The Manufacture of Health Foods, Part 1.
Cooranbong, Australia
March 10, 1900
This manuscript is published in entirety in KC 133-135. See 7T 124-126. +NoteOne or more typed copies of this document contain additional Ellen White handwritten interlineations which may be viewed at the main office of the Ellen G. White Estate.
The Manufacture of Health Foods, I. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 1
During the past night many things have been opened before me. The production and sale of health foods will require careful consideration. This is a delicate subject and one that needs to be prayerfully and thoughtfully considered. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 2
The Lord does not give to one man only the talent of preparing health foods. There are many minds in many places to whom the Lord will surely give knowledge of how to make foods that are healthful and palatable, if He sees that they will use this knowledge righteously. Animals are becoming more and more diseased, and it will not be long till the use of animal food will be given up by many besides our people. Foods that are healthful and life-sustaining are to be prepared, so that men and women will not need to eat meat. The Lord will teach many in all parts of the world to combine fruits, grains, and vegetables into foods that will sustain life and will not bring disease. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 3
Those who have not seen the recipes of how to make the health foods now on the market will make experiments with the food productions of the earth and will be given light regarding the use of these productions. The Lord will show them what to do. He who gives skill and understanding to His people in one part of the world will give skill and understanding to His people in other parts of the world. It is His design that the food treasures of each different country shall be prepared in such a way that they can be used in the countries for which they are suited. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 4
As God gave manna from heaven to sustain the children of Israel, so He will give His people in different places skill and wisdom to use the productions of these countries in making foods that will take the place of meat. These foods must be made in the different countries; for to transport foods from one country to another makes them so expensive that the poor cannot afford to buy them. It will never pay to depend upon America for the supply of health foods for foreign countries. Men will find great difficulty in handling the imported goods without financial loss. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 5
No selfishness is to be shown in this line of work. Every one is to work for the benefit of his fellow men. Unless men allow the Lord to guide their minds, untold difficulties will arise as God gives to different ones the knowledge of how to make health foods. When the Lord gives one skill and understanding, let that one remember that this wisdom was not given to him for his benefit only, but that with it he might help others. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 6
No man is to think that he is the possessor of all knowledge regarding the preparation of health foods, or that he has the sole right to use the Lord’s treasures of earth and tree in making health foods. The Lord will give skill and understanding to many minds. No man is to feel free to use according to his own pleasure the knowledge God has given him on this subject. It is our wisdom to prepare simple, inexpensive health foods. Many of our people are poor. Healthful foods are to be provided that can be supplied at prices that the poor can afford to pay. It is the Lord’s design that the poorest people in every place shall be supplied with inexpensive, healthful foods. In many places industries for the manufacture of these foods are to be established. That which is a blessing to the work in one place, helping its advancement, will be a blessing in another place where money is very much harder to obtain. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 7
God is working in behalf of His people. He does not desire them to be without resources. He is bringing them back to the diet originally given to man. Their diet is to consist of the foods made from the materials He has provided. He will teach them how to make healthful foods. The materials principally used in these foods will be fruits and grains and nuts, but various roots will also be used. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 8
The profits on these foods are to come principally from the world, and not from the Lord’s people. God’s people have to sustain His work and cause by tithes and offerings. They have to enter new fields and establish churches. On them rest the burdens of many missionary enterprises. No yokes are to be put upon their necks, and to them no oppression is to manifested. To His people the Lord is a present help in every time of need. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 9
Some of the specially prepared foods now being made can be improved, and our plans regarding their use will have to be modified. Some have used the nut preparations too freely. Great care should be exercised by those who prepare the recipes for our health journals. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 10
Many have written to me, “I cannot use the nut foods; what shall I use in the place of meat?” One night I seemed to be standing before a company of people telling them that nuts are used too freely in their preparation of nut foods, and that if they were used more sparingly the results would be more satisfactory; for the system cannot take care of them as combined in some recipes given. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 11
The Lord desires those living in countries where fresh fruit can be obtained during a large part of the year to awake to the blessing they have in this fruit. The more that we learn to depend upon the fresh fruit just as it is plucked from the tree, the greater the blessing it will prove to be. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 12
Some, after adopting a vegetarian diet, return to the use of flesh meat. In this they are foolish indeed; for the animal creation is becoming more and more diseased. But in many cases the reason for this is that they do not know enough about true health reform to substitute proper food in the place of meat. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 13
Cooking schools, conducted by wise instructors, are to be held in America and in other lands. Everything that we can do should be done to show the people the value of the reform diet. 17LtMs, Ms 79, 1902, par. 14