A kosher diet is one that follows Jewish dietary laws. It outlines the kind of meat that can be eaten and how it should be sourced, the type of seafood and how the food is prepared. The list is extensive, and even the way animals are butchered, and the utensils used for food preparation should all be kosher as well. A kosher diet does not necessarily mean the food has higher nutritional value. Junk food can be considered kosher at times.
There are four things that a kosher diet does guarantee, and they’re all good for you:
Vegetables and fruits have no pests
Now, this might be run of the mill. You can claim that most fruit and vegetables in the supermarket don’t have pests. However, when you are eating out, you do not know how the restaurant selects their produce. When eating kosher, however, you are eating food that has followed the rules from selection to preparation. There is no need to worry about bugs in your fresh salad for example.
Meat preparation
Kosher meats are generally sourced from animals with a strict herbivore diet. The health benefit here is that there are fewer chances of getting diseases from the animals’ diets. When you consider the food chain, you do not have to worry about any virus that might have been introduced.
Another benefit, more on the ethical point for people with other diets, is that people prepare the meat separately. For people with a strict vegan diet, you do not have to worry about your food being prepared along with meat products, thereby avoiding the potential of cross-contamination.
No to shrimp, lobster, shellfish, etc.
Seafood is generally okay, but there are restrictions as well. Seafood without fins and scales like shrimp, crab, lobster, shellfish, and other crustaceans are not allowed. This avoidance is a reasonable precaution for those who are allergic. You do not have to worry about having shrimp anything mixed into your food. You also do not have to worry about any poison from the shellfish because shellfish is never served. Fish like catfish are also prohibited since they live in muddy waters. You do not have to worry about the cleanliness of the fish because you cannot eat them in the first place.
Meat and dairy combination
Meat and dairy are not allowed to be mixed. It means that you cannot eat the more fattening fast foods like a meat pizza and cheeseburger. It helps curb your calorie and unhealthy fat intake.
Not everyone who follows the kosher diet does so for religious reasons, although it is a big part. The strict monitor with food produce and preparation are selling points for those who are careful with what they eat. Most of the health benefits of kosher food come from a general avoidance of meat and seafood that contain natural allergens or which are frequently contaminated. If you don’t eat them, you don’t miss out on much. With a kosher diet, you can still get your fair share of red meat, seafood, and vegetables with a couple of exceptions here and there.
