Food itself is Brahman (God). Our food (āhāra) and recreational activities (vihara) play a very significant role in human life. That is why Lord Krishna declared specifically about the food habits and recreation in Bhagavad Gita: Yuktāhāra vihārasya!

Of these two, regulation of food habits is more significant. This is because food influences the mind and thereby obtains the ability to control all the tasks of the mind! Such is its power! Hence, Vedas extol cooked rice (Annam) as God -“Annam brahma”.

The cooked rice must be considered as Parabrahma and therefore it must first be offered to the God as Naivedya and thereafter consumed. Each and every being born out of God’s divine plan has appetite quite naturally. The food for every living being is made ready by God. In advance He arranges for the food that would be needed by a living entity.

The food consumed by the living beings transforms into blood and flesh and thereafter the living entity gradually gets the energy to reproduce i.e. to create another living being. As long as the living entity consumes pure food in limited quantities he leads a heathy, comfortable life. Nevertheless, at the same time, it is imbalance in food that causes the death of the living entity. Each and every being is born from food; it survives because of food and it dies because of food. This is the story of all individual living entities.

If we consider the cosmic form of the Lord (VIshwaroopa), then it should be understood that it is the composite form of all beings, moving and non-moving. Just as all our bodies make up the Universal form of the Lord, all the food consumed by all living entities is the food for the Universal form.

Since our food becomes the cause for the Universal form, the food is said to be the Supreme Lord. Hence, Annam brahma- food is brahma.

Every day while we consume food, we must remember that the food we are eating is nothing but God. When we believe our food to be God, our mind and body become healthy. It is food that has created all the worlds; it is food that sustains them all and finally it is food that destroys them all. Hence, one must consume the food with the feeling that it is God.

Naivedya is the offering made by the physical or gross body. Hence, we must practice to offer the food to God that we eat and make it a habit. This in itself is the worship of food.

Food is the form of God. When we offer the same to Paramatma again as Naivedya, God’s energy within that food gets doubled! By eating such food, there will be a spurt in the sattvic nature and it can remove the delusion in the mind.

More importantly, by thus worshipping food, there is another benefit. Such people will get food for as many births as they have to take in future. They will not face food shortage. Hence, before eating, we must also offer food to the other living beings around us which do not get food and which are hungry. It is good for you. Food can be offered to any being – bird, animal etc.

Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!