Food combining is all about pairing foods in a way that works best for your biology.
Research suggests that combining carb-rich foods with healthy fats, fibre, and protein may help prevent large blood sugar spikes. This works by slowing the digestion and absorption of carbs, leading to a steadier release of glucose into the blood.
Here are a few powerful combinations to get you started:
Tortilla chips + guacamole
Wholegrain toast + avocado
Porridge + berries + unsweetened nut butter
Pasta + tomato sauce + chickpeas + vegetables
Mango + almonds
Rice cake + hummus
Rice + black beans
Grapes + cheese
Your ZOE scores guide you in combining foods to create high-scoring meals. You can pair lower-scoring foods (ones that have an orange or yellow score) with higher-scoring foods (your ‘green’ foods), to boost your overall meal scores as shown below.
So, instead of cutting out foods like bread, for example, you could pair them with foods like avocado and beans to create a more balanced meal.
In general, we recommend including a good balance of proteins, high-quality carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fibre in each meal. Combining a variety of these ‘building blocks’ can help you create satisfying meals, nourish your gut microbiome, and support more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. It’s a win, win, win, win!
For more tips on managing your blood sugar levels, head over to our Blood Sugar Club which you can find in the 'Community' tab.
Happy combining 😊