Meal schedule during fasting. What can you eat during Lent? Sample menu for strict fasting days

How you should eat and what you can eat during Lent is very important point, as spring begins and the body is reconstructed to new conditions. At such moments, he needs vitamins, so recipes for dishes that will be served during fasting must be carefully selected.

Pros and cons of fasting

The most important disadvantage is that it is forbidden to consume meat, fat, fish, chicken and quail eggs, milk, cottage cheese, butter and so on. It is these products that can supply our body with useful substances and vitamins. In addition, along with fish, vitamin D enters the body, which makes our bones stronger. Of course, during fasting a person receives much less calcium, but it can be easily replenished.

Fasting eliminates the possibility of consuming protein, so certain time a person is deprived of tryptophan and some amino acids. This can affect mood, immunity and activity.

It is not necessary to strictly observe fasting; this is the privilege of the ministers of the Church; for others, it is enough for others to adhere to less strict rules for a certain time, because spiritual cleansing comes first.

Of course, there are also advantages, the diet helps cleanse the body of toxins, this is a reason to diversify your diet natural products. Eating vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, various cereals, berries, honey is encouraged; all this is very useful for humans, especially for those who live in big cities. Plant food rich in potassium, vitamin C, B, practically free of cholesterol and fat, which is why it is so necessary for residents of megacities who are accustomed to eating fried and baked foods.

What foods to include in your diet during Lent

Since any source of protein is excluded from the diet, it can be replaced. Now there are many substitute products in stores, such as soy milk, meat, yoghurt. In addition, you can eat beans, nuts, and various cereals; they are capable of short terms replenish protein deficiency in the body.
The most important foods that help replenish energy are porridge with water and potatoes. Every housewife should have recipes for lean porridges, because they are very healthy and easy to prepare.
Vegetable oils are no less important. They can be added to any dishes or salads.
During fasting, you are allowed to eat fruits and vegetables, so you can safely consume 500 grams at least every day.
In order for the mood to always be at its best and to avoid spring depression, excellent option Breakfast will be boiled brown rice with fruit, lentils or bananas.
Spare no expense and go to the pharmacy for a vitamin-mineral complex. It will help strengthen health and immunity.
And of course, we can’t forget about water. Daily use several glasses clean water will help avoid digestive problems that may arise during Lent.
The range of permitted sweets will be much smaller than usual. You can limit yourself to nuts, dried fruits and honey.
It is better to have recipes for the first and second on hand, since you will need to eat at least 4 times a day. It is important to chew food thoroughly and reduce portions slightly. This way we can monitor our figure while dieting.
If you don't like some certain products that are allowed during fasting, then you should not force yourself.
After the fast has ended, you need to be as careful as possible when consuming meat, fish, dairy and fermented milk products, since the body has already become accustomed to it. You need to approach your usual diet more carefully. It is important to remember that for children, the elderly and people with digestive problems it will be very difficult to start fasting, so the diet can be slightly simplified. Now we will look at the recipes various dishes, which will become the main decoration of the table during Lent.

The most important thing on the table is the first course, so you need to prepare it according to all the rules, observing the nuances.

Ingredients:

290 gr. homemade sauerkraut
240 gr. fresh mushrooms
some black peppercorns
90 gr. fresh carrots
90 gr. fresh onion
20 ml. tomato paste
bay leaf
greens to taste
salt, seasonings if desired
290 gr. young potatoes

Preparation:

Can be used vegetable broth or water, also prepare the base on a cube, it all depends on taste preferences.
Wash the potatoes, peel and cut into not very thick strips. Transfer it to boiling, salted water.
While the potatoes are boiling, chop the onion and carrots and lightly fry them vegetable oil until delicious, golden brown.
Chop the mushrooms, you can leave them in large pieces if desired, and send them for frying. After a few minutes, add the cabbage, after squeezing out the liquid from it.
When the vegetables and mushrooms are cooked, transfer them with a small amount of high-quality tomato paste to the broth with potatoes and cook until full readiness cabbage soup
If desired, you can add spices, bay leaf, black ground pepper to taste.

Of course, the preparation of this dish has its own nuances. Mushrooms are known to have a richer flavor when added to soup in their dried form, so don’t be afraid to substitute fresh mushrooms. The cooking process will also change a little: before you put them in the broth, you need to pour warm water for a few hours until they soften slightly.

Meals during fasting - no less important aspect, than spiritual cleansing, therefore, this needs to be given a lot of time and attention.

Solyanka Lenten

Recipes for dishes that can be eaten during Lent can be found on the Internet, but in this article we have collected the most delicious and simple dishes.

Ingredients:

180 gr. pickled cucumbers
180 gr. fresh tomatoes
10 gr. flour
60 gr. black olives
90 gr. white onion
90 gr. fresh carrots
180 gr. fresh or dried mushrooms
salt, black pepper to taste
greens if desired

Preparation:

Put the broth on the fire, add salt and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Cut the pickled cucumbers into strips, preferably thin, but so that they hold their shape and do not fall apart.
Finely chop the onion, grate the carrots and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
Soak the mushrooms first, if using dried ones, then add them to the vegetables and fry for about 5-10 minutes.
Add chopped pickled cucumbers to the frying pan and simmer a little, then add to the broth along with the olives cut into rings.
Pour a little flour into a dry frying pan and heat it until soft, creamy and the appearance of a lung nutty aroma, then sift and pour into hodgepodge, cook for another 10 minutes until fully cooked. If desired, add black pepper, herbs and seasonings.

Having considered the soups that can be consumed during Lent, you can move on to the main courses. It is in the first week that it is especially difficult for those on a diet, because the body is not accustomed to being deprived of meat or dairy products, so it is important to take a thorough approach to nutrition during fasting and try to prepare food that will be rich in vitamins and nutrients.

Carrots with honey

Surely, this combination will seem strange to you, but in fact, carrots baked with honey are very delicious dish, especially if you prepare it correctly.

Ingredients:

690 gr. fresh carrots
290 ml. natural orange juice (can be replaced with store-bought)
30 ml. natural honey
50 gr. leek
1 clove of garlic
a little spice to taste
carnation
salt, sugar, ground black pepper

Preparation:

Peel the carrots and cook until done or half done in salted water. Cool, cut into not very thin rings.
Prepare the sauce by mixing honey, Orange juice and finely grated garlic.
Chop the leek into thin strips and add to the sauce. You can also send chopped herbs and spices there to taste.
Pour the prepared mixture over the carrots, mix thoroughly and transfer to a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the dish for 20 minutes until fully cooked.

It must be said right away that carrots with honey are a rather unusual dish, so only lovers of such exquisite combinations will like it, but it is definitely worth the effort and time spent. If you like to bake vegetables in a sleeve, then you can slightly change the cooking method and thereby save time. In this case, you won’t have to cook the carrots, you just need to chop them, mix them with the sauce and bake them in a sleeve.

You can also find recipes on the Internet for cooking carrots in a slow cooker; this will be needed if you have digestive problems. This method will help preserve more vitamins and useful substances in the product. Of course, recipes for main courses during Lent are very important, but it’s time to move on to desserts. The list of sweets will be much smaller, because the products from which the dessert will be made can be counted on one hand, but if you show your imagination, you can pleasantly surprise your family and guests.

This dessert is worthy of attention; do not hesitate to prepare it during Lent.

Ingredients:

handful of hazelnuts
75 gr. dried apricots
75 gr. prunes
75 gr. any dried fruits
sugar if desired
water if necessary

Preparation:

Cut prunes and dried apricots into thin strips and add a small amount warm water, mix, add granulated sugar if desired and leave to soak.
Heat a frying pan and lightly fry the nuts, then remove the skins.
Place the prunes, dried apricots and dried fruits into the bowl of a blender and grind.
Divide the mass into as many pieces as there are nuts, then press each nut into the mass and give the candy a neat, round shape.

Of course, recipes can be changed at your discretion, you can add fruits, berries, it all depends only on your imagination. Instead of hazelnuts, you can use almonds, ordinary peanuts or cashews, but they must be roasted first so that you can easily remove the skin later.

Recipes for making classic apple strudel usually include butter and eggs, but all this is missing, so you can safely call this dish lean and eat it during Lent.

Ingredients:

380 gr. wheat flour
140 ml. water
a little olive oil
a little vinegar
4 medium apples
60 gr. raisins
some walnuts
some almonds
1 banana
cinnamon
some cranberries if desired

Preparation:

Stir water, salt and vinegar. Sift the flour through a sieve several times, then add it to the water, knead the dough, pouring in little by little olive oil.
The dough should be left for some time while the remaining ingredients are prepared. Peel the apples and cut into pieces.
Grind the nuts, rinse the raisins thoroughly, mix everything in one container, add cinnamon.
Roll out the dough very thin layer, lay out the filling and pinch the edges. Bake until fully cooked.
While the strudel is in the oven, you need to prepare the syrup.
Mix cranberries with banana, if desired, you can add any sweet syrup to taste, transfer the mixture to a blender and grind until smooth.
Place the saucepan on the fire along with the syrup, bring it to a boil, after which you can serve it with strudel.

It is very important that there are no seeds or any lumps in the sweet syrup, so before serving, you need to rub it through a sieve several times. In addition, instead of cranberries or bananas, you can use any other fruits and berries, in any case it will turn out very tasty.

All these recipes are great for Lent; the dishes will delight your family and friends.

Fasting is abstinence from certain types of food in order to reunite with God, therefore at such a time it is assumed not only to limit food, but also to renounce external impressions and pleasures.

Proper nutrition during fasting: essence and features ^

The essence of fasting is to abstain from everything that can bring pleasure: festivities, festive gatherings and, of course, certain foods. When people are just getting ready to fast, they are often interested in the question: what can’t be eaten during fasting?

First of all, under strict ban are proteins of animal origin, which are found in meat and meat products, fish, poultry, eggs.
You should not consume cheeses, sour cream, kefir, yogurt and other dairy products, as well as milk chocolate, pasta, white bread and alcohol.

In fact, nutrition on fasting days completely excludes any protein food, however, not strict days It is allowed to eat fish and vegetable oils, which contain mainly fats.

Now let’s learn more about what you can eat during Lent:

Any vegetables and fruits;
Legumes;
Porridge;
Confectionery and bakery products, prepared without eggs and dairy products;
Nuts;

Nutrition rules during fasting

It’s not enough to just find out what you can eat during Lent; it’s also important to follow some food rules:

You cannot overeat, even if it is permitted foods, otherwise the whole essence of fasting is lost;
It is necessary to give up all carnal pleasures, because... spiritual limitations are of great importance;
The most stringent are the first and last weeks Great Orthodox Lent, when you can eat crackers, kutya, and drink water. On the first day - only water.

What you can and cannot eat: sample menu ^

What is possible during a strict fast?

The Great Fast is considered the strictest: its duration is 40 days, during which a person must refrain from watching entertainment programs and attending such events, and also comply with the following rules:

On the first day of fasting and on Friday, any food is prohibited;
In the first and last week you can eat vegetables, fruits and bread, and drink water;
The rest of the time you are allowed to eat honey, nuts, marmalade and any food plant origin.

Fasting on Wednesday and Friday: what you can eat

Many people prefer to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year: on these days, small indulgences in food are allowed if they do not fall during other fasts.

What you can eat during fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays:

Fish;
Vegetable oils;
Fruits and vegetables.

Is it possible to eat sugar during fasting?

Despite the fact that sugar contains albumin, its use during Lent is not prohibited by the church. What other sweets are allowed:

Bitter (dark) chocolate is one that does not contain milk and is filled with prohibited ingredients. Many goodies are made based on dark chocolate - including almonds. chocolate glaze, and paste using soy milk, and glazed cookies;
Dried fruits - all without exception. The abundance of offers can satisfy any gastronomic taste. Want even sweeter? Prunes in dark chocolate - for real gourmets;
Kozinaki are any nuts pressed using molasses, sugar or honey. Homemade kozinaki should be prepared without butter;
Marmalade, marshmallows, marshmallows, pectin jelly. Gelatin is made from animal collagen, which is found in bones, cartilage, tendons, and pectin is of plant origin. The most popular pectin is apple pectin;
Honey is considered to be a lean product, because it is a product produced by insects and does not contain animal proteins or fats. For some, honey becomes the only consolation in this difficult time of spiritual and physical restrictions.

When can you eat fish during Lent?

Fish is on the list forbidden foods, except in the following cases:

Petrov fast: Tuesday, Thursday and weekends;
Dormition Fast: only on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord;
Nativity fast: on weekends, i.e. on Saturday and Sunday;
Lent: for the feast of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God and on Palm Sunday.

Is it possible to eat vegetable oil during fasting?

Vegetable oil is one of the main products included in the list of permitted products: it is added to prepare vegetable dishes, mushrooms and baked goods. There are only a few days when it is prohibited:

Monday: dry eating is observed in honor of angelic powers;
Wednesday: in memory of the betrayal of the Savior;
Friday: as a sign of sorrow over the crucifixion of Christ.

Is it possible to eat honey during fasting?

Honey is not a plant product, but the modern church allows it for consumption. Only Old Believers and some monks are against this, but in most cases clergy do not exclude it from their diet. Which honey is better to choose:

Buckwheat: contains many amino acids and vitamins;
Acacia or linden.

Is it possible to eat bread during Lent?

During fasting, use of this product allowed only if it does not contain vegetable oils, eggs and milk.
In this case, white bread and any other varieties of it are prohibited if ingredients included in the list of restrictions were used in their preparation.

Is it possible to eat sweets during Lent?

Sweets are allowed during fasting, but they should be eaten in moderation.
Lean chocolate, candied fruits, dried fruits, chocolate-covered nuts, caramel, lollipops, and chocolate roast are allowed for consumption.

Orthodox fasting: how to eat for the laity

The calendar of proper nutrition during Lent looks like this:

Good Friday: nothing can be eaten until the shroud is taken out;
Lazarus Saturday: you can eat some fish caviar;
Palm Sunday: fish is allowed to be added to caviar;
Annunciation: all permitted products, as well as fish.

Sample menu on strict days of fasting:

We have breakfast with tea with a slice of black bread, eat a portion of porridge;
We have lunch with vegetable salad and lean soup;
For an afternoon snack we drink compote and eat fruit;
We have dinner with stewed vegetables.

What role does nutrition play during fasting?

According to church clergy, observing all food prohibitions during fasting is secondary: first of all, a person needs to cleanse himself spiritually and try to find the path to God.

That is why you need to fast not for the sake of fashion trends or the cleansing of the body that occurs thanks to fasting, but in order to receive spiritual enlightenment. Without true faith in God and keeping the Commandments, the whole essence of fasting is lost.

Eastern horoscope for March 2019

The decision to fast requires special attention to the diet. How to stay within the restrictions and prohibitions of this period and not harm your health?

How to fast correctly? Caring for the health of the spirit should not go to extremes that harm the health of the body, doctors are sure. If we ignore the religious component of fasting, then we, in fact, have something in between a low-protein diet, a raw food diet and pescetarianism - a type vegetarianism permitting the consumption of fish.

Who is allowed such a diet, even temporary? How not to turn nutrition during Lent into an unbalanced diet and make it harmonious from the point of view of those arriving nutrients, vitamins and microelements? Let's listen to the recommendations of doctors.

How is this post useful?

The temporary absence of animal proteins in the diet or their replacement with plant “analogs” normalizes the rate of metabolic processes in the body and facilitates the cleansing of the body from toxins - metabolic waste. This helps to improve well-being and tone, and prolong life.

A lean “diet” is especially useful for chronic cholecystitis or pancreatitis - only, of course, if you have these diseases, it is better to coordinate your decision to fast with your doctor.

Who should not fast?

Serious restrictions in the usual diet are not recommended:

pregnant and lactating women;
children;
patients with various chronic diseases (peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum, diabetes mellitus, chronic gastritis);
elderly people;
people with poor health (for example, postoperative period or after a severe infectious disease).

Lenten menu: what is prohibited?

During Lent, the blacklist includes meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, baked goods made from white flour, coffee, and alcohol. Vegetable oil, lean fish, fish roe and seafood are allowed with restrictions.

Excluding animal products from the diet can cause a lack of iron, zinc, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin D, and amino acids. This, in turn, is dangerous for the development of vitamin deficiency, anemia, decreased immunity, deterioration of hair and nails, general weakness and even depression. How to minimize possible negative consequences diet changes during Lent?

Rules for healthy fasting

Fractional meals
Strict church rules of fasting require one or two meals a day. However, it will be much more comfortable for your body to switch to a new diet if you maintain your usual four or five daily meals.

Beware, raw food diet!
You can't just eat raw foods, so as not to cause digestive problems, although fasting imposes restrictions on cooked food. Vegetables can not only be boiled, but also baked, steamed, stewed, salted, fermented, adding variety to your diet.

How to replace animal proteins?
Proteins are also found in products of plant origin: soy and its derivatives (for example, soy meat or cottage cheese - tofu), lentils, peas, beans, peanuts, pine nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews. There are a lot of proteins in dried porcini mushrooms and boletus mushrooms. Rye, bran, cereal bread coarse richer in protein and B vitamins than white bread from wheat flour fine grinding.
Lenten dishes made from vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and grains will help fill the temporary deficiency of animal protein.

How to replace animal fats?
Vegetable fats, including vital unsaturated fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, which are not synthesized by the body and must be supplied with food, are abundant in avocados, pine and walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, various cereals (it is better to cook porridge not from flakes, but from whole grains). Besides sunflower oil worth including in Lenten menu olive, linseed, mustard, cedar and other types of vegetable oils.

How to compensate for calcium deficiency?
Your diet during fasting must include legumes, seeds, nuts, green vegetables and fresh herbs. This means that every day you should have soybeans, beans, sesame seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, basil, parsley, savoy and white cabbage, watercress and other types on your plate. lettuce. Also a source of calcium drinking water: depending on its degree of hardness it contains from 10% to 30% daily norm of this macronutrient.

How to replenish iron deficiency?
Buckwheat, yeast, and rye bread, white and red cabbage, bitter (dark) chocolate.

How to deal with loss of strength?
Fast days are often not easy for metropolitan residents. To avoid rapid fatigue, drowsiness, and irritability, start your day with a hearty breakfast.
Be sure to include bananas, dates, peanuts, fresh herbs, buckwheat, brown rice, and lentils in your diet. These foods are rich in iron and contain the amino acid tryptophan, without which the body cannot produce serotonin, the hormone of joy.
Complex carbohydrates, which are abundant in porridges, pasta made from unrefined flour, potatoes, sprouted wheat grains - good source energy and vigor for the whole day.

Note for those with a sweet tooth
Allowed Lenten delicacies are marmalade, halva, kozinaki, dark chocolate without fillers, honey, dried fruits, baked goods without eggs, milk and butter.

If you decide to fast, consult your doctor, no
Do you have any contraindications for health reasons? If the doctor approves your
solution, consult with him also which vitamin-mineral complex
suits you and take it for the recommended period.

Lenten table recipes

Salad and appetizer recipes

Caramelized Brussels sprouts salad with strawberries

Soup Recipes

Recipes for main dishes and side dishes

Breakfast Recipes

The products that are prohibited from being eaten during fasting are all products for the production of which raw materials of animal origin were used. First of all, the ban applies to meat and any meat products, as well as poultry and eggs. Milk and everything connected with it are prohibited: butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, fermented milk products and drinks, cheeses. During fasting it is forbidden to eat pasta, white and butter bread, cakes, cookies, waffles and any baked goods that contain butter, eggs and milk. Don’t forget, there is also mayonnaise, because eggs are also used to prepare it.

Some foods, such as fish and vegetable oil, can only be eaten on those days of fasting that are considered non-strict, although vegetable oil does not have animal origin. The ban also applies to chocolate and fast food, which are high in fat. During fasting, you should not drink alcoholic beverages, including beer.

Post by day of the week

On some days of the week, fasting may be more strict, and on some days, including those falling on Sunday, some relaxations may be allowed. So, Monday, Wednesday and Friday are days of strict fasting and dry eating. On these days, you can only eat foods that have not been subjected to heat treatment; adding vegetable oil is also excluded. On days of strict fasting, you can only eat black bread, vegetables and fruits, washing them down with water or unsweetened compote. If you are making salads these days, you can only use lemon juice mixed with a little honey for dressing.

You should not go hungry while fasting, especially if you have not denied yourself food before. This is fraught with problems with bile secretion and erosive processes in the gastrointestinal tract.

Hot dishes can be eaten on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on these days it is prohibited to add oil to them. But Saturday is the day of relaxation, when you can finally fry fish or vegetables in vegetable oil and add it to salads.

Proper nutrition during fasting

And during fasting, your diet can be healthy. Absent from the diet animal protein replace with products that contain plant-based proteins. First of all, these are mushrooms and legumes: lentils, peas, chickpeas. The missing fats are found in nuts, and iron in apples, buckwheat, and bananas.

Remember that while observing religious fasts, you should not immediately fall into the sin of gluttony upon completion; this is harmful not only to the soul, but also to health.

Mayonnaise, which contains both butter and eggs, is not allowed as a sauce, so it is best to season salads with soy sauce or lemon juice.

It is prohibited to consume any alcohol, despite the fact that natural recipes it must have a vegetable character. This is due to the fact that fasting is primarily a cleansing of the soul, and not, and alcohol for a person is an excess, not a necessity.

Please note

The exception regarding fish concerns only Palm Sunday and the Annunciation. Fish is allowed on these days.

The diet of a nursing mother should be complete and include foods with high content vitamins and microelements vital for a newborn baby. However there is a whole series restrictions in the mother’s diet, since not all foods will benefit her and her newborn baby.

Reasons for refusal

When breastfeeding, mothers should follow special diet, recommended by pediatricians and based on many years of experience of previous generations. Otherwise it may affect the child. Excessive use eating some foods is dangerous allergic dermatitis, popularly called diathesis, infant colic and increased gas formation, and also feeling unwell and often the mother herself.

Most strict dietary restrictions apply to the first month of a child’s life. Over time, new products can be gradually introduced.

First of all, keep in mind that each baby has his own individual reaction on foods in the diet. What is well tolerated by one will cause problems for another.

Dairy and fermented milk products

One of the most common pieces of advice that women who have recently given birth hear is to be sure to drink cow's milk. No less often, in order to increase lactation, it is advised to drink several cups of black tea with condensed milk every day.

If you like to drink tea with herbs, you should not get carried away with sage, it reduces lactation.

Maybe these drinks really count breast milk and make it taste sweeter. The pitfall is that quite large percentage in the first months after birth they do not tolerate protein well cow's milk. This is biologically determined and is not a disease. If you notice your baby has rashes on the face and body, a yellow seborrheic crust on the head or other allergy symptoms, reduce the amount of milk consumed. Fermented milk products, cottage cheese, sour cream are considered more acceptable in the mother’s diet.

Confectionery

All sorts of sweets like cakes, sweets, pastries, etc. should also be limited, ideally completely excluded from the diet. Confectionery very often contain harmful transgenic fats, margarine and artificial additives. In general, try to reduce the amount of food with chemical colors and preservatives and eat natural foods.

A pediatric nutritionist or breastfeeding specialist will help clarify the situation regarding the effect of foods on a particular child.

Products that cause allergies

The nursing diet should be hypoallergenic. Allergies are often caused by products containing cocoa beans (cocoa, chocolate, candies). Use large quantity eggs, nuts, honey, canned food, citrus fruits and berries can cause allergic reaction. It should also not be abused fresh vegetables and fruits, especially if you often have digestive problems.

Avoid drinking too much carbonated drinks and coffee.

Alcohol abuse during lactation

The most important rule that a nursing woman must follow unquestioningly is an absolute exception. alcoholic drinks! Drinking alcohol in 100% of cases affects the composition and quality of breast milk; alcohol enters the child’s body and can affect its motor development.

Medicines and breastfeeding

Majority medicines are also prohibited. Before taking any pill, read the instructions carefully. In the vast majority of cases, the lactation period is included. If you are sick, it is best not to risk it, go to see a doctor and get advice about taking certain medications in your chest.

Video on the topic

Sources:

Products prohibited during breastfeeding

Lent requires special nutrition; certain foods should be absent from the diet. This time is intended for good deeds, prayers, searching for measures to become better, and comprehensive cleansing of the soul and body. The beginning of Lent is a chance for spiritual improvement and rest from animal food.

The right approach to fasting

We welcome Lent in 2018 with joy and special inspiration. This good chance improve your spiritual life and learn to eat right. A daily menu with recommendations will help with this; it is given below. From February 28 to April 15 are the days when Lent will take place. Some dietary restrictions should not be taken as priority task. The spiritual part of fasting is mainly aimed at working on oneself, caring for loved ones, abstaining from judgment, anger, lies, envy and evil deeds, and the food component is insignificant.

You should not restrict yourself in food, practice diets and fasts if you are unhealthy, travel a lot, are weakened, work hard, live in an unfavorable or cold geographical area, are breastfeeding a child or are pregnant. You are allowed to eat everything according to the doctors' recommendations and your needs. Children should also not be forced to lean nutrition, they can abstain from some food only if they themselves strive for this and fully understand the meaning of fasting. As an option, you can try to plan the children's fast before Easter so that the meals are without desserts, sweets and harmful products, it contained less heavy food. This is also a good way to cleanse.

It should also be said about how long Lent lasts, the total number of days in it is 48. Correct preparation consists of gradually lightening your diet, learning to analyze your diet more deeply. inner world and learn more about Orthodox culture. Let's try to implement this ancient tradition into our lives. Despite the fact that the essence of fasting is not a diet, the question of correct and varied diet still relevant. Every person who accepts Orthodoxy as their worldview and way of life and undergoes the rite of baptism consciously must understand the topic of fasting. One of best calendars nutrition is presented in this article specifically for your convenience.

Monastic Lenten menu for every day

What foods can you eat during Lent according to the regulations of most Orthodox monasteries:

different types of vegetables (including pickled and salted vegetables, sauerkraut);
seasonal fruits;
mushrooms;
the whole range of dried fruits;
cereal porridges cooked in water;
different varieties of nuts;
compote based on dried fruits;
natural kvass;
homemade jelly.

What not to eat during Lent:

meat products;
dairy products;
eggs;
bakery;
all alcoholic drinks;
candies;
fish;
mayonnaise;
white bread.

Food during fasting by day of the week:

Monday is a day of dry eating (vegetable and fruit dishes, water, bread, compote);
Tuesday - hot dishes without oils (stewed vegetable dishes, porridge with water, first courses, for example, rassolnik soup);
Wednesday - day of dry eating (vegetable and fruit dishes, water, bread, compote);
Thursday - hot dishes without oils (stewed vegetable dishes, porridge with water, first courses, for example, rassolnik soup);
Friday - dry eating (vegetable and fruit dishes, water, bread, compote);
Saturday - dishes seasoned with oil ( vegetable salads, stewed vegetable dishes, first courses);
Sunday - foods with oils (stewed vegetable dishes, vegetable salads and soups).

There are special days during Lent:

Clean Monday (in the first week) - fasting;
2, 3, 4, 5 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) days of fasting - eating bread and water;
The middle cross environment is the consumption of natural wines;
Day 40 of the Holy Martyrs - food with vegetable oil and wine;
holiday Palm Sunday - fish dishes, caviar, wine, vegetable oil.

Meals on Holy Week(final week):

Maundy Monday, Maundy Tuesday, Maundy Wednesday - a ban on processed foods, raw food days;
Maundy Thursday - dishes with vegetable oil, wine;
Good Friday - fasting;
Holy Saturday - fasting or minimal nutrition olives, bread, dried fruits;
Easter holiday - on this day all Lenten restrictions are lifted, you can eat any food.

It should be noted that monastics do not eat meat even outside of fasting, but nevertheless, monasteries provide good food and their diet is rich in nutrients.

Now you have an idea of what foods you can eat during fasting and when you should fast. In fact, there is nothing complicated in planning a diet; for daily nutrition control, you can buy a special calendar, which contains many monastic recipes. We urge you to take the food of Lent seriously and be sure to combine it with spiritual improvement, otherwise there is no need to fast.

List of nutritious Lenten foods for the laity

Here best products nutrition that fits into the framework of Lent and supplies the body with a lot valuable substances to maintain health, vigor and good mood:

different types of table vinegars;
edible seaweed;
lean bread (lavash or other bread products with a neutral composition);
tomato paste and ketchup;
lean mayonnaise;
adjika and many other sauces;
all types of nuts;
all types of seeds;
pasta and flour products without unnecessary ingredients;
dried fruits;
all types of cereals ( good option- porridge with dried fruits);
mushrooms;
legumes (for example, lentils, peas, beans);
fish and caviar (as well as shrimp, squid, all this is possible on certain days according to the calendar);
seasonal and exotic fruits(the more variety of fruits, the better);
seasonal vegetables (you can cook a lot of vegetables from healthy dishes, eat them pickled, salted, for example, cabbage, beets, carrots, celery);
homemade sweets (fruit and berry preserves, jam);
lean chocolate;
milk (coconut, soy and other types);
drinks (decoctions and infusions of herbs, teas, coffee, jelly, compote, juices, fruit drinks);
soy yogurt and cheese;
lean marshmallows;
marmalade;
berries;
Turkish Delight;
halva and kozinaki;
sugar and candy;
dishes Korean cuisine(salads).

When does the Great One begin? Orthodox fast, there is no need to suddenly change your diet and fast for a long time. As you already understand, by abstaining from all meat and dairy foods during Lent, lay people do not need to torture themselves and greatly limit themselves. On the contrary, variety and lightness should reign in the home kitchen of Lent. Strict restrictions are intended for highly spiritual persons performing a feat.

this time is intended for good deeds, prayers, searching for measures to become better, comprehensive cleansing of the soul and body, acceptance light food, rest from animal products

How to keep an Orthodox fast?

Fasting in the monastery and in the world

We figured out what you can eat during Lent and what to abstain from, and how to properly distribute your diet over the days. You understand that monastic food is significantly different from secular food, since the monastery has a special charter and the most serious restrictions on food. We are ordinary people, strict fast not for us, we can comply fast days at your own discretion, because everyone’s capabilities are different. Thus, by eating right, you will be able to maintain and increase your health.

Leaving the post

It is important not only to start Lent correctly, but also to complete it with dignity. Everyone asks when they can eat after fasting. Usually all Orthodox Christians begin to normal nutrition at the onset of Easter. Ideally, after the Liturgy there is a rich meal. It is important not to overeat, but to switch to your usual diet gradually. Having completed your fast, you need to go to the Easter service. Before receiving communion, Orthodox Christians experience special religious feelings, and after this sacrament they are overcome with enormous, indescribable joy, compensating for all the efforts made earlier.

You will be interested Lenten recipes, we will describe them below.

Recipes for meatless dishes without animal ingredients

Lenten first course - tomato soup

Components:

water - liter;
chopped tomatoes - 450 grams and tomato paste - 4 tablespoons;
canned white beans - 420 grams;
onions - 1-2 pieces;
olive oil - 2 large spoons;
chili pepper - a quarter of a small spoon;
garlic - 2 cloves;
wine vinegar - 1-2 large spoons;
Provençal herbs - 2 small spoons;
sugar - 1-2 large spoons, as much pepper and salt as you like;
for croutons - ciabatta or baguette, salt, garlic - 3 cloves, olive oil - 3 large spoons.

In the oil heated at the bottom of the pan, saute the onion for about 5 minutes, add pepper, garlic, fry for a couple of minutes, add tomato paste, fry for another minute. Next, add herbs and tomatoes, then pour in water and wait until it boils. Add the beans, draining the water from them, after cooking for a quarter of an hour, add black pepper, salt, sugar, vinegar. Cook covered for 10 minutes. Cook croutons with garlic in the oven - fry the bread in butter with garlic.

Lenten second course - stewed cabbage and mushrooms

Components:

cabbage - up to 1 kg;
champignons - 400 grams;
vegetable oil - about 3 large spoons;
salt, pepper, lemon juice - 2 small spoons.

Chop the cabbage and mushrooms as desired and heat the oil in a frying pan. First, the mushrooms are fried, then cabbage is added to them. After pouring a small amount of water, simmer the dish under the lid until the food softens. If necessary, add water. Cooking time ripe white cabbage- about an hour, if it is Chinese or young cabbage - 20 minutes is enough. Season the finished dish with pepper, salt, lemon juice, leave on the fire without a lid for 3 minutes to evaporate the moisture.

Second courses for fasting can be prepared quickly and tasty on those days when it is necessary, and with correct selection products will not create the impression of an inferior diet.

Lenten salad

Components:

carrots - 2 pieces;
tomatoes - 2 pieces;
cucumber - 1 piece;
apple - 1 piece;
onion - 1 piece;
lemon - half;
vegetable oil - a large spoon;
herbs, salt, sugar.

Grate the carrots with a Korean or simple grater. We cut onions, tomatoes, cucumber. Chop the greens, cut the apple, removing the skin. Butter, salt and sugar, squeezed lemon juice - make a dressing from these products, mix everything.

Lenten cookies

Components:

water - 200 ml;
flour - up to 400 grams;
baking powder - half a small spoon;
salt, sugar, nuts, dried basil or other herbs;
vegetable oil - 70 ml.

Pour oil into water. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, gradually combine the liquid with the dry component. Keep the resulting dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. From a layer of dough with a thickness of 2 to 4 mm, make any shape - round, diamond-shaped, square, triangular. To make the cookies sweet, dip them in sugar with chopped dried fruits and nuts. For salted cookies, use basil and salt. Bake the cookies, pierced with a fork, in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes at 200 degrees.

Oatmeal cutlets

Components:

oatmeal - a glass;
onion - 1 piece;
potatoes - 1 piece;
carrot - 1 piece;
spices, garlic and herbs.

Lenten cutlets are easy to prepare. Leave the flakes in for about 20 minutes hot water. Grate the onions, potatoes, carrots, crush the garlic with a garlic press, chop the greens. Mix vegetables, garlic gruel and herbs with oatmeal, add salt and pepper (you can add any spices). Using a spoon, fry the cutlets on both sides. We also recommend including mushrooms in this recipe and eggs on non-fasting days.

Lenten nutrition is unthinkable without potato dishes and pureed soups. For lunch you can cook hearty cabbage soup, for dinner you can serve pancakes, pilaf, pancakes without animal ingredients. To make your dishes more interesting, you can make lean mayonnaise or various sauces. For a holiday feeling ordinary days best solution- Lenten cake or Lenten pizza.

So, we talked about all the generally accepted features of the diet and preparation Lenten dishes. Let there always be light, healthy, tasty lean food on your tables. Don’t forget to attend church services, come to church not only with your troubles and problems, but at any time. free time. It is not difficult for Christians to observe Lent, the main thing is to properly tune in to it.