Diets Recommend

Some diets recommend that starchy foods be eaten alone to improve weight loss.

People who go on these diets often do lose weight, but it's because they eat fewer calories and not necessarily because of the way foods are combined.

The food-combining approach encourages people to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, a modest amount of starches, and limited portions of meat.

Milk and dairy foods are not permitted at all. Each type of food is basically eaten alone, which reduces the tendency to overeat.

This structured approach does help avoid the added calories that come from unplanned eating.

But you need very careful timing and planning to allow the recommended time to pass before eating a food that should not be combined with a previously eaten food.

These dietary plans tend to be too low in calcium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, zinc, and protein.