land of honey: clean eating

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Tips for Transitioning to a Biblically Clean Diet

Are you struggling with making the change to a Biblically clean diet? Old habits are certainly hard to break, but Scripture says that you can do all things through the Messiah! Additionally, here are some ways you can help to make the process a little easier on yourself.

Tips for Transitioning to a Biblically Clean Diet:

-Keep in mind that the transition is the hardest part. You might feel hungry and frustrated now but these feelings will pass. Your body will naturally adjust and learn to crave Biblically clean foods. I've heard many former pork lovers say that they can't stand the smell of it anymore. This process will get easier as you go!

-Fast. Fasting is a Spiritual practice that has physical benefits as well. You could fast for several days or just a certain meal. You could do this regularly or occasionally. Use that time to pray that YHWH would help you break any unhealthy or unholy addictions or cravings. As a bonus, when you break fast you will be more receptive to the foods you're maybe not as much of a fan of. Hunger helps food to taste better.

-Try new foods...or not. There are basically two schools of thought on this. You can try all sorts of new recipes and ingredients that you wouldn't normally have before as a way to find Biblically clean meals and snacks that you appreciate. Or you can go with 'cleaning up' some of the things you are used to eating...like switching to chicken or turkey sausage or "bacon" made from lamb or beef. Some people find the familiarity helpful, while others prefer to have things not taste different all of a sudden. Figure out which method works best for you.

-Figure out a new go-to pizza. If pizza is what you are frequently served at get-togethers, office lunches, impromptu meals, etc., you will want to have some new ideas of what to order or look for when pizza is served. Ground beef is available as a topping at most pizza places. Ground beef with onions and peppers is a favorite among believers I know. Barbecue chicken is another popular choice. If you're making your own pizza turkey pepperoni and chicken sausage are both easy to find and go well on pizza.

-Take encouragement from others. I've heard of the benefits from hundreds of people who have made this change in their life. It really is edifying to be obedient to Scripture. People report feeling closer to YHWH, growing spiritually, feeling better, and fewer health problems! Even those who haven't necessarily felt any changes report that they are glad they made this choice!

-Jot down Biblically clean staples to turn to. Make a list of family favorite recipes that are Biblically clean, or write out a list of clean snack options for yourself. Having a visual reminder can be very beneficial if you are breaking old habits. This is especially helpful if you have family members or roommates with unclean items in the kitchen that would be easy to turn to when you're hungry. Set yourself up for success by reminding yourself of what you can eat!

-Make meals at home. When you're making the adjustment it can be easier to cook meals rather than try to navigate restaurant menus. Get used to cooking and eating in a way that honors the Creator in an environment that you have control of. It will make it easier to go out later!

-Identify what you're having the most difficulty with. Is it a certain meal or a craving for a specific thing? Pray for wisdom about how to handle that. Can you fast that meal? How about finding a clean alternative? Remember that Scripture says you can do all things through the help of the Messiah!

-Go out for coffee, rather than a full meal. If friends that you normally go out with are not supportive of the changes you are making, then it might be easier to not eat with them for a while. Or if your local restaurants are hard to eat clean at but you still want to have a place to meet with friends, going out for coffee can be a nice alternative and it will save some money.

-Avoid places or things that might tempt you. Set yourself up for success by steering clear of normal temptations. If you were trying to lose weight, you wouldn't hang out in a donut shop all day and expect good results. As you work to eat Biblically clean, think about staying away from your regular breakfast spot if you would normally get bacon and sausage there. If your office normally has pepperoni pizza in the breakroom on Fridays, then going elsewhere for lunch could make it easier to make different decisions.

-Remind yourself why you are doing this! Why did you make this decision? Did you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit in this direction? Are you wanting to honor the Creator in your daily life? Do you want to be more obedient to what the Bible says? All of those are worth all the sacrifices we make!

Tips and practical advice for implementing a Bible-based diet in your life - eating Biblically clean | Land of Honey

Tips for Eating Biblically Clean at Summer Cookouts

Master List of Biblically Clean Recipes

This page serves as a landing point for all sorts of Biblically clean recipes. Whether you're new to cooking in the way that Scripture tells us to, or you just need some fresh inspiration for meals, turn in here for links to Biblically clean breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipes.

Are you new to Biblically clean eating? Essentially, it's following Scripture's instructions about what we do and don't eat. You can learn more about it here.

A couple of things...

-The recipes I share here are mostly from other blogs. I'm not necessarily recommending everything else on those websites, but the specific recipes I give links to (and anywhere else on Land of Honey) meet the criteria for Biblically clean food.

-I try and stick to recipes that are made from real, whole, healthy ingredients. While you don't have to eat ultra healthy to have a Biblically clean diet, I do think it's wise to have the majority of our diets be foods that the Living God created, which promotes health in our bodies.

-For the most part these recipes are simple and straightforward and totally doable for any old weeknight. I try to find dishes that don't require a huge investment of time or money to make, so you can feed yourself and your family Biblically clean meals throughout busy seasons.

-I don't believe the Bible forbids mixing meat and dairy. See more on that here. That said, in the few recipes I share that mix red meat with cream or cheese, it would be easy to leave out one ingredient or the other, or to make a substitution such as ground turkey for beef, or olive oil for butter, if you prefer.

-A lot of people will tell you that only veganism is truly Biblically clean, but this idea is simply not supported by Scripture. While you could certainly make an argument that Adam and Eve's original diet was plant based and free of animal products, the Bible also tells us which animals are permissible to eat, and the Messiah describes eggs as good things and served fish to the disciples after he rose from the grave. If you want to have a vegan diet, go for it, but it's not accurate to say that the Bible requires this of believers.

Below is the list of Biblically clean recipe compilations that have been shared on Land of Honey. As more are published, the list will be updated.

Master List of Biblically Clean Recipes:

Slow Cooker Recipes that are Biblically Clean

Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

Biblically Clean Sheet Pan Meals

Recipes for Biblically Clean Chinese Food

Biblically Clean Meal Ideas

Soups that are Biblically Clean

Biblically Clean Recipes for Fall

Biblically Clean Tacos

Biblically Clean Cookout Recipes

Biblically Clean Summer Recipes

Make Ahead Salads that are Biblically Clean

20 Grill Recipes with No Pork or Shellfish

Biblically Clean Summer Recipes

Biblically Clean Recipes for Summertime | Land of Honey

Summer brings warm weather, lovely days spent outside, and great seasonal produce. I wanted to share Biblically clean recipes that put those garden vegetables and fresh fruits to use. A lot of these recipes utilize the grill or leave ingredients raw so that helps to minimize the time you need to spend in a hot kitchen. Lots of these would work well to take to a cookout or for Sabbath meals too.

BBQ Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad from Half Baked Harvest

BBQ Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Vibrant Bell Pepper and Zucchini Tacos from Minimalist Baker

Bell Pepper and Zucchini Tacos - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Quick Hummus Bowl from A Couple Cooks

Quick and Easy Hummus Bowls - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Strawberry Shortcake from Love and Lemons

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad from How Sweet Eats

Blueberry Cucumber Salad - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Farmers Market Goat Cheese Pasta Primavera from Half Baked Harvest

Farmers Market Goat Cheese Pasta Primavera - Biblically clean summer recipes | Land of Honey

Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Burgers from How Sweet Eats

Bruschetta Burgers - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Zippy Orzo Chicken Salad from Pinch of Yum

Summer Orzo Chicken Salad Recipe | Land of Honey

Tomato, Peach, and Burrata Salad from Half Baked Harvest

Tomato, Peach, Burrata Salad + Biblically clean summer recipe round up | Land of Honey

Cheeseburger Chopped Salad with Dill Pickle Vinaigrette from How Sweet Eats

Cheeseburger Salad - Biblically clean summer recipe round up | Land of Honey

Watermelon Slushie from A Couple Cooks

Watermelon Slushies and other easy summertime recipes that are Biblically clean | Land of Honey

Salmon Souvlaki Bowls from Half Baked Harvest

Salmon Souvlaki Bowls - summer recipes that are Biblically clean | Land of Honey

Boiled Corn on the Cob from Love and Lemons

Corn on the Cob and local, seasonal recipes for summer that are Biblically clean | Land of Honey

Buffalo Zucchini Chicken Burgers from Ambitious Kitchen

Buffalo Zucchini Chicken Burgers - Biblically clean summer meal ideas | Land of Honey

Rainbow Veggie Bowls with Jalapeno Ranch from Pinch of Yum

Easy summer dinner - Rainbow Veggie Bowls with Jalapeno Ranch - Biblically clean recipes | Land of Honey

Browned Butter Grilled Peaches from Half Baked Harvest

Easy Grilled Peaches with ice cream - summer fruit dessert recipe | Land of Honey

Greek Salad from A Couple Cooks

Greek Salad and Biblically clean summer recipes that are fresh and easy to make | Land of Honey

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce from Salt and Lavender

Market Veggie Board with Roasted Corn Jalapeno Hummus from Half Baked Harvest

Summer appetizer - farmers market veggie board with roasted corn hummus - Biblically Clean Summer Meal Ideas | Land of Honey

Sweet Corn, Peach, and Tomato Salad from How Sweet Eats

Peach, Corn, and Tomato Salad Recipe - Biblically Clean Summer Meal Ideas | Land of Honey

Skillet Strawberry Cobbler with Layered Cream Cheese Biscuits from Half Baked Harvest

Skillet Strawberry Cobbler - Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

Rainbow Chicken Salad with Almond Honey Mustard Dressing from Pinch of Yum

Easy Summer Meal - Rainbow Chicken Salad and other Biblically clean recipes | Land of Honey

Ratatouille from Love and Lemons

Ratatouille Recipe to make with summer garden veggies - Biblically clean meals for summer | Land of Honey

One Pot Greek Oregano Chicken with Orzo and Tomatoes from Half Baked Harvest

One Pot Greek Oregano Chicken and Biblically clean summer recipes for easy dinners | Land of Honey

Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Love and Lemons

Chocolate Zucchini Bread - Biblically clean summer recipe essentials | Land of Honey

Watermelon Sorbet from A Couple Cooks

Easy Watermelon Sorbet - perfect summer dessert - Biblically clean recipes | Land of Honey

Fresh and Easy Biblically Clean Summer Recipes | Land of Honey

What the Bible Says about Meat and Dairy (And if They Can Be Mixed)

This post examines the directive from Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21 about not cooking a goat in the milk of its mother. We will examine this instruction to see what it means and learn about whether or not it's okay Biblically to eat milk and meat together.

Meat and dairy. Should they be eaten together? People seem to have strong opinions about this. Some say you can, while others say they shouldn't even share a kitchen - let alone be served in the same meal. I have seen people get upset that that both meat and cheese were offered on the build-your-own-sandwich lunch buffet at conferences. There are books on this. Sometimes people message me to say that I shouldn't have liked that picture some blogger posted on Instagram because it contained both chicken and butter.

For all this commotion you would expect the Bible to have a lot to say on this subject. But here's what it says:

"Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." -Exodus 23:19b

That's it. Some people will tell you that this was God's way of saying that you can't eat meat and dairy together, or even store them in the same refrigerator. Or eat one within hours of having the other. How did we go from a somewhat random instruction to people being worried about storing leftover chicken in the same fridge as a gallon of milk?

Regarding the other laws around food, the Bible is very direct. "You shall not eat," "this is permissible to you," "get rid of the leaven from your homes for one week." So I'm not inclined to believe that the command to not cook a goat in the milk of its mother should be extrapolated and expanded to the point where no meat ever crosses paths with any dairy products. YHWH could have commanded that goat not be cooked in any milk, period. He could have said not to cook meat of any kind in milk. He could have said to eat either meat or dairy, but not both. But he didn't!

Right off the bat, the specification of "its mother's" milk means that nondairy animals can be cooked or served with butter, cheese, cream, etc. Chicken, turkey, and other poultry (as well as fish) do not produce milk, so there is no way to violate the Biblical commandment of not cooking an animal in the milk of its mother. This means you can feel free to enjoy chicken alfredo or a turkey cheese sandwich.

Then the specification of "milk" means that eggs aren't in question here. This means that eggs can be freely mixed with meat. So dishes like steak and eggs, or fried chicken with egg in the batter are clean according to Scripture.

The word translated as young goat or kid is gedi. While the Bible often uses the word se which can mean sheep, cattle, lamb, or ewe, the word gedi is only used to mean a young male goat. That's an important distinction. Many people will tell you that this verse is talking about all Biblically clean animals, or at least the red meat ones, such as beef, lamb, bison, venison, etc. But since the Holy Spirit inspired the word choice of gedi - which would mean just kid goats - when it doesn't hesitate to use a more general word for clean animals in other places, I am led to believe that this passage is only prohibiting goat from being cooked in the milk of its mother. This would mean that it is Biblically permissible to mix beef and lamb and other clean animals with dairy. So cheeseburgers, or serving lamb or roast beef with buttery mashed potatoes would be considered Biblically clean.

So what does the Bible mean by telling us not to cook a young goat in its mother's milk then?

Many Biblical scholars believe this specific act was prohibited because it was a worship practice of other religions or an ungodly cultural custom. The preceding part of the verse and the verse prior to that detail instructions related to offerings brought to YHWH. So I think this theory makes sense, as elsewhere we are told "not to worship YHWH the way those nations worship their gods" (Deuteronomy 12:4). If boiling goat meat in its mother's milk was happening in worship to other gods, that would also fit with why the Bible orders the sacrificial lamb (which could also be goat) at Passover to be roasted with fire, and expressly prohibits it being boiled (Exodus 12:9). Perhaps YHWH wanted to be sure that the practices of the Israelites were distinctly different from that of the people around them.

We should also keep in mind the broader context that this instruction was given in. The passages leading up to this, starting in Exodus 23:10, talk about instructions for the Sabbath, and then details about the Biblical holidays. I don't think it's an accident that these things deal with living in a way that's set apart and different from the surrounding society. Regardless of whether we understand the reasoning behind this instruction or not, we should be obedient to what the Bible says. Under no circumstances should we boil a young goat in the milk of its mother, simply because Scripture tells us not to.

We also should not add to what this verse says. Its says not to cook a goat in its mother's milk. It does not say that no meat and dairy can be cooked or eaten together. You certainly don't have to mix meat and dairy if you don't want to, but please keep in mind that this is not a prohibition from the Bible.

Like always I would encourage you to study this passage for yourself and pray for YHWH's wisdom and understanding.

What the Bible says about mixing meat and dairy | Land of Honey

Biblically Clean Sheet Pan Meals

In The No-Stress Guide to Sabbath Meal Prep, I mention how sheet pan meals are great to make right before the Sabbath, but really I love these for anytime you don't have much attention or time to put into making dinner, but still want a healthy and delicious meal. Simply place all your ingredients onto a baking sheet and let it roast in the oven! The cleanup is minimal, and your hands and attention are free for other things during the cooking. These recipes are simple, easily adaptable, and made from whole, real ingredients.

A few pointers for easy sheet pan meals:

-Don't hesitate to use an extra sheet if the recipe makes more than you expected, or you just want a double batch for leftovers.

-Instead of just using chicken breast or thighs, feel free to swap in a whole quartered/chopped chicken. This can save money or be easier for those who eat locally.

-Bake some rice. If you're looking to round out your meal, put some rice in the oven to bake while you're at it. Here's a recipe for making brown rice in the oven. Personally, I don't bother bringing the water to a boil and I just use a pan with a glass lid instead of foil. It takes a bit longer but turns out well for me.

Roasted Harissa Chicken and Potatoes from This Healthy Table