The type of foods that Shaolin monks eat is based on what Buddhism teaches; which embodies simplicity and mutual for all things living. Why Shaolin monks eat is not just to nourish the body, they also eat for spiritual reasons.
Shaolin monks eat foods like Chinese dates, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.
They are not allowed to eat, drink tea or take several liquids when they eat meals, the purpose is to aid easy digestion.
Shaolin monks avoid meat, eggs, and dairy products. You may wonder where they get protein from, Shaolin monks get protein from soybeans and other soy products like teifan and sofu.
Take a look at the ten foods that Shaolin monks eat.
Ten foods that Shaolin monks eat
Table of Contents
- Goji berries
- Vegetable soup
- Rice
- Tofu
- Noodles
- Chinese dates
- Nuts
- Tea
- Soybeans
- Steamed buns
Goji berries
As a Shaolin monk, it is a usual thing to eat dried fruits such as Goji berries. Goji berries are one of the good dried fruits that Shaolin monks eat.
When you take a look at Goji berries you will see that they are tiny red fruits that usually come with a lot of antioxidants and amazing medical benefits.
Goji berries do not just nourish your body, they also taste great. When you are eating this fruit you are definitely going to enjoy it and may not even want to finish it at once.
Shaolin monks eat dried fruits, that is why they eat these Goji berries, goji berries are usually sold or served in powdered or dried form.
One thing that goji berries do for you is that it helps to maintain eye health, they also help to strengthen your lungs, liver, and kidney.
What you do not really know about Goji berries is that thousands of years ago, goji berries were used in traditional medicine.
This is to show how beneficial this fruit is to the body and its variety of usage. These Goji mb berries can be eaten as breakfast as a Shaolin monk, it will be a good way to start your day.
Vegetable soup
Vegetable soup is one of those foods eaten by Shaolin monks. Do not expect to see meat in a Shaolin monk’s vegetable soup, they do not eat meat.
However, Chinese vegetable soup is usually known for its power of rejuvenation. What this means is that it has a way of supplying you with all the energy you need for the day.
Chinese Vegetable soup has been trusted for thousands of years to provide you with the natural supplement that works to boost your immune system.
When you eat vegetable soup a lot, you are building your immune system which makes you less prone to any form of disease.
When you have a strong immune system it will be very difficult for you to be attacked by any sickness hovering about.
Shaolin monks do kung-fu a lot which is energy-draining, when they eat vegetables it supplies them with the energy they need.
Athletes also benefit from the energy that vegetable soup provides when you eat it. Shaolin monks can eat vegetable soup as breakfast, it will really serve well.
Rice
Rice is another food that Shaolin monks eat. One good thing about Chinese rice is that you can also combine it with other fruits, you can also eat it with vegetables if you want, depending on your choice of meal combination.
Rice is a powerful antioxidant and having the right amount of antioxidants in the body helps to fight against bacteria.
This is a very good thing because with the right amount of antioxidants in the body, the less your chances of getting any bacteria. It even makes more sense when you add vegetables to your rice when you eat them.
The vegetables help to boost your immune system and also give you the energy to perform your daily tasks as a Shaolin monk.
This rice can be eaten for lunch as it will serve you well and provide you with the necessary nutrients that your body needs to perform your daily tasks.
Shaolin monks do not take liquids when they eat, this is for the purpose of ease of digestion. Rice is one of the nutritious foods that Shaolin monks eat that keep them healthy all day long.
Tofu
Tofu is Chinese food that is translated as bean curd. This food is of Chinese origin and it is already known all over the world. It is made of water, soy milk, and coagulants.
What this complete protein means is that it has a balanced amino acid profile.
Tofu is good food, and in addition to the complete protein you get from this meal, you also get benefits like potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, etc.
You are not going to go wrong if you decide to eat this meal as a Shaolin monk, it is very beneficial to you.
Based on your preference, you can choose to have this tofu meal for your lunch and it will nourish you so well. Monks choose this food for its amazing nutritional benefits.
Noodles
You may be surprised that noodles are among the foods that Shaolin monks eat. Yes, they are.
Noodles are something that is so popular in China. The noodles are also a very rich food that Shaolin monks eat.
Noodles are rich in Carbohydrates, Shaolin monks can combine the Noodles with bread which can make up for a rich carbohydrate meal. In China, the most commonly consumed Noodles are starch, wheat, and rice noodles.
As a Shaolin monk, you should consider eating Noodles and bread for dinner. Bread is a good source of carbohydrates, the same thing with noodles.
When you combine both of them you would get a very rich source of carbohydrate in your system. The bread that Shaolin monks eat is usually made from black rice flour or yellow wheat flour.
As a Shaolin monk, you are not even allowed to take alcohol at all, it is highly prohibited. That is why there is no alcohol in the ingredients used in making the bread that Shaolin monks eat.
I like that the Noodles and bread are a good combination and it is something that you can eat for dinner as a Shaolin monk.
Chinese dates
Chinese dates are also good food that Chinese monks eat. The Chinese dates are also known as the Jujube fruits, they contain little quantity of a lot of vitamins and minerals, however, they are particularly rich in Vitamin C.
Who would not love to eat food like this that is so rich in Vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps a lot to boost the immune system of the body.
As a Shaolin monk, you do a lot of Kung-fu, and that takes a lot of energy. To prevent illness, you will need a good quantity of Vitamin C in your system.
That is what you get from taking Chinese dates. It is also rich in antioxidants, antioxidants help to slow down the damage of cells which could be a result of free radicals.
Chinese dates also contain a good quantity of Potassium which is very important and plays a vital role when it comes to electrolyte and muscle control.
Nuts
You will notice this a lot if you are the type that watches a lot of Shaolin monks’ movies, you will notice that even in their movies they eat nuts a lot.
Nuts are a great source of antioxidants as well, not just that, they also help to reduce inflammation in the body.
Shaolin monks may not necessarily need to deal with weight loss, however, Chinese nuts help a lot if you are the type that is dealing with weight loss.
Shaolin monks can eat nuts for breakfast, nuts are also rich in fiber. Peanuts are a very good example, peanuts contain one of the highest amounts of protein per serving.
Since Shaolin monks do not eat meat and other dairy products like milk that have protein, they can get protein from peanuts as well. They have a good option when it comes to protein.
Tea
The Shaolin monks also take tea. I am someone that enjoys a lot of Shaolin monks movies.
I see it a lot in their movies about how they take tea, that alone is enough to let you know the value that Shaolin monks place on tea and how beneficial it is to them.
One major thing that that tea does for Shaolin monks when they take it is that it helps to improve bone density.
Shaolin monks do kung-fu and it is required that their bones become as dense as possible, this helps them make swift movements with ease each time they are practicing kung-fu.
Tea also helps to reduce the risk of having diabetes. Another good thing that accomplishes for you is that it reduces the risk of having any form of cardiovascular disease, especially for the older ones.
It will also help to reduce the risk of having diabetes. Older Shaolin monks will benefit a lot from this tea because it helps to improve memory and reduce the risk of having loss of memory due to old age.
Soybeans
Soybeans are a huge source of protein, especially for people like Shaolin monks that do not eat meat, eggs, or dairy foods.
They can easily resort to foods like Soybeans that give a lot of protein. Not only is Soybeans a good source of protein, but also a decent source of carbohydrates and fats.
There are also other benefits that you get from eating Soybeans, it is rich in other vitamins and minerals it also helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women, and for men, it helps to reduce the risk of prostate.
You can not have it wrong if you choose to eat Soybeans as a Shaolin monk. It is a very nutritious food. For older ones, Soybeans can help reduce the risk of Cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Steamed buns
Steamed buns are whole wheat that is high in fiber. Dietary fiber is very beneficial for your health as a Shaolin monk.
One thing it does for you is that it helps you to reduce the risk of you having heart disease and also helps to reduce the risk of you having a spike in your blood sugar levels and also reduces the risk of you having diabetes.
It also has high carbohydrates and fats which are beneficial to your body and healthy for you. This food is a good one and you can eat it for breakfast as a Shaolin monk.
Conclusion on what Shaolin Monks eat
Because of the kind of life that Shaolin monks live and what they believe in, they do not like to endanger the lives of animals.
They practice kung-fu and Buddhism. One of their beliefs in Buddhism is not to endanger the lives of animals, that is why they go plant-based and they eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.
Shaolin monks are also not allowed to take alcohol, that is why the kind of bread they eat does not have any drop of alcohol in it. Bread is usually known to contain residual alcohol of up to 1.9 percent.
That is why the bread eaten by Shaolin monks is usually made of black rice flour or yellow wheat flour.
Shaolin monks are very intentional about the kind of food they eat, this is because it directly or indirectly affects the quality of life and how they perform as Shaolin monks.
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