Buddhist Diet: How It Works and What to Eat

Siddhartha Gautama, or the ”Buddha,” founded Buddhism in the 5th to 4th century B.C. in the eastern part of India. Today, it’s practiced worldwide (1).
Several forms of Buddhism exist globally, including Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana. Each type has slightly different interpretations of Buddha’s teaching, particularly when it comes to dietary practices.
Vegetarianism
Five ethical teachings govern how Buddhists live.
One of the teachings prohibits taking the life of any person or animal. Many Buddhists interpret this to mean that you should not consume animals, as doing so would require killing.
Buddhists with this interpretation usually follow a lacto-vegetarian diet. This means they consume dairy products but exclude eggs, poultry, fish, and meat from their diet.
On the other hand, other Buddhists consume meat and other animal products, as long as the animals aren’t slaughtered specifically for them.
Nonetheless, most dishes considered Buddhist are vegetarian, despite not all traditions requiring lay followers of Buddhism to follow this diet (2).
Alcohol and other restrictions
Another ethical teaching of Buddhism prohibits intoxication from alcohol given that it clouds the mind and can lead you to break other religious rules.
Still, lay followers of the religion often disregard this teaching, as some traditional ceremonies incorporate alcohol.
Every diet, including the Buddhist diet, has pros and cons to consider.
Benefits
A Buddhist diet follows a primarily plant-based approach.
A plant-based diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and beans, but it may also include some animal products.
This diet provides important compounds, such as antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which have been associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer (6, 7, 8, 9).
Aside from these health benefits, following a plant-based or vegetarian diet may also benefit your waistline.
One study demonstrated that Buddhists who followed a vegetarian diet for 11–34 years had less body fat than those who followed the diet for 5–10 years ⁠— and even less body fat than those who followed it for 3–4 years (3).
Downsides
Vegetarian diets that restrict the intake of meat can be deficient in certain nutrients if they aren’t planned appropriately — even if they permit eggs and dairy.
Studies have found that Buddhist lacto-vegetarians had calorie intakes similar to those of non-vegetarian Catholics. However, they had higher intakes of folate, fiber, and vitamin A and consumed less protein and iron (3, 10).
Consequently, they had lower levels of iron and vitamin B12. Low levels of these nutrients can cause anemia, a condition characterized by a lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells (3, 10, 11).
Aside from iron and vitamin B12, other nutrients that vegetarians may be lacking include vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc (12).
Pros and cons of fasting
Fasting is an important practice in Buddhism. Buddhists generally fast from noon to dawn of the following day.
Depending on your preferences and schedule, you may find fasting for approximately 18 hours every day to either be a pro or con of the Buddhist diet.
Consuming your entire daily calorie intake before noon can not only be physically difficult but also interfere with your social and professional life.
On the other hand, you may find fasting convenient and helpful for weight loss, if that’s a goal of yours.
In a 4-day study in 11 overweight adults, those fasting for 18 hours had better blood sugar control and increased expression of genes involved in autophagy — a process that replaces damaged cells with healthy ones — compared with those fasting for 12 hours (13, 14).
While these results are promising, longer studies are necessary to make definitive conclusions about whether the practice is superior to a standard reduced-calorie diet for weight loss and other health benefits (15, 16, 17, 18).
Summary
Given that the Buddhist diet consists primarily of plants, it may lack certain vitamins and minerals, particularly iron and vitamin B12. Fasting, while an important component of Buddhism, may not be for everyone.