“Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.”
Socrates
Healthy EatingWisdom
Diet Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · DIET
Diet Quotes
Read 200 of the best diet quotes about healthy eating, moderation, food and wellness, from Benjamin Franklin, Seneca, Shakespeare, Brillat-Savarin and more.
“To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.”
Benjamin Franklin
ModerationLong Life
“Eat few suppers, and you'll need few medicines.”
Benjamin Franklin
HealthModeration
“I saw few die of hunger; of eating, a hundred thousand.”
Benjamin Franklin
OvereatingHealth
“Hunger is the best pickle.”
Benjamin Franklin
AppetiteFunny
“A full belly makes a dull brain.”
Benjamin Franklin
FocusModeration
“Many dishes, many diseases.”
Benjamin Franklin
Simple FoodHealth
“Temperance: Eat not to dulness; drink not to elevation.”
Benjamin Franklin
ModerationSelf-Control
“Eat little at dinner, and less at supper, for the health of the whole body is forged in the workshop of the stomach.”
Miguel de Cervantes
DigestionHealth
“Do you wonder at the countless diseases? Count the cooks.”
Seneca
Rich FoodFunny
“Indulge the body only so far as is needful for good health; food should appease your hunger.”
Seneca
ModerationMindful Eating
“Plain fare gives as much pleasure as a costly diet, when once the pain of want has been removed.”
Epicurus
Simple FoodContentment
“Bread and water confer the highest possible pleasure when they are brought to hungry lips.”
Epicurus
AppetiteGratitude
“At a banquet, do not say how people ought to eat, but eat as you ought.”
Epictetus
MannersExample
“He did not eat much.”
Confucius
ModerationSimplicity
“He who aims to be a man of complete virtue in his food does not seek to gratify his appetite.”
Confucius
Self-ControlVirtue
“Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith.”
The Bible (Proverbs 25:16)
ModerationSweets
“Let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.”
The Bible (Daniel 1:12)
Plant-Based EatingSimplicity
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
The Bible (1 Corinthians 10:31)
GratitudeFaith
“Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
The Bible (Genesis 1:29)
Fruits And VegetablesNature
“Blessed art thou, O land, when thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!”
The Bible (Ecclesiastes 10:17)
Meal TimingStrength
“Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart.”
The Bible (Ecclesiastes 9:7)
Enjoying FoodJoy
“Be not unsatiable in any dainty thing, nor too greedy upon meats: for excess of meats bringeth sickness.”
The Bible (Sirach 37:29-30)
ModerationHealth
“Sound sleep cometh of moderate eating: he riseth early, and his wits are with him.”
The Bible (Sirach 31:20)
SleepModeration
“Man shall not live by bread alone.”
The Bible (Matthew 4:4)
BalanceFaith
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About Diet Quotes
What we eat shapes how we feel, think and live. A good diet is not about strict rules or giving up everything you love. It is about balance, moderation, fresh food and enjoying meals in a way that keeps your body and mind healthy for years to come.
This collection brings together 200 of the best diet quotes about healthy eating, moderation, food and wellness, from Benjamin Franklin, Seneca, Confucius, William Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, Mark Twain and the famous French food writer Brillat-Savarin. Use them for healthy-eating motivation, kitchen inspiration or a smile about our complicated love for food.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Diet quotes.
What is the most famous quote about diet?
Brillat-Savarin's "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are" is one of the most famous food quotes ever, and it inspired the modern saying "You are what you eat." Socrates's advice to eat in order to live, rather than live to eat, is even older.
What are good quotes about healthy eating?
Benjamin Franklin's "Eat few suppers, and you'll need few medicines" and Hippocrates's advice about giving the body "not too little and not too much" are timeless reminders that balance is the heart of healthy eating.
What are funny diet quotes?
Mark Twain joked that the only way to stay healthy is to "eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." Oscar Wilde added that after a good dinner, you can forgive anybody, even your own relatives.
What does the Bible say about eating?
Proverbs 25:16 advises eating honey only "so much as is sufficient," and Ecclesiastes 9:7 encourages us to "eat thy bread with joy." Sirach 31:20 links moderate eating with sound sleep and a clear mind in the morning.
Is moderation the key to a good diet?
Most wise thinkers across history agree it is. Shakespeare observed that people who eat too much can be as unwell as those who have too little, and Hippocrates warned that "everything in excess is opposed to nature."
What are short diet quotes for Instagram captions?
Try "Hunger is the best pickle," "Our bodies are our gardens," "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are," or "Eat thy bread with joy." They pair well with healthy meal and kitchen photos.