Food Combining Chart

Download Dherbs Food Combining Chart

Food combining (the intentional pairing of certain foods) has helped millions of people resolve various health issues. By pairing the correct foods together you can over come various health issues i.e.; digestive problems, allergies, weight issues, and increase your energy levels tremendously.

Is your digestive system struggling?

Many of our digestive issues stem from the foods that we eat, and what foods we decide to eat together.

Poor digestion can cause serious health problems.

If you have frequent stomach issues, food combining (pairing the proper foods together) may help you alleviate those issues.

Starches and proteins are digested differently within our bodies. By simplifying our meals, our stomach and intestines will have an easier time processing these foods.

Many other animals, especially mammals (chimpanzees and gorillas especially) tend not to eat a variety of different types of food at the same time, as this can affect the digestion of these foods.

Most people get away with combining the wrong foods, however, if you’re prone to acid reflux, digestive discomfort, bloating after meals, heartburn and other digestive problems, you will find our food combining chart to be very beneficial.

Food Combining Chart

Low & Non-Starchy Vegetables
Starchy Vegetables
Proteins & Fats
Sweet Fruit
Sub-acid Fruits
Acidic Fruits
Acidic Fruit Vegetables


Protein and carbohydrate concentrated foods

In order to breakdown the proteins that we ingest, the body utilizes acid. When we digest the protein that we receive from animal meat, a high level of hydrochloric acid is needed to properly break down the protein so that our bodies can process it properly. On the other hand, foods rich in carbohydrates require the use of the alkali within the body in order to be broken down properly. High carbohydrate foods that have been mixed with foods that are high in protein will not be digested, but will instead sit in the body fermenting, and thus producing indigestion, bloating, and/or gas. Unfortunately most of the meals that we eat are composed of both proteins and carbohydrates, thus ending in a digestive disaster. For instance many of us pair our large steaks with potatoes, and/or bread which hinders our body from digesting the meal properly, and only causes us more issues.

Most foods that are rich in protein are best digested when accompanied by a fresh green salad, or other such vegetables which are similar in content. In conjunction to this, other high protein foods such nuts and seeds work very well when paired up with fruits that are rich in acid such as oranges, pineapples blackberries, or strawberries. In addition to the acidic fruits, these high protein foods also work fairly well when paired up with sub-acid fruits such as apples, cherries, mangos, or peaches. The vitamin C in these fruits aids the digestion of the mixture, and can help the body when processing these foods for digestion.

1. Eating two concentrated proteins together
Each type of protein requires a specific character, strength and timing of digestive juice secretions. This means that no two types of concentrated protein should be consumed together as a meal. As an example, we do not recommend that you eat nuts, meat, eggs, cheese, or other any other foods rich in protein together. We also suggest that you do not eat two different types of animal protein together, which is hard to imagine if you are used to eating things such as turkey, bacon sandwich.

2. Protein and fats
Fat inhibits the secretion of the gastric juices needed to digest meat, fish, dairy, nuts, and eggs by as much as fifty percent. When high fat foods are eaten with foods rich in protein, the digestive breakdown of the fats is delayed until the gastric juices have completed breaking down the complex proteins first. This ultimately means that the fats will remain undigested in the stomach for a long period of time.

3. Acid fruits with carbohydrates
The enzyme in saliva which begins the breakdown of foods rich in starch content converts complex starch molecules into more simple sugars. In order to work, the enzyme requires that it be in a neutral or slightly alkaline state. The is typically the natural condition found in the mouth when the proper foods are being eaten. However, when foods heavy in acidic content are eaten, the action of the enzyme needed to break down the starches is halted because the state of the mouth has been altered. Thus, fruits which are are high in acidic content should not be eaten at the same time as sweet fruits or other starches. The combination of the two is what makes spaghetti, and other such dishes which combine tomatoes with starches (noodles) have that bloating effect on our body.

4. Acid fruits with protein
Oranges, tomatoes, lemons, pineapples and other acid fruits can be easily digested and produce no distress when eaten away from foods that are high in starch and/or protein content. However, when included in a meal that contains a heavy protein content, fruits which have a high acidic content seriously hamper the digestion of the proteins. This is in part what makes the typical breakfast of orange juice, bacon, eggs and toast such a digestive nightmare.

5. Starch and sugar
Eating starches which also contain sweets is not a good idea. While the food my produce more than enough saliva, the saliva contains minimal amounts of the enzymes needed to digest the starch because the sugar has turned the environment acidic. This is why fruit filled doughnuts are not good for our digestive tracts. The carbohydrates actually end up fermenting within the body due to the fact that they were not properly digested.

6. Consuming melons
Melons should not be consumed with any other foods. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and the more exotic melons should always be eaten alone. Melons are meant to decompose quickly in the digestive system, which is what they will do if you do not include foods which will interfere with the process.