10. Food Classification Charts

10.1 Proteins

Nuts

Pecans
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Filberts or hazelnuts
English walnuts, butternuts, heart nuts
Black walnuts
Macadamias
Pistachios
Pignolias (Pine nuts)
Indian nuts
Beechnuts
Hickory nuts
Cashews

Other Plant Proteins

Soy beans (fresh, dry or sprouted)
Sunflower seed sprouts
Lentil sprouts
Garbanzo sprouts

Low Protein

Avocados (may also be classified as a fat and as a neutral fruit)
Olives
Milk (not recommended)

Green Vegetable Proteins** (Combine as Starch)

Peas in the pod
Lima and other beans in the pod
Mature green beans in the pod
Mung bean sprouts*

* Mung beans sprouted to green leaf stage—green vegetable starch/protein
** Classified as starches for purposes of food combining

Seeds

Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Pumpkin and squash seeds

Animal proteins (not recommended)

Cheese (raw milk or unprocessed)
Eggs
All flesh foods except fat

Starchy proteins * * (not recommended)
(Combine as starch)

Beans:
Peas
Lentils
Peanuts
Chestnuts

All grains:
Wild rice
Rice
Buckwheat
Millet
Wheat
Rye
Barley

Sprouts (contain  significant amounts of protein, especially in early stages)

Soy sprouts (Combine as protein)
Lentil sprouts (Combine as protein)
Sunflower seed sprouts (Combine as protein)
Alfalfa sprouts (may be combined as green vegetable)
Mung bean sprouts*
All seed, bean & grain sprouts
Combine seed & bean sprouts as protein —except alfalfa
Combine grain sprouts as mildly starchy

* Mung beans sprouted to green leaf stage—green vegetable starch/protein

10.2 Starches

Starchy proteins (Classified as starches for purposes of food combining)

Peanuts
Chestnuts
Coconuts
Dry beans
Dry peas
Lentils
Peas in the pod
Lima & other beans in the pod
Mature green beans in the pod

All grains and all foods containing grains:
Wild rice
Brown rice
Buckwheat groats
Millet
Oats
Wheat
Rye
Barley

Starchy vegetables

White potatoes
Yams and sweet potatoes
Mature corn
Jerusalem artichokes
Parsnips*
Salsify (Oyster plant)*

Mildly starchy vegetables

Carrots
Globe artichokes
Beets
Rutabaga
Edible pod peas
Winter squash (acorn, butternut, hubbard, banana, etc.)*
Pumpkin*
Water chestnuts
Sprouted grains

* Parsnips (17.5% starch) and salsify (18%) are sometimes listed as mildly starchy or even nonstarchy vegetables, but since they contain as much starch as the potato (17.1%) they should properly be classified as starchy.

Winter squash (12.4%) and pumpkin (6.5%) are shown on some charts as starchy, but their starch content is quite a bit lower than potatoes (17.1%). 1 would consider them mildly starchy (or you could consider winter squash as borderline).

* Cauliflower is sometimes listed as mildly starchy, but with a starch content (5.2%) lower than broccoli (5.9%) and Brussels sprouts (8.3%), it properly belongs in the nonstarchy category.

10.3 Nonstarchy and green vegetables

Lettuce
Celery
Cabbage (young, sweet)
Celery cabbage
Cucumber
Cauliflower* (see * above)
Escarole (if not bitter)
Sweet pepper
Broccoli
Rappini (similar to broccoli)
Brussels sprouts
Kale
Collard greens
Dandelion greens
Turnip tops
Mustard greens (if young and mild)
Okra
Kohlrabi
Turnips
Eggplant
Green corn (if not mature, and if eaten less than 2 hours after picking)
Green beans (young & tender)
Zucchini (and all other summer squash)
Yellow crookneck squash (and all other summer squash)
Chayote
Bok choy
Alfalfa sprouts

Use seldom if at all— too high in oxalic acid (a calcium antagonist)

Spinach
Swiss chard
Beet tops
Rhubarb

Should not be used— contain concentrated acids & irritants

Bitter cabbage
Endive
Escarole

Contain mustard oil

Irritant foods (unless very young and sweet)— should not be used often or in large quantities

Parsley
Watercress
Chives
Scallions
Onions
Leeks
Radishes
Garlic
Mature mustard greens

10.4 Fats

Fats delay digestion—may take up to four to six hours. The need for fat is small, and the best sources are whole foods like nuts and avocados.

Recommended fats 

Edible (protein/fat foods) seeds, nuts and avocados

These fats are not recommended

Not recommended, though used occasionally by some Hygienists.

Butter
Cream

All oils

(Oils are used occasionally by some Hygienists, but are not recommended. Use unrefined cold-pressed oils, preferably stable oils like olive and sesame oil, less likely to be rancid. Oils are fragmented, concentrated foods, and are best omitted)

Olive oil
Sesame oil
Sunflower seed oil
Corn oil
Peanut oil
Cottonseed oil
Safflower oil

All meat fats (not recommended)

Butter substitutes (not recommended)—oleomargarine and the hard white hydrogenated "vegetable" shortenings commonly used in frying and baking are particularly pernicious substances, which the body is not equipped to handle.

10.5 Sweet fruits

Fresh:
Bananas
Persimmons
Thompson grapes (seedless)
Muscat grapes
All sweet grapes
Fresh figs

Dry:
Dates
Figs
Raisins
Prunes
Apricots
Peaches
Apples
Cherries
Bananas
Litchi "nuts"
Carob
All dried fruit

Some unusual or tropical fruits not listed— sweet taste is a good indication of its classification.

10.6 Subacid fruits

Sweet apples (Delicious)
Sweet peaches
Sweet nectarines
Pears
Sweet cherries
Papayas
Mangos
Apricots
Fresh Litchi "nuts"
Sweet plums
Blueberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Mulberries
Huckleberries
Cherimoyas
Some grapes (neither sweet nor sour)

Some unusual or tropical fruits not listed.

10.7 Acid fruits

Oranges
Grapefruit
Pineapples
Strawberries
Pomegranates
Lemons
Kiwi fruit
Kumquats
Loquats
Carambolas
Loganberries
Gooseberries
Cranberries (not recommended—they contain benzoic acid)
Limes Sour apples Sour grapes Sour peaches Sour nectarines Sour plums Sour cherries

Tomatoes—acid fruit, without the sugar content of other acid fruits. Used with vegetable salad or any green or nonstarchy vegetables, but not at a starch meal. May be used with nuts or cheese, but not with meat, milk or eggs. Some unusual or tropical fruits are not listed—acid (or sour) taste is a good indication of its classification.

10.8 Melons

Watermelon
Honeydew melon
Honey balls
Cantaloupe
Muskmelon
Casaba melon
Crenshaw melon
Pie melon
Banana melon
Persian melon
Christmas melon
Nutmeg melon

10.9 Syrups and sugars

Brown sugar
"Raw" sugar
White sugar
Milk sugar
Maplesyrup
Cane syrup
Corn syrup
Honey

None of these substances are recommended.