Based on Ellen White's extensive writings on health and diet, here is comprehensive guidance on this important topic: ## Core Dietary Principles **God's Original Plan:** "Again and again I have been shown that God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to his original design,— that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth" (CTBH 119.1). Ellen White emphasized that "fruits, grains, and vegetables, prepared in a simple way, free from spice and grease of all kinds, make, with milk and cream, the most healthful diet. They impart nourishment to the body, and give a power of endurance and vigor of intellect that are not produced by a stimulating diet" (HL 78.6). ## Specific Dietary Recommendations **Foods to Emphasize:** - **Fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables:** "Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables, in proper combination, contain all the elements of nutrition; and when properly prepared, they constitute the diet that best promotes both physical and mental strength" (Ed 204.3) - **Simple preparation:** Food should be "prepared with simplicity, yet with a nicety which will invite the appetite" (2T 63.1) - **Variety and appeal:** "There should not be many kinds at any one meal, but all meals should not be composed of the same kinds of food without variation" (2T 63.1) **Regarding Meat:** Ellen White taught that "those who eat flesh are but eating grains and vegetables at second hand; for the animal receives from these things the nutrition that produces growth. The life that was in the grains and vegetables passes into the eater. We receive it by eating the flesh of the animal. How much better to get it direct, by eating the food that God provided for our use!" (MH 313). She noted that "flesh food has a tendency to animalize the nature, to rob men and women of that love and sympathy which they should feel for everyone, and to give the lower passions control over the higher powers of the being" (9T 159). ## Foods and Substances to Avoid **Stimulants:** "In relation to tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcoholic drinks, the only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not" (MH 335.3). These substances create dependency: "The tendency of tea, coffee, and similar drinks is in the same direction as that of alcoholic liquor and tobacco, and in some cases the habit is as difficult to break as it is for the drunkard to give up intoxicants" (MH 335.3). **Condiments and Spices:** "Condiments and spices, used in the preparation of food for the table, aid digestion in the same way that tea, coffee, and liquor are supposed to help the laboring man to perform his task. After the immediate effects are gone, those who use them drop as far below par as they were elevated above par by these stimulating substances" (HL 92). **Harmful Foods:** "Tea and coffee, fine-flour bread, pickles, coarse vegetables, candies, condiments, and pastries fail of supplying proper nutriment" (Ed 204.3). ## Proper Food Preparation and Eating Habits **Cooking Principles:** - "Food should be thoroughly cooked, neatly prepared, and appetizing" (HL 48) - "You should keep grease out of your food. It defiles any preparation of food you may make" (2T 63.1) - "Food should not be eaten very hot or very cold" (MH 305) - Use minimal salt: "I use some salt, and always have, because salt, instead of being deleterious, is actually essential for the blood" (9T 161) **Meal Timing and Portions:** - Avoid overeating: "They eat too much, even at their meals, and some eat between meals whenever the temptation is presented" (CTBH 83.1) - Regular meal times are important for proper digestion ## Making the Transition **Gradual Change:** "None should be urged to make the change abruptly. The place of meat should be supplied with wholesome foods that are inexpensive" (MH 316.4). Ellen White cautioned against "poverty-stricken diet" where "food is so poorly prepared that the stomach loathes it" (2T 63.1). **Practical Wisdom:** "When flesh food is discarded, its place should be supplied with a variety of grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits that will be both nourishing and appetizing. This is especially necessary in the case of those who are weak or who are taxed with continuous labor" (MH 316.4). ## The Connection Between Diet and Spirituality Ellen White emphasized that "diet exerts a powerful influence upon the health" and affects mental and spiritual faculties (CTBH 83.1). She wrote: "If the less feverish the diet, the more easily can the passions be controlled. Gratification of taste should not be consulted irrespective of physical, intellectual, or moral health" (2T 352.1). This comprehensive guidance shows that Ellen White advocated for a plant-based diet centered on whole, natural foods, prepared simply and eaten in moderation, as the foundation for optimal physical, mental, and spiritual health.