What is Biblically Clean Eating?

Biblically clean eating is eating following Scripture's instructions. Deuteronomy 28:2 says that if we are obedient to these instructions we are blessed! Many people switch to a Biblically clean diet and see improvements in their health. Regardless of if you're trying to get healthier, grow in your faith, or simply honor the Creator with how you live (or all three!), there are blessings to be had in this process. Let's delve into more of the particulars of how you can follow the Creator's instructions for your meals.

Biblically Clean Eating Is:
Eating only the foods that Scripture permits. These include vegetables, greens, herbs, berries, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, honey, eggs, dairy products, and certain meats (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, venison, and goat, among others), fish, and poultry. Even grasshoppers and locusts if you're so inclined! 

Personally, I want my food choices to reflect all the teachings of Scripture. Not just the dietary commands, but also other ideas like loving our neighbors, treating our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit, and being good stewards of the land.

What we do NOT eat on a Biblically clean diet:
Pork, rabbit, shellfish, and fish without scales are the main animals we need to watch out for in the modern Western diet. Many other animals are forbidden including alligator, raccoons, horses, tigers, seagulls, bats, owls, and most insects. See Leviticus 11 for the full list, or take a look at this helpful infographic on clean and unclean animals. It's also important to not eat blood, even the blood of clean animals.

Other Restrictions:

Besides specific animals that are unclean, we have a few other instructions in Scripture to look at.

-We are not to cook an animal in the milk of its mother. People interpret this verse in many ways from literally not cooking a specific cut of meat in the milk of that animal's actual mother to not mixing dairy and meat at all. I would encourage you to pray about how the Creator wants you to live out this instruction.

-During the Feast of Matzah each year we are instructed to not eat leaven or even have it in our homes. You can learn more about that here.

-Occasionally in Scripture people took what is called a Nazarite vow, during which they didn't consume wine or other grape products (see Numbers 6 for more information). This is an optional vow though and if you haven't taken it you are free to enjoy grapes and grape products.

A note about GE/GMO plants:

While the Bible permits us to eat plants, it is my opinion that believers should use considerable caution before consuming anything that has been genetically engineered. Common GE/GMO plants are soybeans, canola, corn (not sweet corn, but field corn that gets turned into corn syrup and other processed forms), and sugar beets (not red beets, but beets used to make granulated sugar). These plants have been engineered by scientists, and have differences from the Creator's design that could never happen on their own in nature or through generations of seed selection by farmers. While there is an outcry in the scientific community that questions the safety of these, my question is: does this fit with how Scripture says to eat?

Leviticus 19:19 tells us that seed should not be mixed. The process of making GE/GMO seeds involves splicing the DNA of the plant with DNA of another species (not just other plants, but bacteria, insects, and even fish). To my thinking, that goes directly against what Scripture says. Additionally the amount of greed in this multi-billion dollar industry that robs government support from small farmers, to say nothing of the possible health concerns, makes me work to avoid consuming these products and supporting this industry.

If I eat something with soy, canola, corn, or sugar beets I make sure that it is organic, and not GE/GMO. (GE/GMO ingredients are not allowed in certified organic products.)

What do you eat on a Biblically clean lifestyle?

You have so many choices! Biblically clean eating doesn't have to be ultra health-food where everything is sprouted or fermented. It doesn't have to be traditional Jewish foods. It does not have to be vegan or include weird things you don't like. You don't have to throw out all your family recipes. It can be meat and potatoes. It can be high-carb or high-protein. It can be home cooking and ordering pizza. It doesn't have to be homegrown or homemade. You are free to enjoy dessert and go out for lunch. You can choose healthy options or eat French fries and beef hotdogs. You can make casserole or make curry.

I think ideally we would all eat well enough that we can feel our best and treat our bodies as the Holy Spirit's temple. The process of learning to eat well does not happen all at once. Focus on eating only food permitted by Scripture, and once you have that down pray and see what else the Creator is calling you to in terms of food.

What Biblically clean eating is NOT:

Following Scripture's instructions for eating does not mean that we don't trust the Messiah or that we are trying to 'earn salvation.' I could eat Biblically clean my whole life, but I am still in need of the Savior, just like everyone else.

But Biblically clean eating is a way to honor God by doing what he told us to do. Trusting in him means I don't have to worry about if there's a reason for his instructions. It's about blessing YHWH with my obedience.

Want some recipe ideas?
I have several posts of meal ideas for the Sabbath and Biblical holidays that are linked below. They are all Biblically clean and great for any day of the week!
Biblically Clean Meal Ideas

20 Grill Recipes with No Pork or Shellfish

Sheet Pan Meals that are Biblically Clean

More about eating the Bible's way:
How to Eat Biblically Clean

Did the Messiah "make all foods clean"?
What Scripture Teaches About Peter's Vision
What the Bible Says about Meat and Dairy