My Meals for Me: Three Five Ingredient Crockpot Dinners Built on Food Combining

By Tim Ogle | October 20, 2026
Crockpot dinner with chicken, salsa verde and green beans

CONTENT SUMMARY

My Meals for Me is a new series of the simple dinners we actually make at home, built on the principles our students study. This first one is three crockpot recipes, five ingredients each, that pair a concentrated protein with nonstarchy vegetables instead of heavy starches. Put them in before work and dinner is done when you walk in.

  • Food combining pairs a concentrated protein, like chicken or beef, with nonstarchy vegetables, like green beans, broccoli or zucchini, instead of potatoes, rice or pasta.
  • Each recipe uses five ingredients, not counting salt and pepper, and goes in the crockpot in about ten minutes.
  • The idea comes from the Natural Hygiene tradition the University of Natural Health teaches, written up by Herbert M. Shelton in Food Combining Made Easy.

By Brooke Freedom · My Meals for Me · University of Natural Health · October 2026

What proper food combining means

Proper food combining means pairing concentrated proteins, like chicken or beef, with nonstarchy vegetables, like green beans, broccoli or zucchini, rather than with heavy starches like potatoes, rice or pasta. Many people find it makes for smoother digestion and steadier energy through the evening.

It is one of the oldest ideas in the Natural Hygiene tradition our school is built on. Herbert M. Shelton laid it out in his 1951 book Food Combining Made Easy, and it still shows up on our students’ plates every week.

Here are three simple crockpot recipes built around that pairing. Each one uses five ingredients, not counting basic pantry staples like salt and pepper.

Salsa Verde Chicken and Green Beans

RECIPE 1 OF 3

Salsa Verde Chicken and Green Beans

The food combining rule: Lean animal protein with a low carb, nonstarchy green vegetable.

Ingredients (5)

  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 16 oz jar salsa verde (check the label for no added sugar)
  • 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Put the green beans in the bottom of the crockpot.
  2. Lay the chicken breasts on top.
  3. Sprinkle with the cumin and garlic powder, then pour the salsa verde evenly over everything.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.

Cook time: LOW 6 to 7 hours · HIGH 3 to 4 hours

Ginger Peach Chicken Thighs with Broccoli

RECIPE 2 OF 3

Ginger Peach Chicken Thighs with Broccoli

The food combining rule: Animal protein with a low starch green vegetable. Keep the fruit and sweet elements small.

Ingredients (5)

  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/3 cup peach preserves (all fruit, no high fructose corn syrup)
  • 2 tbsp low sodium tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
  • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets

Instructions

  1. Whisk the peach preserves, tamari and ginger together in a small bowl.
  2. Put the chicken thighs in the crockpot and pour the sauce over them.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
  4. Stir in the broccoli florets for the last 30 minutes, until tender crisp.

Cook time: LOW 5 to 6 hours, broccoli in for the last 30 minutes

Garlic Herb Beef and Zucchini Noodles

RECIPE 3 OF 3

Garlic Herb Beef and Zucchini Noodles

The food combining rule: Red meat protein with water rich summer squash instead of mashed potatoes or rice.

Ingredients (5)

  • 1.5 lbs lean beef stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1.5 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large zucchini, spiralized into zoodles (added at the end)

Instructions

  1. Put the beef, broth, Italian seasoning and garlic in the crockpot.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
  3. Stir in the zucchini noodles for the last 10 minutes, just until warmed through.

Cook time: LOW 7 to 8 hours, zoodles in for the last 10 minutes

TRY THIS WEEK

  • Pick one recipe and load the crockpot before work on a weeknight you know will be busy.
  • Plate it the food combining way: the protein and the vegetables, no bread, rice or potatoes on the side.
  • Notice how you feel two hours after dinner compared with a usual night.
  • Double the batch and pack the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Further reading: Shelton, H. M. Food Combining Made Easy (1951).

About this series

My Meals for Me is where we share the meals we actually make for ourselves at home: short ingredient lists, real weeknight timing, and the principle behind each plate. If you have a meal you make for yourself that fits, send it to us at contact@naturalhealthcollege.org and it may end up in a future post.

Request information on the holistic nutrition programs

Posted in My Meals for Me