16 Food Combinations To Avoid Starting Today

We are used to combining different foods in our food – cheese with meat, fruit in salads, dairy with fruit.

But did you know that modern hygienists, physiologists and traditional medicine Ayurveda consider these combinations as harmful as they are blamed for the feeling of bloating, heartburn, weight and lethargy that they are believed to cause?

Some foods complement each other and help balance the flavors, while others are considered dangerous combinations that are best avoided.

Like the well-known example of combining dairy products with fish, there are many other lesser-known food combinations that some experts say should be avoided.

Food combinations to avoid

Here are the 16 food combinations to avoid starting today.

1. Animal protein and starch

One of the absolute food combinations to avoid is animal protein and starch. Different digestive enzymes can interact and generate gas, discomfort, and flatulence. When an animal protein is combined with a carbohydrate, such as meat and potatoes or a slice of bread, the various enzymes cancel one other out.

2. Two high proteins

Surf & turf or eggs and bacon are popular combinations that contain two sources of high protein. These put a strain on the digestive system which takes a long time to digest them.

Eat your meals in some order of dishes: light proteins first, then meat. Also, never wait more than 10 minutes between each dish.

3. Fats with eating the wrong foods

For example, bread with olives, tuna with mayonnaise, or meat cooked in vegetable oil are all examples of fats combined with the wrong foods. Why?

To be broken down, fats require bile salts from the liver and gallbladder, and combining them with other digestive chemicals can induce pain.

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4. Tea and milk

Black tea has a lot of antioxidants, which are good for you. Even a small amount of milk (cow or soy) “short-circuits” this action. Furthermore, milk does not deliver a calcium increase in this manner.

If you really want to boost the quantity of antioxidants your body absorbs, add some lemon to your tea.

5. Salad with fat-free dressing

Experts claim that avoiding fat in salads creates a barrier to vitamin absorption. Carotenoids, which have been associated to a lower risk of cancer, heart diseases, and macular degeneration, are more quickly absorbed when paired with full-fat versions rather than low-fat or completely nonfat ones.

You don’t need to add much to gain the advantages; a few drops of virgin olive oil and vinegar will suffice.

6. Fruits with yogurt

Yogurt has a lot of bacterial microorganisms that will react the sugar found in the fruit. This frequently results in toxins and allergies.

Instead of fresh fruit, try adding honey, cinnamon, or raisins in your yogurt.

7. Cereal with milk and orange juice for breakfast

Casein is found in milk, and acid is found in orange juice. They solidify the milk while also destroying the enzymes that are found in cereals (cereals contain starch).

Drink fruit juice at least an hour before or after breakfast to avoid this.

8. Milk and banana

Although my personal favourite, milk and banana its one of those food combinations to avoid.

Only few people dislike banana milkshakes. However, this is a negative combination since it is heavy on our stomach.

Here’s a tip: Add a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon to stimulate the digestive system if you can’t resist.

9. Fruit eaten with or after a meal.

Fruit digests in the intestines after passing swiftly via the stomach. When fruit is combined with foods that take longer to digest, such as meat, cereals, and even low-water fruits like bananas, dried fruit, and avocados, they stay in the stomach much longer and begin to ferment because they function like sugar. This is why fruit should be consumed alone.

10. Cheese-topped beans

A popular pairing in a variety of cuisines. It is a guaranteed formula for bloating, gas, and other digestive issues. Contrary to popular belief, beans do not create gas on their own.

11. Tomatoes and starchy carbs

Tomatoes are an acidic fruit that might create digestive issues when combined with rice, pasta, or sweet potatoes. Indigestion and weariness may result from the combo.

Meat-flavored cheeses Burgers loaded with cheese, beef in a cheese fondue, and meat and cheese omelets are all heavy in protein and difficult to digest.

12. Chocolate-flavored milk

Yes, it is correct! Milk and chocolate are incompatible. Milk is high in protein and calcium, while chocolate includes oxalic acid. When milk and oxalic acid are consumed together, the calcium in milk interacts to generate an insoluble calcium oxalate.

When ingested in excessive quantities, this is difficult to digest and might induce diarrhea.

13. Drinks to accompany meals

For example, water or juice before a meal, or tea soon afterwards. Water takes roughly 10 minutes to travel through the stomach, whereas juice takes 15 to 30 minutes. Any liquid in the stomach dilutes the enzymes required by the body for protein, carbohydrate, and fat digestion.

14. Alcohol with caffeine

You drink wine at dinner, start yawning after a few glasses and try to find your lost energy by ordering a coffee immediately after the meal.

Bad idea. The energy boost you get from caffeine can mask the toxicity of alcohol, so you underestimate how much you may have drunk.

The same goes for mixing caffeine directly with an alcoholic beverage (e.g. vodka and energy drink or coffee and Kahlua).

15. Lentils with red wine

Red wines contain compounds called tannins that when mixed with plant sources of iron, such as those found in lentils and soybeans, severely inhibit the body’s ability to absorb iron.

16. Burger and beer

Both are processed by the liver and the body gives priority to breaking down the alcohol since it recognizes alcohol as a toxin, experts explain. This allows fat to float in the bloodstream and can be stored in adipose tissue.

Food Combinations Chart

You are what you digest. Unless you are taking a digestion supplement, you need to be aware the foods that “match” and those who don’t.

Here’s a handy food combinations chart that is easy to understand and follow. Feel free to copy, screenshot it and share it.

Final Take

Of course, every body is different and can experience different levels of sensitivity to bad food combinations. Many people attribute digestive problems and allergies to specific foods, when in fact it may be the combination of foods that is to blame.

Also, many of us are so familiar with digestive discomfort to the point that we don’t know what it’s like to not experience it.

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