You Should Read This
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statement she called for “providing food adapted to the needs of the
body, and at the same time inviting and palatable.”
While the reasons for including some dairy products in a balanced,
adequate diet were not fully understood, Ellen White spoke in favor
of them, and even cautioned against eliminating them. Today in the
light of the knowledge that certain minute nutrients are vital to body
functions, we have a better understanding. Some of these nutrients,
while apparently not present in all-vegetable diet, are available in
adequate amounts in a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. This is particularly
important to children whose proper development Ellen White stated
might be hindered by “ill-prepared unwholesome food.”
Near the turn of the century Ellen White began to write that be-
cause of accumulating disease in the animal kingdom all animal foods,
including milk, will in time have to be given up (see pp. 356, 357);
yet at the same time she repeatedly cautioned against premature steps
in this direction and in 1909 declared that the time will come when
such may be necessary, but urged against creating perplexity by “pre-
mature and extreme restrictions.” She counseled that we “wait until
the circumstances demand it, and the Lord prepares the way for it”
(pp. 355-359).
It was the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet that sustained Ellen White in
active service well into her eighty-eighth year.
Employ Sound Principles in Study
Certain sound principles must ever be applied in the study of the
dietary counsels found in this book. All the
[7]
instructions, as a broad, consistent, well-balanced whole, should
be studied with an open mind. Care should be taken to read the entire
statement on a given topic. Then, to gain the full intent of the author,
statement should be put with statement. If one statement does not
seem to accord with another, the student would do well to trace one,
or both, to the original settings.
The student should also follow Ellen White’s example in recogniz-
ing three basic principles as enumerated on page 481:
1. “The diet reform should be progressive.”—
The Ministry of
Healing, 320
.