Vishnupurana 3.11.p10

3.11.p10

"He must not eat with his face directed to my intermediate point of horizon, but facing the east or the north; and with a smiling countenance, happy and attentive, let him take good and wholesome food boiled with clean water, procured from no mean person, nor by improper means nor improperly cooked. Having given a part to his hungry companions he should take food without reproach from a clean, handsome vessels which must not be placed upon a low stool or bed. He must not take his food in an unbecoming place or out of season or in an unsuitable mood, giving the first morsel to fire. His food, O king, must be consecrated with suitable texts, must be good and must not be stale except in the case of fruit or meat. Nor it should be made of dry vegetable substances other than jujubes or preparation of molasses. And a man should never eat that of which the juices have been extracted. Nor a man should so eat as nothing will be left of his meal except in the case of flour, cakes, honey, water, curds and butter. He should with a devoted mind first taste that which has good flavour; in the middle he should take salt and sour things and in the end he should take those which are pungent and bitter. The person, who begins his food with fluid things, takes solid food in the middle and finishes with fluid things, will ever be strong and healthy. In this wise he should take such food as is not prohibited, should be silent at the time of eating and should take five handfuls for the nutriment of the vital principle. After he has taken his food, he should, facing the east or the north, rinse his mouth, and having washed his hands up to the wrist he should again sip water. Then with a satisfied and calm mind he should take his seat, meditate upon his tutelary deity and pray 'May fire excited by air cause this food to digest in the space afforded by the etherial atmosphere, convert this into the earthly elements of this body and give me satisfaction. May this food, when assimilated, contribute to the vigour of the earth, water, fire, and air of my body and afford unmixed satisfaction. May Agasti, Agni and submarine fire bring about the digestion of the food I have taken and may I enjoy happiness consequent thereupon and may my body be freed from all ills. May Vishnu, who is the chief principle of all senses, of all bodies and souls, be propitiated with my faith and may cause such assimilation the food I have eaten as may invigorate my health. Verily Vishnu is the eater, the food and the nourishment, may the food I have taken, through this faith, be digested'.