Religious food guidance

Abstract

This article reviews some of the ways in which food intersects with religion and argues that people’s religious food habits prepare them to critically engage the food they eat. Religious food guidance is presented through five categories: permanent food restrictions, temporary food restrictions, food offerings, charity, and food for special occasions. The underlying rationale behind these food habits, and religion in general, allows religious people to be fully engaged in current discussions about how to align eating with best practices globally.