Two Diets, Both Biblical
In the Creation Account of Genesis, mankind is given two basic, almost polar-opposite diets.
In the first chapter of Genesis, God tells humanity:
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food: and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food: and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:29-31, ASV)
Man is then placed in the Garden of Eden and given the instruction to tend and keep it. He is told he may eat from any tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Fast forward to after the Fall, after the Flood, and God gives Noah a new set of instructions:
“Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Gen. 9:3-4, ASV)
Now meat is on the menu. The question is: why the change? And what does it mean for us today?
The original diet was plant-based. Fruits, seeds, and green herbs. It was given in a world that was “very good” — before sin, before death, before the curse on the ground. The earth produced abundantly. Mankind lived extraordinarily long lives.
After the Fall, the ground was cursed. Thorns and thistles. Toil and sweat. The world changed. And after the Flood, the landscape changed even more dramatically. The lush pre-Flood world was gone. God, in His provision, expanded the menu.
Some scholars believe the shift also reflects a change in human physiology and lifespan. After the Flood, lifespans began to drop sharply. Whether that is connected to diet, environment, or simply God’s sovereign plan, we can’t say for certain. But the pattern is there.
So which diet is “biblical”? Both are. One was God’s original provision. The other was God’s gracious permission in a fallen world. Neither is sinful. Neither is commanded as the universal standard for all people in all times.
What we can take from this is that God cares about what we eat. He gave specific instructions. He made provision. And the closer we can get to whole, natural, minimally processed foods — the kind that come from the earth as God designed it — the more we are honoring the body He gave us.
The Apostle Paul reminds us: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV)
That’s the standard. Not a specific diet plan. Not a list of forbidden foods (outside of what Scripture specifically addresses). But intentionality. Gratitude. Stewardship.
Whether you are plant-based or an omnivore, whether you follow a specific eating plan or simply try to make wise choices, the question worth asking is: Am I eating in a way that honors God and cares for the body He entrusted to me?
That question — more than any diet label — is the heart of biblical nourishment.