A growing number of influencers are encouraging followers to base their diets on foods mentioned in scripture. The trend has inspired everything from Christian-branded protein bars and energy drinks to creators sharing Bible-approved Botox or methods to “melt visceral fat” — two topics that did not come up in Sunday school.
If that sounds less like first-century Judea and more like modern wellness culture with a biblical twist, that is because it is, according to Josh Howard, an American Evangelism and American History research assistant at Emory University.
What Is Biblical Eating?
Biblical eating does not have a single set of hard-and-fast rules. Instead, followers pull their meal plans from the Holy Book, eating foods that are mentioned in scripture and avoiding ultra-processed products because they were not “God-given.”
Which foods qualify as “God-given” appears to be up for debate. One popular seven-day biblical eating plan includes coffee, vanilla, blue spirulina, coconut yogurt, chocolate and nut butter, while another popular creator includes chocolate chips, protein bars, protein powder, creatine and pasta in her What I Eat In A Day videos.
“Biblical eating is touted to be a mix of plant and animal proteins such as legumes, fish and grass-fed beef, vegetables, fruit, healthy fats such as avocado and olive oil, and raw milk or ‘nourishing’ dairy,” Sue-Ellen Anderson Haynes, a registered dietitian and owner of 360 Girls & Women, told HuffPost.
Why Is It Happening Now?
While biblical eating may feel like a new social media phenomenon, the impulse behind it is much older. “People have been trying to eat following the Bible from the minute those words were written down,” said Ken Albala, food historian and professor at the University of the Pacific.
What is new is the cultural moment. According to Howard, “Biblical Eating dovetails within other traditionalist online cultures, such as ‘trad wives.’ There’s this emphasis on a ‘return’ to some before time, when life was simpler, and humanity was more in line with God’s design.”
Since most people are not going to start a homestead, churn their own butter, or otherwise opt out of modern life, the easiest way to connect to that imagined past is through everyday choices. Food, Howard argues, offers a particularly accessible way to express that longing.
What Nutritionists Think Of The Trend
According to registered dietitian Julie Pace, the concern is not around what is on biblical eaters’ plates but the moralizing that often accompanies them. “People should not feel guilt, shame or spiritual inadequacy if their eating patterns don’t align with what is being promoted under the label of ‘biblical eating,’” she said. “Nutrition guidance should support health and well-being without assigning moral or spiritual value to specific foods.”
For Roxana Ehsani, a registered dietitian nutritionist, the bigger issue is the credentials of the folks recommending meal plans. “Nutrition guidance and information should always be coming from qualified health experts such as registered dietitian nutritionists and not from influencers or ‘health coaches,’” she explained.
Anderson-Haynes cautions that when taken too far, that mindset can contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food. “I also agree that if these philosophies or health beliefs are misused or abused, some people may be led down the path to develop an unhealthy relationship with food which may lead to a host of other health issues like disordered eating or perhaps eating disorders,” she said.
How Did This End Up Becoming Political?
Even though you will not find many MAGA hats or explicit political slogans in biblical eating content, the trend is emerging at a moment when conservative Christianity, wellness culture and Republican politics increasingly overlap in American life.
According to Howard, the appeal of biblical eating runs deeper than any one political movement. “Biblical eating fits into a longer history of American Christians using the language of purity and tradition to offer an escape from the anxieties of modern life,” he explained. As Howard put it, “Buying something that is somehow less tainted by the ‘impurities’ of modern life can be appealing to consumers.”
