Religion and food

Vegetarian because they believe violence and pain on others will be relflected on to you

Avoid meaat and dairy

Fasting is practiced by Monks in the afternoon

Monks and Nuns cannot grow store or cook food - they rely on food given to them by believers

Fasting is sometimes observed as it is believed it improves spiritural discipline + to act as a reminder of those suffering of malnutrition

Lent - giving up certain foods for 40 days and 40 nights

Good friday - avoid eating meat

Christmas - feast day

Do not eat some meats(beef, pork)

Avoid foods that cause pain to animals

'Food is God' - believe food contains energies that are absorbed by people when they eat the food

Try to avoid violence or pain to animals - vegetarianism is encouraged

Duck is prohibited in some countries

Onions, garlic and alcohol - thought to excite the body(may affect a Hindu's search for spiritual enlightenment) - the foods are avoided

Dairy - enhance spiritual purity

Fasting is practiced

Set dietary laws in the Qur'an

To make meat and poultry halal(lawful) it has to be slaughtered in a ritual way (Zibah):

• has to be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter
• killed by a muslim with one clean cut to the throat whilst a dedication is recited
• all the blood must be drained from the carcase

Unlawful foods: haram - pork, pork products (gelatine), alcohol, foods containing emulsifiers, frozen veg, margarine, drinks containing caffeine, bread containing dried yeast

Ramadan: 9th month of the Islamic calandar: fast during daylight hours.  Teaches self disicpline and generosity

Suhoor (one meal) is eaten before sunrise and Iftar is eaten after sunset.  Different families and friends come together to eat then.

At the end of the month, a celebration ( Eid-ul-Fitr) takes place to break the fast. Gifts are given and money given to charity

Food is imortant in their religion

Kashrut - name given to Jewish food laws written mroe than 2000 years ago

Kosher - food is allowed to be eaten because it is clean.  Such as: fish with scales and fins, animals that chew the cud and have split hooves (cows, sheep)

The animal must be slaughtered correctly

Dairy and meat musnt be prepared or eaten together - seperate preparation areas and cooking equipment

Saturday: Jews are not allowed to work - so the main meal is a slowly cooked stew known as cholent - its prepared the day before

They fast on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) from dusk till dusk

Jewish feast days: Rosh Hashanah and Passover - remembers the birth of the Jewish nation.  Bitter herbs are eaten to remind Jews of the suffering of the Israelites

Eat strictly according to the I-tal

Food must be natural and clean

Do not eat pork, only eat fish that is no longer than 30cm long.

Eat many vegetables and fruits and use coconut oil to cook food

Do not drink alcohol, milk or coffee but drink herbal tea

Vegetarian

Special days certain foods are eaten at the temple

By eating together Sikhs show that they are all equal

Some Sikhs do not drink alcohol tea or coffee