What is the best food as per Krishna in Geeta?

Food, as per Geeta, can be summarized in 4 shlokas.

First of all – Krishna wants us to be Vegan.

Where does he say that?

BG 9.26

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मन: || 26||patraṁ puṣhpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayachchhati
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛitam aśhnāmi prayatātman

BG 9.26: If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that item offered with love by My devotee in pure consciousness.

Krishna the Consciousness which is hidden within all of us is asking for only 4 types of food, nothing more and nothing less.

Krishna is NOT looking for meat or dairy products.

Krishna as a child, WAS eating dairy products, yes, but that was due to the influence of the norms of society at that time, just like any child would do.

But when Krishna delivered Geeta to Arjun, he was in his highest state of Consciousness.

That time, he tells Arjun to give him – only a leaf, a flower, a fruit, and water.

So, which Krishna would you believe? The child Krishna, or Krishna of Geeta, delivering his highest wisdom?

Undoubtedly, the clear message here, from Krishna,  is to go vegan – NO MEAT and NO DAIRY PRODUCTS.

But –

Not all vegan foods are healthy.

Oils, sugars, and concentrated carbs ( Like bread, bagel, roti, rice, pasta, etc. ) are also theoretically Vegan but not healthy.

So, Krishna defines it further for us in –

Shloka – BG 17.8

आयु:सत्त्वबलारोग्यसुखप्रीतिविवर्धना: |
रस्या: स्निग्धा: स्थिरा हृद्या आहारा: सात्त्विकप्रिया: || 8||

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛidyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

BG 17.8: Persons in the mode of goodness prefer foods that promote life span and increase virtue, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy, succulent, nourishing, and naturally tasteful. ( Satvic foods )

So, here Krishna is suggesting a RAW food diet as much as possible, which is naturally tasteful Vs. MADE tasteful by cooking.

But why?

What is the difference between raw food and cooked food, spiritually?

Raw food is created from nothingness ( Shunyata ) by unknown hands of consciousness.

An apple cannot be manufactured in a factory.

It has to be made by nature, in the soil, which is the factory where consciousness works, and after a whole year’s of hard work, assimilating so many elements like earth, water, fire ( Sun’s heat ), air, and space, an apple appears on the tree.

Raw food has a stamp of Godliness on it. ( Satvic food – Satva = purity )

Divine food is the one made by Divinity.

Divinity’s purpose is only ONE – to satisfy your hunger, because He created you, He created your hunger, and He will satisfy your hunger.

Divinity is the ultimate giver.

( That’s why Krishna recommends Satvic ahar, Satvic vichar, and Satvic acharan =  purity of food, purity of thoughts, and purity of actions – in Geeta ).

Cooked food, on the other hand, is a second-hand operation.

It is not a creation of Godliness; it is a creation of man.

We shouldn’t even call it creation.

It’s just the assimilation of God’s creations ( various raw foods brought together ).

Why does the man cook the food?

Because somehow, man is not happy with God’s creations ( as they are ), he assimilates various foods and adds ingredients like oil, salt, sugar, etc., based on his individual taste.

( Ego is at play here ).

That’s where things get complicated.

Raw food is in its natural state – the way it is created by nature.

It is in its BEING state.

And Samadhi state means being in your true natural state.

Krishna says, if you stick to Satvic foods, I guarantee you one hundred years of healthy life.

Cooked food, on the other hand, is, converting foods from their BEING state ( nature created )  into a BECOMING state (man-created).

When not happy with simple foods, the man adds three main things – Oil, Sugar, and Salt – all unhealthy.

( Apple gets converted into an apple pie, and carrot into a carrot cake ).

In doing this, the RAW food loses its satvic ( pure ) state, and becomes asatvic ( Non pure ).

By eating Asatvic food ( impure food – from the standards of divinity ), we are taking control of our own fate.

And that’s why it is not a surprise that nowadays, people are living with myriads of diseases like Diabetes, Heart disease, Hypertension, Obesity, Heart disease, cancers, and many psychological disorders – all stemming from unhealthy foods ( products of the human mind ).

Asatvic foods are created only to tantalize your taste buds, which sets you on a lifetime journey of seeking pleasures, which ultimately bring suffering and even death in life.

A Samdhist person, on the other hand, is always happy because he is in a  BEING state.

He is in harmony with nature, and nature brings him health and happiness.

It’s not a surprise that many of our ancient Rishis were able to achieve a Samadhi state, eating the natural food offered by the jungle.

But a Samsaric person is always in a constantly agitated state because he is never happy with what he has, always looking for more and more pleasures.

So, this is the advice of Krishna regarding the food we eat.

If you can understand this and apply it in your daily life, you will always remain in Krishna’s heart, and He will impart you a long, happy and healthy life.

Krishna makes it more clear in –

BG 17.9

कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिन: |
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दु:खशोकामयप्रदा: || 9||
kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣhṇa- tīkṣhṇa-rūkṣha-vidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣhṭā duḥkha-śhokāmaya-pradāḥ

BG 17.9: Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry, and full of chilies are dear to persons in the mode of passion.

Such foods produce pain, grief, and disease.

As we know, this is basically what the whole world is consuming right now – fried, spicy, salty, sugary, and tasty foods in one form or the other.

The solution for that is eating Satvic food ( raw food  or minimally cooked )

And Krishna says further that certain foods should be totally avoided because eating them is ignorance.

BG 17.10

यातयामं गतरसं पूति पर्युषितं च यत् |
उच्छिष्टमपि चामेध्यं भोजनं तामसप्रियम् || 10||

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat
uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

BG 17.10: Foods that are overcooked, stale, putrid, polluted, and impure are dear to persons in the mode of ignorance.

So, the final answer from Krishna is – Eat a Vegan, Whole food, plant-based fresh diet – with 80% of it as RAW food.