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His bread was made from stone ground barley flour, which has a coarse texture. A sieve was never used to refine the flour therefore large particles of grain often remained which were extracted. As for the quantity of bread, there was never sufficient bread in his household with which to fill his stomach.
Many a night he and his family would go to bed without having eaten because there was no food. It was the custom of the Holy Family to give away their food to those in need, seeking a reward from Allah, the Most High.
He advocated the use of olive oil not only for cooking but for massage. He also used vinegar and would eat the meat of fowl. He ate honey, the meat of goat and lamb with a preference for the meat of a shoulder of lamb.
Amongst the other things he ate were dates. One day the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, found some dates that had fallen on the ground. He told his companions he would have eaten them if he could have been sure they were not originally intended to be given in charity, for it is forbidden that he or his family should eat from charity. He also ate cucumber and water-melon with dates. Dates were also soaked in water to provide a sweet drink, however, they were never left long enough to ferment.
The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, would drink water and milk. Lady Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that he liked a drink that was cold and sweet. When he was given milk he would supplicate saying: "O Allah, grant us blessing in it and increase it for us." He also told his companions that there is nothing that serves both as food and water other than milk.
It was the custom of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, to feed his companions before he, himself ate.
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