Today, while many Jews keep kosher for religious reasons, some people (Jews and non-Jews) prefer kosher food because they believe it to be healthier.
For one, they know that processed kosher foods are more closely supervised than other foods. And fresh foods, like salad greens, are carefully inspected for insects.
But while many, though not all dietitians might agree that not eating pig meat — or at least not consuming it in large quantities — is in fact beneficial to one’s health, there is little reason to think that a kosher diet is inherently healthier than any other.
Just as a vegan diet composed entirely of beer and french fries is unlikely to improve one’s health, a kosher diet that is loaded with processed meats and soda (read the interesting history of how Coca Cola became kosher!) is not likely to convey health benefits.
Indeed, many of the traditional Ashkenazi foods that are thought of as quintessential “Jewish food” are not considered the most healthy foods around (Traditional Sephardic cuisine may in fact be much better for you).
There is also a concern that to avoid bug contamination in produce, kosher vegetables are sprayed with extra pesticides that are not great for human health.
Although there is wide disagreement about what constitutes a healthy diet, one can pursue almost any diet (vegan, vegetarian, whole foods, paleo, keto, Mediterranean, etc.) while keeping kosher. Raw vegetables and fruits are inherently kosher.
