MH page 311

The diet appointed man in the beginning did not include animal food. Not till after the Flood, when every green thing on the earth had been destroyed, did man receive permission to eat flesh.

The original diet provided for humanity in Eden did not include animal flesh. This paragraph provides a historical narrative regarding the origin of human diet.

In choosing man's food in Eden, the Lord showed what was the best diet; in the choice made for Israel He taught the same lesson. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and undertook their training, that they might be a people for His own possession. Through them He desired to bless and teach the world. He provided them with the food best adapted for this purpose, not flesh, but manna, “the bread of heaven.” It was only because of their discontent and their murmuring for the fleshpots of Egypt that animal food was granted them, and this only for a short time. Its use brought disease and death to thousands. Yet the restriction to a nonflesh diet was never heartily accepted. It continued to be the cause of discontent and murmuring, open or secret, and it was not made permanent.

God provided manna for the Israelites as an ideal diet, while permitting flesh foods temporarily due to murmuring, which resulted in negative health consequences. It combines a biblical narrative with an empirical claim regarding disease and death from meat consumption.

Upon their settlement in Canaan, the Israelites were permitted the use of animal food, but under careful restrictions which tended to lessen the evil results. The use of swine's flesh was prohibited, as also of other animals and of birds and fish whose flesh was pronounced unclean. Of the meats permitted, the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden.

Ancient Israelite dietary laws included restrictions on specific unclean animals, fat, and blood. It recounts historical dietary regulations given to ancient Israel.