Combining protein and starch.

Question on food combining. I know that fruits should be eaten by themselves because they digest so rapidly, but I recently read that your meals should be either protein meals or starch meals. Proteins digest in the acid stomach and starches digest in the alkaline intestine. Eating them together keeps them from digesting properly. Any thoughts?


Hi Catherine,

In regards to food combining, I think God packaged foods just right. For instance a potato is very high in starch, with 38 grams, but also has abundant amino acids making it a complete protein over 5 grams (it is the one food man can live on if they had nothing else). Beans are high in protein 20 gram in 1 cup, but also have plenty of starch, over 40 grams. I also believe in following the example of E. White. She would have cream on her greens (protein on starch), etc. Most of the vegetables and all grains have both starch and protein. That is the way God made it.

Starches begin their digestive process in the mouth. This is why cows and horses chew endlessly on their food, while a dog ‘wolfs’ it down. If the food is properly masticated (chewed thoroughly), our bodies are designed to handle the foods God created. The best way to be sure of good digestion is: chew very well, eat slowly, enjoy the food (yes, this is very important), don’t drink COLD liquids, don’t eat too much COLD food, and exercise lightly after eating.

We don’t always know why something works the way it does. True scientific testing always confirms Creation and God’s Plan for living. It is only the theories or summaries that we see as ‘non-scientists’ that conflict. God has infinite wisdom and sometimes people (especially non-Christians) come up with seemingly good ideas based on logic. I find when there are ideas that conflict, they are usually based on logic, and are not truly scientifically tested. It is a fact that proteins digest in the stomach with acids made by the body, and that grains digest with saliva and intestinal fluid, but to say that eating them together can cause problems is a conclusion or theory based on two facts. Sometimes it is difficult to separate the facts from the theory or conclusions. Logic is not always right, but sure sounds good. The best way to weed out the truth is to compare it to scripture and Spirit of Prophecy.

I guess this goes with all topics, not just doctrine or food.

Hope that helps,
Angela