First of all, the Prophet ﷺ did not make a habit of relying on a single type of food, since this is harmful to health. Indeed, if one eats only one food they weaken and perish, and if one eats something else nature does not accept it, which is likewise harmful.
The Prophet ﷺ ate what the people of his land ate as meats, fruits, breads, dates and other things. Moreover, if a food was of a nature that required it to be tempered and balanced, the Prophet ﷺ did so with an opposite food whenever possible; this can be seen in the way he balanced the heat of fresh dates with watermelon. Furthermore, if his soul did not accept a food, he would not force himself to eat it with disgust, which is a great principle of health, since forcing oneself to eat a food with disgust is more harmful than beneficial.
Abu Hurayrah reports that the Prophet ﷺ never criticized a dish. If he wanted it, he ate it; if not, he left it and did not eat it. When a grilled lizard was presented to him he did not eat it; he was asked if it was unlawful, and he replied that it was not, but that it was not found in his land and that it repulsed him. The Prophet ﷺ thus respected his own habit and preference.
Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ loved meat, and his favorite part was the shoulder, and the front part of the lamb. This is why poison was put in a shoulder for him.
Ibn al-Qayyim says that eating the shoulder and the foreleg of lamb has great benefit, a great effect on one's strength, an absence of heaviness and rapid digestion; consuming a small amount of this type of food is better than consuming a large amount of other foods.
Meat, honey and sweet foods are beneficial to the body, the liver, and the limbs. Nourishing oneself with them is of great benefit in preserving health and strength.
The Prophet ﷺ ate bread with sauced dishes and sometimes with meat, and he said "it is the master of the food of the people of this world and the hereafter." Sometimes he also ate it with watermelon or dates. One day, he put a date in a piece of barley bread and said "this is the condiment of that other." According to the science of dietetics, this shows us that the Prophet ﷺ had a certain management of his diet, because barley bread is cold and dry while the date is hot and moist. According to the most correct opinion, taking the date with barley bread is one of the best combinations, as the people of Medina used to do; and sometimes they ate it with vinegar and said "what a good condiment vinegar is." This is praise that matched the present situation and not a preference over others as the ignorant think. The essential point is that eating bread with a condiment is among the means of preserving health.
Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ ate fruits of his land in their season and did not deprive himself of them; this is also among the greatest means of preserving health. Indeed, Allah in His wisdom created in every land the fruits that are beneficial to its inhabitants during their seasons. Thus, consuming them is a cause of preserving health, and spares many remedies. Moreover, rarely do those who abstain from eating the fruits of their land for fear of illness fail to be among the sickest bodies and furthest from health and strength. Fruits contain moisture, the heat of the season, and of the earth, and the heat of the stomach consumes them and removes their harms. If one does not overindulge in eating them, does not burden nature with what it cannot bear, does not drink water afterward, does not have a meal after a sweet food, as this often causes constipation, and consumes these fruits at the right time in the right manner, this will be an effective remedy for the person.
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How many times a day did the Prophet ﷺ eat?
This is the most common question, and the answer is a simple one. Aisha reported: "The family of Muhammad ﷺ never had their fill of barley bread for two days in a row until he passed away" (al-Bukhari, Muslim), and: "We would go a month without lighting a fire; we had only dates and water" (al-Bukhari). The usual rhythm in Medina was two meals, one in the morning (ghada') and one in the evening (asha'), as reflected in several hadiths. The Prophet ﷺ never ate to the point of fullness, and the rule he left behind sums this up: "The son of Adam fills no vessel worse than his stomach. A few mouthfuls are enough to keep him upright; if he must eat more, then a third for food, a third for drink, and a third for breath" (at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah). This restraint was not simply a matter of poverty: when wealth came, he kept the same measure.
The ten rules of his table
- Little, and never full: the rule of thirds.
- Variety: "not limiting oneself to a single type of food," the professor says, following Ibn al-Qayyim; meat, bread, dates, fruit, milk, according to what the land provided.
- Balancing a food with its opposite: fresh (warm) dates with watermelon or cucumber (cool), (dry) barley bread with (moist) dates, meat and vinegar.
- Never two heavy dishes together; bread with only a single accompaniment.
- Never criticizing a dish: "if he liked it, he ate it; if not, he left it" (al-Bukhari).
- Never forcing oneself: the grilled lizard he left aside without forbidding it; "forcing oneself with distaste does more harm than good."
- Fruits of one's own land, in season, without excess and without water right after.
- Sitting, with the right hand, starting with what is in front of oneself, with the basmala before and praise after (al-Bukhari).
- Three fingers, and licking the fingers and the plate: "you do not know in which portion the blessing lies" (Muslim).
- Together: "Gather around your food, and it will be blessed for you" (Abu Dawud).
His dishes and foods, according to the hadiths
| Food | What the Sunnah reports | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, especially the shoulder | His favorite part; it was in a shoulder that poison was placed at Khaybar | Lamb, in measured amounts; the shoulder is a lean, easily digestible cut |
| Barley bread | The usual bread of his household; with an accompaniment, preferably never alone | Whole-grain bread, barley or spelt; see barley in talbina |
| Dates | "The household with no dates, its people go hungry" (Muslim); with cucumber, with bread, or with watermelon | A few dates in the morning or to break the fast, not full platters |
| Tharid | Bread crumbled into a meat broth, "the best of dishes" (al-Bukhari) | The one-pot meal, vegetables, meat and bread: complete and economical |
| Talbina | Barley porridge with milk and honey, "which soothes the heart of the sick" (al-Bukhari) | Breakfast or a meal for convalescence |
| Vinegar | "What a fine condiment vinegar is" (Muslim) | Cider or date vinegar in salads, with meat |
| Squash | He would look for it in the dish (al-Bukhari) | Seasonal squash and pumpkins |
| Honey, milk | "He loved sweets and honey" (al-Bukhari); milk, the only drink of which more was asked for | Raw honey, quality milk; never honey before age one |
| Olive oil | "Eat it and anoint yourselves with it, for it comes from a blessed tree" (at-Tirmidhi) | The basic fat of the diet |
What the research confirms
- Eating slowly, eating little. A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies shows that fast eaters have twice the risk of obesity compared to slow eaters (Int J Obes, 2015). Three fingers, small mouthfuls, a shared meal: this is a way of eating slowly.
- Meal timing. A meta-analysis of trials lasting 12 weeks or more shows that reducing the eating window and meal frequency helps with weight loss and improves certain metabolic markers (JAMA Netw Open, 2024). Two meals and a regular fast: this is the prophetic model.
- Seasonal fruit. Vitamin C content in fruits and vegetables varies greatly depending on the season in which they are harvested, something that composition tables do not show (J Sci Food Agric, 2018). "The fruits of one's own land, in their season" is not merely a custom: it is a nutritional principle.
Contraindications and precautions
The prophetic model is a model of moderation, not deprivation: a pregnant or nursing woman, a growing child, an athlete, or an elderly person who is losing weight have needs that should not simply be reduced to two light meals without guidance. A diabetic on treatment who spaces out meals should inform their doctor. And "never forcing oneself" does not apply to a picky child: in that case, the food is offered without pressure, several times, without removing it from the menu.
Frequently asked questions
How many meals a day did the Prophet ﷺ eat?
Most often two, morning and evening, never eating to fullness; sometimes only one, or days of dates and water alone. The rule he left is that of thirds: food, drink, breath.
What was the Prophet's ﷺ favorite dish?
Tharid, bread crumbled into a meat broth, which he called the best of dishes; and among meats, lamb shoulder. He also loved sweets, honey, squash, and dates.
Did the Prophet ﷺ eat meat every day?
No: meat was scarce in Medina, and his household often lived on dates, water, and barley bread. He loved it and ate it when available, in moderation.
What does "balancing a food with its opposite" mean?
Balancing natures: fresh, warm dates with cool watermelon or cucumber; dry barley bread with moist dates. Ibn al-Qayyim saw in this a refined approach to diet, and modern nutrition finds in it a balance of sugar, fiber, and water.
Can this model be followed today?
Yes, and it comes down to five practices: two or three meals with no snacking, the rule of thirds, a single main dish, seasonal fruit before the meal, and eating seated, slowly, together. The rest is a matter of taste and place.
