Food Classification Charts

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.