Why did Daniel consider the allotment of food and wine to be wrong for him to eat? When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel and took Daniel and other Jewish men into his court, he assigned them food and wine from the king's table.

The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.  Daniel 1:5 NASB

However, Daniel seems to believe it would be wrong for him to eat this, but eating vegetables and water is, somehow, alright.

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.  Daniel 1:8 NASB
“Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Daniel 1:12 NASB

So, what was it about the food and what was it about the wine that made Daniel believe it was inappropriate to eat?
Some possibilities why Daniel refused the King's choice of food.


Unclean animals: According to this source, pork was the choice meat of Babylonians. If this is true, it is certain that Daniel was ready to die by not eating nor touching the food.


  Leviticus 11:7-8 (NIV) And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not
  chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or
  touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Cooking method: According to  this source, ancient Babylonians were very advanced in cooking method unlike the ancient Jews who were eating food with simple recipes prepared in a simple way. The Babylonian food might have upset the stomach of Daniel. Eating food prepared in a way other than what we are used to is not easy.
Offered to idols: Ancient Babylon was highly influenced by idolatry. They were ready to annihilate any group who did not bow down in front of their idols. The three friends of Daniel were also the victim of this. Idol worshipers have the habit of offering their foods to their idols before they eat. This is still in practice today by Hindus as this source says. Daniel was probably suspicious about the source of the food or he saw that it was offered to idols first and refused to eat it. Sacrificing food to idols was also in practice during the first century.


  1 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) But not everyone possesses this knowledge.
  Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat
  sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god,
  and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.



Daniel took a leap of faith towards his diet and God blessed him.