Is it true that you should not eat protein and carbohydrate foods at the same time?

This answer is brought to you by many of the Australian nutrition professionals who regularly contribute to a nutrition email discussion group.

This belief dates back at least 100 years and its popularity was recently revived with various publications. In fact, the human digestive system is magnificently designed to cope with an 'omnivorous' diet. That is, we have the enzymes and acidic conditions in our stomach to digest a huge range of foods, whether eaten individually or together.

If we were to follow this advice, milk, yogurt, bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and legumes would have to be taken off the menu. These foods are all good sources of both protein and carbohydrate which occur naturally together. Following this advice would also mean that babies could not drink their mothers' milk. Human breast milk is similar to cow's milk (although specifically designed for human babies) as it also contains significant quantities of protein, carbohydrate and fat all of which are essential for growth and development.

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[Date issued: February 1999]

Disclaimer: This material is provided on the basis that it constitutes advice of a general nature only. It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or a dietitian.