Grazia Barletta: On Food & Faith

by Grazia Barletta · Published February 9, 2024 · Updated February 9, 2024

Main Photo: Robert Kirsner

Food plays an important role in the Bible, most crucially in the Bread of Life! Grazia Barletta looks at the relationship between food and faith.

Food nourishes the body while prayer nourishes the mind and soul. Growing up in an Italian household, food was always the centre of our conversations. Food brings people together, whether at a dinner party, a birthday celebration, a work social or just a family gathering.

Similarly, prayer and one’s faith bring people together, whether it’s the rosary group praying daily together or everyone gathering at Mass on the weekend. Bringing people together is what food and faith have in common.

Food is a gift from God, so we give thanks before a meal is enjoyed. Eating fare from the five food groups — fruit and vegetables, starches, dairy, protein, and fat — gives us all the nutrients we need. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and water are all nutrients that are important for good health and to reduce the risk of disease.

There are ten healing foods in the Bible: fish, raw honey, olives, sprouted grains and breads, goat’s milk and products, fruit, herbs, beans and lentils.

Foods in the Bible

Fruit: In biblical times, people ate many of today’s most nutritious “superfoods”. Take, for example, pomegranates. They are mentioned several times in the Old Testament (for example Numbers 13:23; Deuteronomy 8:8), and are believed to have highly beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties.

Vegetables: God provided vegetables and legumes packed with nutrients, fibre and protein to power the people in the Bible. In Babylon, Daniel and his friends observed a diet of only vegetables.

Fish: Seafood was another staple in the Bible; we recall that four of Jesus’ apostles were fishermen. However, only certain fish was suitable for eating. Today we know that fish such as tuna, salmon, cod and many others are high in protein and healthy omega fats which can help reduce inflammation and even lower blood pressure.

Grains: Healthy grains were a primary staple in biblical times. Grains are among the natural foods that can be preserved for years. Throughout the Bible, bread is a symbol of God’s life-sustaining provision. Jesus himself is the Bread of Life — our true source of spiritual life. The bread that Jesus represents never perishes or spoils, unlike the bread which goes mouldy if you leave it open or don’t finish it before the sell-by date.

The best Bible verse about food is found in the Gospel of John: “Then Jesus said: ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (6:35).

Cooking for Jesus

The patron saint of food is St Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary. She is an ideal patron saint of cooking and hospitality because she served dinner to Jesus himself. Martha was from Bethany, a village a few kilometres from Jerusalem. She was considered diligent and meticulous, and she was one of the first to believe in Jesus’ divinity. A dependable and determined person who was full of faith and spiritual depth; a hard worker and a beloved daughter of God. We can relate to the ever-dutiful St Martha who wanted to make sure that family and guests were well fed. But we need to be reminded that we should be nourished not only physically but also spiritually.

Reading the Bible daily can give us the nourishment we need. Make time to pray daily and spend time meditating on the things of God. Programmes such as Alpha and Ecclesia are a great way of learning more and reflecting on the teachings of God.

In 2017 I was privileged to join my parish on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. What a life-changing experience that was! Besides being in the Holy Land and tracing the steps which we read about in the Bible, special friendships were also made along the way. If the opportunity should ever arise for you, then I urge you to go and visit the Holy Land. The wonderful food we enjoyed along the way and the beautiful churches we visited daily were unforgettable. Food and faith, always nourishing us.

Grazia Barletta is an author, book designer, and food photographer & stylist. She can be contacted at
Follow her blog at www.momentswithgrazia.com and connect with Grazia on Facebook: momentswithgrazia; Instagram: momentswithgrazia