# Ellen White's Counsel on Diet Ellen White taught that **"what we eat and drink has an important bearing upon our lives and characters"** (
14MR 301), emphasizing that Christians should bring their eating habits into conformity with the laws of nature. She viewed obedience to health laws as a matter of earnest study, stating that "willing ignorance on this subject is sin" (
14MR 301). ## Her Personal Journey with Diet Reform Ellen White's own dietary practices evolved significantly over time. In her younger days, she ate meat regularly, believing it was essential for health and strength. She wrote: "I at once cut meat out of my bill of fare. After that I was at times placed where I was compelled to eat a little meat" (
MR852 2.4). She acknowledged that "when I could not obtain the food I needed, I have sometimes eaten a little meat; but I am becoming more and more afraid of it" (
MR852 2.4). The turning point came when she received light from God about diet that "cut right across Mrs. White's own personal opinion that flesh meat was essential to health and strength" (
CCh 20.6).
With this new understanding, she instructed her household helper to prepare only wholesome, simple foods made from grains, vegetables, nuts, milk, cream, and eggs, with an abundance of fruit. The White family adopted essentially a vegetarian diet, and in 1894, Ellen White completely banished meat from her table (
CCh 20.6). ## What She Recommended Eating Based on her writings, Ellen White advocated for a diet consisting of: - **Grains** - various grain productions
- **Vegetables** - including greens like yellow dock leaves, young dandelion, and mustard (
CD 323)
- **Nuts**
- **Milk and cream**
- **Eggs**
- **Fruit** - in abundance
- **Tomatoes** (
CD 323) She emphasized that food should be "wholesome" and "simple" (
CCh 20.6), prepared with care and variety from meal to meal. ## The Spiritual Dimension Ellen White connected physical diet to spiritual life, urging believers to "think less of that which they eat, and to feel much greater anxiety for the food they give to the soul" (
20MR 106.1). She reminded Christians that their bodies don't belong to themselves, stating: "Did you create yourselves? Did you pay the redemption price for your souls and bodies? If so, you belong to yourselves. But the Word of God declares, 'Ye are bought with a price,' 'the precious blood of Christ'" (
14MR 301). Her counsel was that habits of eating and drinking should be "strictly guarded and controlled" (
14MR 301), viewing dietary choices as part of one's Christian stewardship and spiritual development. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:**
• What specific counsel did Ellen White give about meat eating and why?
• How did Ellen White connect diet to spiritual life and character development?
• What did she say about the practical preparation and variety of healthful foods? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=ellen+white+on+what+to+eat)
Ellen Chat