Two Animal Classes
God created two basic classes of animals in relation to man's diet. Those that benefit our health are called clean foods and those that do not (they are a detriment to our health and well being) are labeled in the Bible as unclean. We find this critical information regarding which meats are good for us (clean) and which are not (unclean) in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
In spite of what many believers think, the Bible does not, in the Old or New Testaments, abolish or do away with God's laws about foods that he created either to be eaten (clean) or avoided (unclean).
Clean Laws Upheld
For example, in Mark 7, the dispute between the Pharisees and Christ did not concern the issue of which foods were clean or unclean. It involved whether the disciples could eat a few grains of food without having to ceremonially wash their hands several times!
For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding fast to the tradition of the elders, do not eat unless they wash their hands thoroughly.
Even when coming from the market, they do not eat unless they first wash themselves. And there are many other things that they have received to observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and brass utensils and tables.
For this reason, the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him, saying, "Why don't Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" (Mark 7:3 - 5).
Peter's vision in Acts 10, commonly thought to make all unclean foods fit for consumption, was God's way of conveying to bigoted Peter that no human was worth less than others!
And he (Peter) saw the heaven opened; and a certain vessel descended upon him, like a great sheet, bound by the four corners and let down upon the earth; in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, including the wild beasts, and the creeping things and the birds of heaven.
Then a voice came to him, saying, "Arise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "In no way, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
And a voice came again the second time to him, saying, "What God has cleansed, you are not to call common." . . .
And he (Peter) said to them (Cornelius and his family and friends), "You know that it is unlawful for a man who is a Jew to associate with or come near to anyone of another race. But God has shown me that no man should be called common or unclean." (Acts 10:11 - 15, 28).
Paul the apostle also upheld the Biblical laws regarding what is good or clean, and what is not good or unclean, to eat as still being valid for believers. He showed that while some things were made for us to ingest others clearly were not.
Now the Spirit tells us explicitly that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, and shall follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons . . .
Forbidding to marry; and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, even by those who know the truth. For every creature of God designated for human consumption is good, and nothing to be refused, if it is received with thanksgiving . . . (1Timothy 4:1, 3 - 4).
Below is a list of common meats and fishes divided by whether the Bible considers them clean or unclean to eat. Please note that this list does not denote every animal or insect in existence and where it is classified. When in doubt, it is best to consider a meat unfit for human consumption.
MEATS THAT ARE GOOD TO EAT
Clean Land Animals
Antelope - Buffalo - Caribou - Cattle (Beef, Veal) - Deer - Elk - Gazelle - Giraffe - Goat - Hart - Ibex - Moose - Ox - Reindeer - Sheep
Clean Birds
Chicken - Dove - Duck - Goose - Grouse - Guinea fowl - Partridge - Peafowl - Pheasant - Pigeon - Prairie chicken - Ptarmigan - Quail - Sagehen - Sparrow (plus any other songbirds) - Swan - Teal - Turkey
Insects
Clean insects include types of locusts that may include crickets and grasshoppers
Clean Fish
Albacore (Crevalle, Horse Mackerel, Jack) - Alewives (Branch, River Herring) - Anchovy - Barracuda - Bass - Black Drum - Black Pomfret (Monchong) - Blue Runner (Hardtail) - Bluebacks (Glut Herrings) - Bluebill Sunfish - Bluefish - Bluegill - Bonitos - Bowfin - Buffalofish - Carp - Chubs (Bloater, Longjaw, Blackfin) - Cod - Common Sucker (Fresh Water Mullet, White Sucker) - Crappie (Black or White Crappies)
Clean Fish
Drum - Flounder (Dab, Gray, Lemon Sole, Summer - Grouper (Black, Nassau, Red, or Yellowfish Grouper, Gag) - Grunt (White / Yellow Grunts) - Gulf Pike (Robalo, Snook, Sergeant) - Haddock - Hake - Halibut - Hardhead - Hardtail (Blue Runner) - Herring (Alewife, Branch, Glut. Lake, River, Sea Herrings)
Kingfish - Long Nose Sucker (Northern or Red Striped Sucker) - Mackerel (Cobia) - Mahimahi (Dorado, Dolphinfish) - Menhaden - Minnow - Mullet - Muskellunge (Jacks) - Orange Roughy - Perch (Bream) - Pig Fish - Pike (Pickerel, Jack) - Pollack (Pollock, Boston Bluefish) - Pompano - Porgy (Scup)
Red Drum (Redfish) - Red Horse Sucker (Redfin) - Red Snapper - Redfish - Robalo (Gulf Pike) - Rockfish - Salmon (Chum, Coho, King, Pink or Red) - Sardine (Pilchard) - Scup (Porgy) - Sea Bass - Sergeant Fish (Gulf Pike) - Shad - Sheepshead - Silver Hake (Whiting) - Silversides - Smelt - Snapper - Snook (Gulf Pike) - Sole - Spanish Mackerel - Steelhead - Striped Bass - Sucker (Red Horse Sucker, Redfin) - Sunfish
Tarpon - Trout (Gray Sea, Lake, Sand Sea, White Sea, Spotted Sea Trouts, Weakfish) - Tuna - Turbot (all except European variety) - Whitefish - Whiting (Silver Hake) - Winter Flounder, Yellow Tail - Yellow Perch
MEATS THAT ARE NOT GOOD TO EAT
Unclean Land Animals
Armadillo - Ass - Badger - Bear - Beaver - Boar - Camel - Cat - Cheetah - Coyote - Dog - Donkey - Elephant - Fox - Gorilla - Groundhog - Hare - Hippopotamus - Horse - Hyena
Jackal - Kangaroo - Leopard - Lion - Llama (alpaca, vicuña) - Mole - Monkey - Mouse - Mule - Muskrat - Onager - Opossum - Panther - Peccary - Pig (hog, bacon, ham, lard, pork) - Porcupine
Rabbit - Raccoon - Rat - Rhinoceros - Skunk - Slug - Snail (escargot) - Squirrel - Tiger - Wallaby - Weasel - Wolf - Wolverine - Worm - Zebra
Unclean Birds
Albatross - Bat - Bittern - Buzzard - Condor - Coot - Cormorant - Crane - Crow - Cuckoo - Eagle - Flamingo - Grebe - Grosbeak - Gull - Hawk - Heron - Kite - Lapwing - Loon - Magpie
Osprey - Ostrich - Owl - Parrot - Pelican - Penguin - Plover - Rail - Raven - Roadrunner- Sandpiper - Seagull - Stork - Swallow - Swift - Vulture - Water Hen - Woodpecker
Unclean Insects
All insects except some in the locust family should not be consumed.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Alligator - Blindworm - Caiman - Crocodile - Frogs - Lizard - Newts - Salamanders - Snakes - Toads - Turtles
Unclean Fish and Marine Animals
Abalone - Bullhead - Catfish - Clam - Crab - Crayfish - Cuttlefish - Dolphin - Eel - European Turbot - Jellyfish - Limpet - Lobsters - Marlin - Mussels
Octopus - Otter - Oysters - Paddlefish - Porpoise - Prawn - Scallop - Seal - Shark - Shrimp - Squid (calamari) - Stickleback - Sturgeon - Swordfish - Walrus - Whale