Dietary Considerations
Compared to some other religions, Buddhism has relatively fewer dietary restrictions. The primary consideration is vegetarian or not. While some Buddhist traditions require vegetarianism, most do not, and most lay Buddhists eat meat.
However, Buddhist monks and some believers from regions influenced by Chinese Buddhism follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. Choosing a vegetarian diet is considered virtuous, based on the Dharmic concept of ahimsa (...
Modern Christianity has few, if any, set dietary restrictions. Christianity is the world's most-practiced religion. With roughly 2.2 billion Christians, the religion has more followers than any other. Thus, various denominations and churches have diverse beliefs. For example, some denominations observe meat-free days, especially during Lent, a period of about six weeks preceding Easter. Some denominations - including Seventh-Day Adventists and so...
Hinduism is one of the world's most widely-practiced religions, and therefore has diverse practices including diet. One of the main differences is vegetarian versus non-vegetarian: some Hindus eat meat, many do not. Indeed, the Vedas - the oldest scriptures of Hinduism - appear to have conflicting verses on this topic, with some prohibiting meat consumption, and others allowing it.
India: #1 Vegetarian Nation
India is the birthplace of Hin...
Jains strongly believe in nonviolence and follow a strict vegetarian diet that extend beyond animal sources to include microorganisms and bacteria. They also don’t eat root vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic, and some fruits. Additionally, many Jains follow a vegan diet.
They believe that supporting or causing harm to any living being, whether directly or indirectly, can lead to bad karma. Therefore, their commitment to nonviolence...
Kosher, Kashrut and Pareve
Judaism features a set of complex dietary laws, known as kashrut. Food that may be consumed under the kashrut is called kosher, which means 'fit for consumption.' Foods labeled kosher are prepared under strict guidelines during the entire supply chain, from harvest or slaughter to preparation, packaging, and food combinations.
Another important concept is pareve, which is food that contains neither meat nor dai...
Islam is the world's 2nd largest religion, with more than 1.8 billion followers. Muslims are not a homogenous group, and thus one can find diverse practices among them.
Halal vs. Haram
The Muslim holy book - the Quran - specifies which foods are halāl ("lawful") and which are harām ("unlawful"). Muslim and Jewish dietary laws have some similarities, and many kosher foods, except for meat, may be considered halāl. Pork, alcohol, and impro...
The type of diet a Sikh follows depends on whether or not they are baptized (amrit). Amritdhari Sikhs are those that follow the Sikh Rehat Maryada, which is the official Sikh Code of Conduct, and can eat meat. However, some Amritdharis that belong to different sects are against the consumption of meat and eggs.
Sikh gurus prefer a simple diet, whether vegetarian or not. In Sikh temples, only lactovegetarian food is served reflecting the princi...
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