TCM Food Properties: Your Complete List!

Written on 06/10/2024
Auntie M


Based on the quiz results, you can use this list to choose foods that suit your dog's constitution. Whether your dog is hot, cold, or neutral, here are food options categorized by their TCM properties. These can be incorporated into homemade recipes to balance your dog's diet.

Foods can only do so much for heating, cooling and moving energy  if your issues are more severe, herbs may be required. Book an herbal consultation with me here.

Proteins

Hot Proteins:

  1. Lamb
  2. Venison
  3. Goat
  4. Duck
  5. Pheasant
  6. Turkey
  7. Beef
  8. Mutton
  9. Ostrich
  10. Rabbit
  11. Chicken
  12. Salmon
  13. Shrimp
  14. Sardines
  15. Tuna

Warm Proteins:

  1. Beef liver
  2. Chicken liver
  3. Pork
  4. Quail
  5. Herring
  6. Carp
  7. Anchovy
  8. Mussels
  9. Crab
  10. Lobster
  11. Trout
  12. Scallops
  13. Octopus
  14. Sea cucumber
  15. Frog

Neutral Proteins:

  1. Chicken
  2. Beef
  3. Pork
  4. Rabbit
  5. Duck
  6. Quail
  7. Tuna
  8. Goose
  9. Pigeon
  10. Cod
  11. Haddock
  12. Tilapia
  13. Catfish
  14. Whitefish
  15. Sea bass

Cool Proteins:

  1. Duck
  2. Rabbit
  3. Turkey
  4. Whitefish
  5. Crab
  6. Clams
  7. Flounder
  8. Cod
  9. Sole
  10. Scallops
  11. Shrimp
  12. Oysters
  13. Abalone
  14. Squid
  15. Mussels

Cold Proteins:

  1. Pork
  2. Turkey
  3. Rabbit
  4. Duck
  5. Sardines
  6. Mackerel
  7. Salmon
  8. Herring
  9. Sea cucumber
  10. Octopus
  11. Frog
  12. Jellyfish
  13. Shark
  14. Clams
  15. Oysters

Vegetables

Hot Vegetables:

  1. Onions
  2. Garlic
  3. Leeks
  4. Mustard greens
  5. Chives
  6. Radishes
  7. Kale
  8. Turnips
  9. Spinach
  10. Cilantro
  11. Arugula
  12. Watercress
  13. Chili peppers
  14. Parsnip
  15. Horseradish

Warm Vegetables:

  1. Pumpkin
  2. Sweet potatoes
  3. Squash
  4. Carrots
  5. Broccoli
  6. Cauliflower
  7. Beets
  8. Peas
  9. Green beans
  10. Bell peppers
  11. Zucchini
  12. Eggplant
  13. Artichoke
  14. Asparagus
  15. Celery

Neutral Vegetables:

  1. Carrots
  2. Green beans
  3. Broccoli
  4. Peas
  5. Squash
  6. Zucchini
  7. Spinach
  8. Cucumber
  9. Sweet corn
  10. Lettuce
  11. Tomato
  12. Cauliflower
  13. Cabbage
  14. Brussels sprouts
  15. Parsley

Cool Vegetables:

  1. Cucumbers
  2. Celery
  3. Lettuce
  4. Spinach
  5. Broccoli
  6. Cauliflower
  7. Zucchini
  8. Green beans
  9. Peas
  10. Bell peppers
  11. Cabbage
  12. Eggplant
  13. Tomatoes
  14. Chicory
  15. Water chestnuts

Cold Vegetables:

  1. Seaweed
  2. Alfalfa
  3. Bamboo shoots
  4. Bitter melon
  5. Napa cabbage
  6. Lettuce
  7. Endive
  8. Spinach
  9. Chicory
  10. Dandelion greens
  11. Cucumber
  12. Mung bean sprouts
  13. Celery
  14. Watercress
  15. Bok choy

Grains

Hot Grains:

  1. Buckwheat
  2. Quinoa
  3. Millet
  4. Cornmeal
  5. Barley
  6. Bulgur
  7. Rye
  8. Sorghum
  9. Amaranth
  10. Spelt
  11. Farro
  12. Teff
  13. Kamut
  14. Wheat
  15. Oat bran

Warm Grains:

  1. Brown rice
  2. Oats
  3. Amaranth
  4. Quinoa
  5. Wild rice
  6. Barley
  7. Rye
  8. Millet
  9. Teff
  10. Spelt
  11. Buckwheat
  12. Sorghum
  13. Bulgur
  14. Couscous
  15. Farro

Neutral Grains:

  1. Rice
  2. Barley
  3. Millet
  4. Oats
  5. Quinoa
  6. Buckwheat
  7. Sorghum
  8. Spelt
  9. Farro
  10. Rye
  11. Amaranth
  12. Teff
  13. Bulgur
  14. Couscous
  15. Wild rice

Cool Grains:

  1. White rice
  2. Barley
  3. Millet
  4. Quinoa
  5. Amaranth
  6. Buckwheat
  7. Sorghum
  8. Wild rice
  9. Couscous
  10. Bulgur
  11. Farro
  12. Rye
  13. Oats
  14. Teff
  15. Spelt

Cold Grains:

  1. Barley
  2. Brown rice
  3. White rice
  4. Wild rice
  5. Quinoa
  6. Amaranth
  7. Millet
  8. Sorghum
  9. Oats
  10. Buckwheat
  11. Rye
  12. Bulgur
  13. Couscous
  14. Farro
  15. Spelt

By using this list and considering your dog's constitution, you can create balanced homemade meals that support their health and well-being according to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Happy cooking!