What Does the Bible Say About Diet?
Genesis 1 Suggests a Plant-Based Diet
In Genesis 1, God tells humanity to eat seeds, fruit, and vegetables:
I’ve given you all the plants and trees that make seeds and fruit for you to eat. I’ve given all the lifeforms on earth all the vegetation to eat for food.
—Genesis 1:29–30
Genesis 9 Sanctions Meat
Even though God gave Adam a plant based diet, He told Noah he could eat any kind of animal.
Everything that lives will be food for you. I give you all of it like I gave you the vegetation.
—Genesis 9:3
Daniel Outperformed as a Vegetarian
Daniel ate vegetables and water instead of the royal food, which left him healthier and more nourished than his peers.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
—Daniel 1:15–16
Human Anatomy Suggests a Plant-Based Diet
I recently watched a documentary called What the Health? which argued that humans shouldn’t eat animal products.
One of the most fascinating points the filmmakers made was that the human digestive system looked more like that of a frugivore (fruit-eater) than an omnivore (a creature whose diet contains a mixture of plant products and animal products).
Here why they said the human digestive system looks like that of a frugivore:
Teeth: Humans have flat molars for chewing plants compared to omnivores (like bears) who have sharp teeth for piercing flesh
Jaws: Human jaws can move up and down as well as side-to-side, whereas omnivores like bears can only move their jaws up and down.
Stomach acid: Omnivores have stronger stomach acid for digesting meat, compared to the less acidic stomach acid of frugivores
Digestive tract: Omnivores have a digestive tract that measures 3x their body length so that meat can pass through it quickly, whereas frugivores have a digestive tract that measures 9x their body length.
Scripture’s Suggested Diet Prevents Cancer & Heart Disease
The documentary taught that there is a correlation between meat and cancer.
After I researched it for myself, I found out that red meats are high in saturated fats which can clog arteries and cause cancer.
My understanding is that unsaturated fats actually do the opposite. They clear out the arteries and clear out cancer. These are found in plant products like the seeds and nuts mentioned in Genesis. Olive oil and avocados also contain high amounts of the “good fat” which fall under the “fruit and vegetation” categories mentioned in Genesis.
It’s so cool to see modern science affirming something that God suggested in Genesis!
What About the Dietary Laws & Restrictions in Leviticus?
In Leviticus 11, God lists some animals that should and shouldn’t be eaten.
EDIBLE ANIMALS
Mammals: cows
Seafood: fish (anything with scales)
Birds: chicken, turkey (not specifically mentioned, but not excluded)
Insects: crickets, locusts, grasshoppers
NON-EDIBLE ANIMALS
Mammals: camels, rabbits, pigs, cats, dogs, rats, weasels,
Reptiles: lizards, geckos,
Seafood: things without scales like squid, shellfish, shrimp, lobster, etc.
Birds: eagles, vultures, kites, ravens, hawks, gulls, storks, herrons, bats
Insects: don’t eat creepy-crawlies
A lot of the animals on the do-not-eat list seem to be scavengers or bottom feeders who might have higher exposures to germs.
God put fish on the edible list, and in my understanding, fish are some of the healthiest meats.
God didn’t forbid chicken or turkey, and they don’t have as much “bad fat” as other meats like pork and beef.
Leviticus lists crickets on the edible list which is interesting, because I recently heard that crickets are actually nutritious.
Pigs are on the do-not-eat list which are high in the bad fats.
The only animal that seems out of place on these lists is the cow. God put it on the edible list even though it’s high in the unhealthy fats. I interpret that to mean that it’s ok to have a hamburger every once in a while as long as we are getting enough nutrients and good fats from plant products.
Related Passages: