What Does God Say About Healthy Eating?

Introduction

In Leviticus 11, God gives laws for what is clean and unclean when it comes to food. He outlines which animals are allowed to be eaten and which are not. Some may look at this and say that God just wanted His people to be set apart—which is true! But I also believe God wanted His people to be healthy.

This is not to say that we should be following the Law of Moses; this is simply to say that, from the beginning, God has shown His care for our health and what we eat.

Biblical Examples of Healthy Eating

Daniel’s Diet – Daniel 1:12–15

Daniel abstained from all the foods that were against the law of God that the king was giving him and his friends to eat. All he ate were vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fruits.
This was an act of honor to God, and in so doing, God sustained him and his friends, and they were even stronger than the rest of the men around them.

Manna in the Wilderness – Exodus 16

God provided wholesome, nourishing food to the Israelites.

Verse 31: “Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

The manna that God provided for Israel in the wilderness was sufficient for their needs. Not only did it satisfy them, but it also tasted good! God cares about your health and your taste buds! So eating healthy God’s way does not mean you don’t get to take pleasure in what you eat.

Jesus’ Example

Jesus would have eaten something along the lines of the Mediterranean diet—fish, bread, veggies, fruits, nuts, whole grains, sometimes chicken, etc. He would have followed the diet of all the other Israelites and abstained from foods forbidden in the Law of Moses.

This was because He was to fulfill the Law and live a perfect, sinless life for us. But also because Jesus understood that His body was not His own, but God’s. So He took care of His body to honor the One to whom it belonged. And we should do the same!

Thankfulness

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 4:4–5 —

“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving…”

God wants us to understand that what is more important than the food we eat is the posture of our heart toward Him when eating. If we eat with thankfulness to God, then what we eat is clean for us.

This does not mean: eat whatever you want as long as you are thankful. We must take care that we don’t fall into gluttony and begin idolizing or thanking food rather than God.

This passage is not telling us to eat whatever we want whenever. The goal of this passage is to show that we should not be condemned by what we eat—and we shouldn’t condemn others either. Nonetheless, choose to eat healthy because it honors God to take care of His temple.

Eating for Strength, Not Just Pleasure

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 10:17 —

“Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.”

God wants us to eat not just for pleasure and enjoyment, but because it brings us strength and nourishment. Our intentions behind eating are what truly show whether we worship food or God.

If every time we eat, we do so only because it tastes good, we are sorely missing the point. This is not to say you cannot eat for pleasure—I sure do enjoy a good steak or some ice cream! But the point is to not become selfish and gluttonous. We do not want our bellies to be our god.

Avoiding Gluttony and Overindulgence

Key Verse: Proverbs 23:20–21 —

“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat…”

Gluttony is a nasty sin—one that the American church so often sweeps under the rug. This is a serious sin. It dishonors God in many ways.

The emphasis here is not to scare you into changing, but to show you that there is a better way. When we make something god, we become slaves to it. When food becomes an idol, we become slaves to food.

God should be our only Master. Not only is overeating dangerous for your physical health, but also for your spiritual health.

So look to the kindness of God—that He has forgiven you, washed you, and you can be empowered by His Spirit to change and honor Him instead.

Fruits of the Spirit and Self-Control

Key Verse: Galatians 5:22–23 —

Self-control is not just something you conjure up in your own strength. It is a fruit of the Spirit. God is the one who produces self-control in you.

So the more you draw near to Him, the more self-control will follow. Don’t assume you need to “get right” and eat better before you can spend time with God. Rather, spend time with God, and He will produce in you the ability to eat right.

Final Encouragement

God is so good to give us His Word. He has given us the answer to any and everything in this life and the life to come.

We may not have all the answers as humans—but God does! So all the more, draw near to Him and devour His Word more than you devour natural food.

He wants you to be close to Him and free from the pains of this world. So listen to Him on every point—including what you should eat.

If you haven’t already check out my last post on what God says about resting well Here! And stay tuned for my next post on what God says about emotional healing, which you will be able to check out Here!