Guide
Church Food Guidelines
Churches love to eat together, and they should. The early church broke bread "with glad and generous hearts" (Acts 2:46). These guidelines keep the joy of the table while making the healthy choice the easy one.
Our heart behind this
We serve food to welcome people, to celebrate and to care for one another. We want what we serve to show that same care. These are guidelines, not rules. Birthday cake and Christmas cookies still belong at church.
Seven simple guidelines
- Water first, and skip the soda. Put water out at every event, cold and easy to reach, along with unsweetened tea and coffee. Avoid serving soft drinks and other sugary drinks whenever possible (see below).
- Half the table is plants. Aim for vegetables, fruit, salads, beans and whole grains to fill about half of every spread.
- A healthy option at every event. Even at a dessert social, include fruit or a lighter choice.
- Smaller portions, same generosity. Use smaller plates and cut desserts into smaller pieces. People can always come back.
- Cook with olive oil or beef tallow. Skip seed oils (canola, soybean, corn) in the church kitchen, and bake or roast instead of deep-frying.
- Label the food. A simple card listing common allergens (nuts, dairy, gluten, eggs) serves guests with food allergies and dietary needs.
- Celebrate without guilt. Never comment on what or how much someone eats. Grace at the table matters more than any menu.
Why we avoid soft drinks
Of everything we serve, soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks are the easiest thing to change, and the change matters.
- They’re the top source of added sugar. Sugary drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet (CDC).
- One can is a lot of sugar. A 12-ounce regular soda has about 10 teaspoons (roughly 40 grams) of added sugar and about 150 calories, with no real nourishment. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines suggest no more than 10 grams of added sugar in a whole meal, so a single can is about four times that (Dietary Guidelines).
- They’re linked to real harm. The CDC notes that adults who often drink sugary drinks are more likely to have weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cavities and gout.
- The guidelines say to avoid them. The Dietary Guidelines recommend water and unsweetened drinks, and avoiding “sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sodas, fruit drinks, and energy drinks.”
- Kids learn from what we serve. When church events always offer soda and fruit punch, children learn that sweet drinks are normal with every meal.
What to serve instead: cold water (add lemon, cucumber, orange slices or berries), sparkling water, unsweetened iced tea, coffee, and plain milk for kids. If you serve juice, choose 100% juice in small cups.
This isn’t about shaming anyone who enjoys a soda. It’s about making the healthy choice the easy one when God’s people gather. If you phase soft drinks out, do it gently: start with water on every table, then drop soda from one event at a time.
Easy swaps
| Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Donuts at coffee hour | Fruit, whole-grain muffins, yogurt cups, or a mix of both |
| Soda at every table | Water pitchers with lemon or cucumber, sparkling water, unsweetened iced tea |
| Fruit punch or sweet tea for kids | Water with fruit slices, plain milk, or 100% juice in small cups |
| Chips and candy for kids | Apple slices, cheese sticks, carrots and hummus (made with olive oil), homemade popcorn |
| Potato chips and tortilla chips (fried in seed oils) | Veggie trays, fruit, nuts, or homemade popcorn in olive oil |
| Fried chicken every Wednesday | Baked chicken, chili, soup and salad, or taco bar with beans |
| Casseroles with cream soups | Roasted vegetables, rice and bean dishes, sheet-pan meals |
| Dessert as the main event | A fruit platter beside the desserts, cut into smaller pieces |
For potlucks
Use a simple sign-up with categories so the table stays balanced: main dish, vegetable or salad, fruit, whole-grain side, dessert. Ask families with last names A–H to bring a vegetable dish, and rotate each time.
For the kitchen team
Thank them first. Many of these volunteers have fed your church for years. Invite them to help shape the new menu instead of handing them a list, and consider a cooking class where they can share favorite recipes with a lighter twist.