Please note: This article has nothing to do with several "Jesus Diet" hits found on google.com. Some of those provide food for thought, while others are just plain foolish.

For numerous reasons, exact knowledge about Joshua ben Joseph, person, is rather scarce. The New Testament was assembled several centuries after his death, and really was not focused on historical person's life. In fact, I have read excerpts from later theological texts which "prove" that Jesus neither ate meat nor defecated, both of which seem unlikely.

So, best guess at what Jesus ate can be obtained from study of Mediterranean cultures, especially Jewish.

First Conclusion: Jesus never ate ham, not even for Easter or Christmas. People ate pork at risk of death from trichinosis (a worm infestation).

Second Conclusion: Jesus did eat fish. This is documented in New Testament. He did not eat any sea food which lacked fins or scales, such as clams, oysters, crabs, lobster, octopus, eel, as these were un-clean by Jewish Kosher laws. Likewise, he did not eat meat from pigs, horses, donkeys, camels, vultures. He could have eaten deer meat, chicken, duck, turkey, eggs, et cetera. Most likely, he did not eat rabbit, squirrel, rat, or any birds of prey.

Kosher laws were originally based on good empirical observation on what foods did or did not cause illness. They are not latest word on good health practices. Some of Kosher laws go against modern medical and common sense. However, concepts of "eat only what is good for you", and "do not kill food animals with avoidable suffering" are certainly good ones.

Third Conclusion: Jesus did not eat four legged meat every day. The average for those times was about once a week to once a month, even for sheep herders. Hunters in field probably ate more meat. This does NOT mean that Jesus was a vegetarian, as some claim.

Fourth Conclusion: Jesus ate bread; lots and lots of bread. And it was not "low carb", either.

Fifth Conclusion: Jesus probably ate fruits, vegetables, grains, garbanzo beans, nuts, olives, goat cheese, salted fish (when fresh was not available). He probably also needed salt in his diet, ate honey, but most certainly did not eat refined sugars.

It is no secret that fats can satisfy hunger, even long after eating. That's one reason for traditional popularity of breakfast bacon, sausage, butter, breakfast pastries, et cetera. For most of us who are not athletes, farmers, stevedores, or other calory burning people, we should restrict fat intake, and prefer unsaturated plant sources over saturated fats from meat sources.

Refined sugars can give us a quick energy high, but this won't last. Lumberjacks have long known that old fashioned pancakes and breads can sustain one through hours of heavy labor.

I don't have a reference handy, but I recall reading that Roman Legionnaires got an early morning start by eating cereal grains, proving that cereals can make a hearty breakfast. In our "more advanced" society, we have many prepared cereals to pick from. My very strong advice is to avoid ones having hydrogenated oils or refined sugars, or more than a trace of added salt. And don't bother with enriched cereals if you are taking a daily vitamin - mineral tablet.

So what do I recommend for breakfast?

Example 1: eggs poached in a small covered pan with a small amount of water, plus whole grain bread with a small amount of one of new butter substitutes that has no hydrogenation.