Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!

(The Conversation) — It’s getting harder and harder to figure out what to eat. A scroll through social media raises many questions. Why is food so expensive? Am I getting enough protein? What about fiber? Do I need supplements? Should I be making all my bread at home? What foods were recalled this week?

These questions make trips to the grocery store and mealtime decisions more difficult. For centuries, some people have turned to their religious texts and traditions for answers.

In “ Born Again Bodies ,” religious studies scholar R. Marie Griffith traces how Protestant Christian ideas on faith and the body shaped the development of American diet and fitness culture.

Through my decade of ethnographic research on religious food movements, I have found that many Americans are still turning to religion as they decide what to eat.…