Food combining is the practice of eating certain food groups together, and avoiding other food group combinations. The benefits of food combining include efficient digestion, weight loss, and just feeling lighter.

Why would anyone practice food combining? Because we feel better when we do. It’s not difficult to combine foods properly; it just takes a little practice. Here are the basics –

• Fruits digest well with other fruits, but notsomuch with other foods – so don’t combine fruits with other food groups. A notable exception – citrus fruits are good with nuts. The acidity of citrus helps break down the fat in the nuts.
• Eat animal protein (poultry, eggs, fish) with vegetables. Examples – salmon/broccoli/salad; chicken/green beans/salad.
• Eat starches* (grains, grain-derived foods like bread and cereal, and starchy veggies like squash and potatoes) with vegetables.
  *Side note – We don’t call them carbs because so many different foods have carbohydrates in them, but don’t fit in this category (like fruit and legumes).
• Eat legumes (beans, including derivatives like tofu) with vegetables.
• Avoid eating animal protein with starches, in most cases. To improve digestion, add legumes to a meal of animal protein and starches.