Foods mentioned in the Sunnah and why they still matter
There’s a growing interest in what the Prophet ﷺ ate.
Sometimes this comes from curiosity. Sometimes from health trends. Sometimes from the idea of “Islamic superfoods”. But often, the question is simple:
What foods were valued in the Sunnah — and why?
The answer isn’t a diet plan or a list of miracle ingredients. It’s a collection of foods that were eaten regularly, appreciated for their nourishment and treated with gratitude rather than obsession. Below are some of the foods most frequently mentioned in the Sunnah, along with the context in which they appear.
Dates
Dates are perhaps the most well-known Sunnah food.
The Prophet ﷺ regularly ate dates, broke his fast with them and recommended them for nourishment.
Anas ibn Malik reported:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to break his fast with fresh dates before praying. If there were no fresh dates, then with dried dates, and if there were no dates, then with a few sips of water.”
(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
Dates are simple, filling and naturally energising, but their place in the Sunnah isn’t about their nutritional profile alone. They represent moderation, availability and ease.
Honey
Honey is explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah as a source of healing.
Allah (swt) says:
“From their bellies comes a drink of varying colours in which there is healing for people.”
(Qur’an 16:69)
The Prophet ﷺ also recommended honey in cases of illness.
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said his brother had stomach pain. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Give him honey.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Honey was not treated as a cure-all, but as a natural remedy used appropriately.
Black seed (Nigella sativa)
Black seed is one of the most frequently cited Sunnah foods, often misunderstood because of how it’s marketed today.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Use the black seed, for indeed it contains a cure for every disease except death.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
This hadith has been discussed extensively by scholars, who explained that its benefit lies in its broad supportive qualities, not that it replaces medical treatment or works without wisdom. In the Sunnah, black seed is part of a broader approach to health that includes restraint, balance and trust.
Pomegranate
Pomegranates are mentioned in the Qur’an as one of the fruits of Jannah and they were known and consumed in the Prophet’s time.
Allah says:
“In them are fruits, palm trees, and pomegranates.”
(Qur’an 55:68)
While fewer specific hadith focus on pomegranates compared to dates or honey, their mention reflects appreciation for whole, nourishing foods rather than processed or excessive ones.
Milk
Milk was a staple and frequently praised.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O Allah, bless us in it and give us more of it.”
(Tirmidhi)
Milk was seen as complete, nourishing and sufficient, a food that didn’t require embellishment.
Barley
Barley appears often in descriptions of the Prophet’s ﷺ household food.
Aisha (رضي الله عنها) reported:
“The family of Muhammad ﷺ did not eat their fill of bread made from wheat for three consecutive days until he passed away.”
(Bukhari)
Barley bread and soups were common — simple, filling and far from indulgent.
What’s missing matters too
Just as important as what appears in the Sunnah is what doesn’t.
There is no emphasis on constant variety, rich combinations or excess. Meals were simple. Ingredients were few. Satisfaction didn’t rely on abundance. Food was nourishment, not entertainment.
Not a prescription, but a pattern
The Sunnah does not give us a rigid list of foods to eat or avoid. It shows us a pattern:
simple ingredients
whole foods
moderation
gratitude
restraint
These foods weren’t consumed because they were trendy, rare or optimised. They were eaten because they were available, nourishing and sufficient.
Guidance before trends
It’s tempting to retrofit the Sunnah into modern health narratives, to justify it with science, rankings or labels. But the Sunnah doesn’t need modern validation.
These foods matter not because they are fashionable, but because they fit within a broader way of eating that prioritises balance over excess. As with much of Islamic guidance, the benefit often becomes clearer with time, but it was never dependent on understanding first.
