragon Fruit Smoothie
- Pineapple Banana Smoothie
- Spinach Smoothie (Bananas can be mixed with nuts)
- Zucchini Smoothie
Food Combining Cookbooks
Food combining helped me eat more real foods regularly, without restricting food groups. I could eat anything I wanted, just not necessarily all at once. It was such a game-changer for me that I went on to publish two cookbooks based on these principles.
- Everyday Detox. This is my first cookbook with 100 properly combined recipes. It includes properly combined sample meal ideas, as well as entertaining menus, in case you want to make a themed night out of your meal.
- No Excuses Detox. This book includes three additional sample meal plans, including a Budget-Friendly option and a Speedy Meal plan that has everything ready in 30 minutes or less. This book features 100 different recipes, ensuring you’ll never run out of food-combining options.
Once you’ve mastered the concept of food combining, you can use it as a tool anytime you feel the need to reduce bloating or want to feel more energized.
Shop my Cookbooks
Everyday Detox Cookbook
No Excuses Detox Cookbook
If you try food combining, I’d love to hear how it goes for you! Please leave a comment below to continue the discussion.
I have recently bBeen note rested in food combinig and have been doing some research but there are a lot of contradictions out there! Some say that avocado is in the protein category, and then some say you should only have one concentrated protein at a meal, and that dairy products should be eaten on their own… !? I’m also curious about fruit … Some sources say that you can mix acid fruits with protein? And then in some baking recipes use applesauce or other fruits with grain or nut flours and then add eggs to that as well… Any thoughts on how to sort all of this out? I’m also wondering if you have ever read the book “eating Alive” by John matsen? Thanks!
I don’t like to get too complicated with food combining rules, so the chart above is what I follow to keep things simple. Also, I feature some recipes on my site that are not properly combined, but they could be considered helpful “transition foods” for people who are coming off the Standard American Diet. I always encourage people to upgrade the quality of their foods, even if they aren’t perfectly combined, so any step in the right direction is a good thing, if you ask me!
Hi Megan,
I like to use organic canned coconut milk in creamy soup recipes. Can I combine canned coconut milk with starches to make creamy squash soups? Also is it okay in curry recipes that contain flesh?
Thanks!
Canned coconut milk actually falls into the nut/seed category, because it’s made from mature coconuts. Unless you’re making your own coconut milk, blending together young coconut meat and water, it wouldn’t be a perfect combination to mix it with starches. However, I find that the more liquid a substance (such as a soup) the easier it is to digest overall, so it wouldn’t be the biggest deal to mis-combine there.
Hi Megan,
I have a question about baking with almond flour. I suppose using eggs in a recipe with almond flour (and coconut flour for that matter) would make it miscombined, is that right? If so, I guess it’s best to not bake too often then. Or just stick to your chocolate chip cookies recipe. YUM YUM!
Yes, technically those recipes are mis-combined– though, they do still stick to the most basic rule, which is not to combine starches with protein. They should definitely be considered a treat!
I would use a ground flax egg instead of regular egg if you want to keep to the same category. It works great!
I have been making morning smoothies that combine fruits – bananas, pineapple, cantaloupe and berries with veggies such as kale, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini and other greens. I also add in some fresh ginger, almond meal and flaxseeds. Oh and occasionally avocado. It is jammed packed : ) Is this not a good idea?
Ooops…forgot beets.
For food combining purposes, the almond meal and flaxseeds wouldn’t work with all that fresh fruit, but food combining isn’t for everyone. If you enjoy the smoothies, they sound pretty nutrient rich!
I saw on some websites that artichoke hearts are considered a starch. In your opinion, or according to your studies, would you categorize it as a starch? Meaning I could combine it with avocado and non starchy veggies?
What about tahini? it is made from sesame seeds so only add a tahini dressing on a salad with no flesh and no starch? Meaning just raw veggies?
Thank youuu!
I tend to keep my food combining as simple and easy as possible– there are definitely more strict charts out there! Personally, I know that if it’s too complicated, I won’t follow it. So, for my purposes, artichokes fall into the neutral category. If you find that they disagree with you in that category, however, you can change how to combine them! Combining will definitely vary from person to person– usually people start having simpler meals as they become more accustomed to combining over the years.
Tahini does fall into the nut category, so yes, it can combine with raw veggies, dried fruit and bananas.
What about hemp seed or hazelnut milk (store bought)- can this combine the same as almond milk (nuetral and with avacados in smoothies)? Thanks :)!
Yes, all nut and seed milks can be considered neutral for our purposes, since the pulp has been removed. Be sure to look for store-bought milks with little to no fillers, for best digestion. I believe Pacific brand makes some good options!
Why do you include fruit in your dessert recipes if they are best eaten alone?
I include dried fruit in some of my dessert recipes, which do combine properly with nuts and seeds. Fresh bananas also combine with nuts and seeds.
this is great! I have a qurstion,
I like to have oatmeal on the morning. so could i do then oatmeal, almond milk, coconut oil, but I like to add some protein like whey protein is that okay or would the whey be considerend as a flesh?
I do suffer from a lot of tummy discomfort even after going wheat free and mostly dairy free except for the whey protein adn yogurt.
I have this issues too? I like oatmeal and protein powder for breakfast. I tried doing a banana and felt shaky an hour later bc I’m up at 4am daily, I don’t have time to eat a hour later bc I’m heading to work. Maybe I should try a smoothie? Any advice?
Hi Megan,
I would like to please ask a question about other vegetables not mentioned on the chart. I saw the raw leafy greens are under teh neutral category, but I am wondering how other veggies combine, like tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, mushrooms, and so on and so forth.
Thanks so much! Your site is great!
~Alexia
Hi Alexia! All non-starchy vegetables, like the ones you mentioned above, are all considered neutral.
Hi! I´ve read that you should eat protein with every meal. What kind of protein can you combine with fruits?
People who practice food combining don’t necessarily agree with that idea, but bananas are an exception to the fruit rule– you can enjoy them with any nuts or seeds for a protein boost. Also, leafy green veggies are surprisingly protein-rich, and they combine with any fruit. Green smoothies are a good option!