According to the canons of Christians, it is customary to observe Lent is a way to show Christ true love and humility before him. On such days, a person must control not only food, but also thoughts, and try not to show any negative emotions. The fast lasts forty-eight days.

The first forty days symbolize the worship of the Son of God on a mountain near Jericho. The remaining seven days (Holy Week) remind Christians of the Savior’s last week on earth.

It is worth noting that the rules for observing fasting may be changed due to some medical contraindications for health. Pregnant women, elderly people and children are advised to slightly ease the restrictions.

What can you eat during Lent?

Vegetables and fruits will become indispensable during fasting. Mushrooms and berries are also allowed. But remember, do not overuse these products. It is enough just to satisfy the feeling of hunger. For cooking light snack Dried fruits, nuts and honey are great.

While observing fasting, except on non-strict days, it is not allowed to eat vegetable oil. Therefore, you need to immediately refuse fried foods. It is better to give preference to boiling, stewing and steaming. The food can be varied, but as simple as possible.

Various types of cereals and legumes must also be included in the diet. Porridge, of course, needs to be boiled in water without adding butter. However, they can be combined with vegetables or other delicious products allowed during the fasting period.

During non-strict fasting days, the ban on eating vegetable oil and fish is lifted. Cook the fish however you like, except for frying.

Drink on days strict fasting a lot of liquid: water, teas, fruit drinks, compotes, decoctions. All of them must be prepared without sugar.

Strong alcoholic drinks should be excluded completely. On Saturday and Sunday you can drink some red grape wine (preferably Cahors). All products of animal origin are prohibited during fasting:

• meat;
• salo;
• offal;
• dairy products;
• butter.

It is worth paying attention to the ban on chocolate, various sweets and baked goods, and instant foods.

On the Saturday before Easter, you should completely avoid eating until the evening, i.e. to the first star.

At the end of the fast, you should not return to your normal diet abruptly - you need to gradually introduce animal products into your diet, and not get carried away with salty and sweet foods.

The main rule of fasting is not to overeat. Observing Great Lent not only helps maintain a spiritual connection with God, but also trains willpower and helps restore excellent health. physical fitness and improve the health of the gastrointestinal tract.

Video: nutrition during Lent

That's all today large quantity people decide to fast. This is due to a person’s desire to become closer to God. However, many people mistakenly believe that fasting is just a strict diet designed to pacify the flesh.

They are deeply mistaken, in addition to food restrictions, we must cleanse ourselves spiritually, not use foul language, be kinder to the people around us, and then a piece of God’s grace will definitely descend on us.

Also if you are being followed bad habits, Related excessive consumption alcohol or smoking, then give them up at least for a while.

Practical guide. How to eat during fasting?

During fasting, you should give preference to products of plant origin.

Among them:

• Cereals;
• Fruits;
• Vegetables;
• Mushrooms;
• Nuts.

On certain days you can eat fish and drink small amounts of red wine. However, there are also days when eating food is strictly forbidden - these are Good Friday, preceding the bright holiday of Easter. If a person does not strictly adhere to fasting due to feeling unwell, then on this day you can eat vegetables and fruits, as well as drink water.

In order not to make a mistake and during Lent to eat the food that you can, you need to look into the Church orthodox calendar. According to it, it is prohibited to eat products of animal origin, which include:

• Dairy products (as well as fermented milk);
• Domestic meat and game;
• Eggs.

An exception is made only for nursing mothers, pregnant women, and sick people.

But not only all of the above is undesirable on our table during preparation for Great Easter. Treats such as chips, crackers, rich cakes, sweets and chocolate should also not be included in the daily menu of fasting people.

When depriving yourself of your usual diet, you must take care to support the body with a complete replacement of the foods excluded from the diet. Here are a couple of tips on how to do it correctly.

Since the main ban is on foods containing a lot of protein, it is important to find a worthy replacement animal protein to vegetable protein.

• Fish;
• Beans;
• Mushrooms;
• Legumes;
• Wheat;
• Nuts.

2. Since the meat and liver of animals contains iron in abundance, care must be taken to replenish its reserves and prevent the occurrence of anemia. To do this, you can include in your diet:

• • Buckwheat;
  • Apples;
  • Bananas;
  • Cocoa drink.

If you suffer from iron deficiency, then this may be a reason to eat meat even during fasting.

A couple of recipes for Lenten dishes

Here are a couple of recipes for Lenten dishes that you can treat yourself and your loved ones without fear of breaking church rules.

Lenten food recipe - dumplings with cabbage

Knead the dough in water without eggs. As a filling we use sauerkraut, which should be thoroughly stewed with tomato. After you remove the finished dumplings from the boiling water with a slotted spoon, serve them on the table topped with special frying mixture. It is prepared as follows. Finely chop the onion and sauté it until golden brown in a frying pan, generously sprinkled with vegetable oil.

Recipe from lean products - potatoes baked in jackets

Medium sized potato tubers Wash thoroughly under running water and cut into four parts. Salt and place on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil. Potatoes should be baked at a temperature of 200 degrees. You can tell that the dish is ready by piercing the skin of the potato with a match or toothpick; it should pierce the flesh right through. You can serve potatoes as a separate dish or use them as a side dish for fish.

How to leave a post correctly?

In addition to the fact that you need to fast correctly, you also need to be able to break fast correctly. To do this, we recommend a gradual transition to the consumption of lean food. Without adhering to this rule and on the very first day of the festival, leaning on rich dishes and meat, you can put too much strain on the stomach, pancreas and liver. Try to break your fast slowly and gradually, including new dishes in your menu every day.

We wish you to pass all the trials of Lent with dignity and meet the Easter holiday purified both spiritually and physically!

12/10/2014 18:53

The longest, most important and strictest of the fasts for all Orthodox Christians is Lent Great, the purpose of which is spiritual and physical preparation for the Easter holiday.

The Lord fasted in the desert for 40 days and nights, after which he returned to the disciples in the power of the Spirit. Lent is a reminder of the 40-day fast of the Savior, as well as the introduction of the Orthodox into Holy Week and further into the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

What you need to know about nutrition during Lent?

The essence of Lent - when does Lent begin and how many days does Lent last?

The beginning of the main fast for Christians is seven weeks before Easter. The 48-day fast is divided into certain parts:

• Pentecost. It is 40 days and recalls the days Jesus spent in the desert
• Lazarev Saturday. This day falls on the sixth Saturday of Lent
• Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem . 6th Sunday of Lent
• Holy Week (entire last week)

The time of Great Lent is spiritual and physical components.

Relax your fast It is possible only for the elderly, pregnant, sick and traveling, and only with blessing.

What food can you eat during Lent, and what can you not – when can you eat fish?

What is allowed/prohibited on certain days of Lent?

Fasting days	What is allowed/prohibited?
Solid week (1st week)	A particularly strict week in nutrition. The first 2 days of fasting are the strictest; you can’t eat at all.
Meat Week (2nd week, Maslenitsa)	Meal food is allowed, except for Wed and Fri. Meat is prohibited. In Wed and Fri, eggs and fish, cheese, milk and butter are allowed. Pancakes are traditionally baked
Holy Week (last week)	Particularly strict diet. Only dry food (boiled, fried, stewed, any heat-treated food is prohibited). Raw/semi-raw vegetables are allowed, without the use of salt. You can’t eat at all on Friday and Saturday
On Mon, Wed and Fri - meals once a day	Food is only cold, without oil. Xerophagy. That is, fruits and vegetables within reasonable limits, water, gray/brown bread, compote
On Tue and Thursday – meals 1 time per day	Hot food (mushrooms, cereals, vegetables) without oil is allowed
On Sat and Sun – meals 2 times a day	Food with oil + grape wine is allowed (with the exception of Holy Week) + vegetable oil (if you absolutely cannot do without it)
Feast Days of Saints	Vegetable oil allowed
Holiday Holy Mother of God(as of April 7th)	Allowed fish dishes
Last day before Easter	Fish dishes allowed
Lazarev Saturday	Caviar allowed
Palm Sunday and Annunciation	Fish allowed
Good Friday (before Easter) and Clean Monday (1st day of Lent)	You can't eat anything at all
1st Friday of Lent	Only boiled wheat + honey is allowed

Universal nutrition calendar for Lent

How to correctly create a Lenten menu by day to observe Lent - advice from nutritionists

Lent requires serious restrictions in both food and in the usual way life.
Of course, fasting is beneficial for the body if the menu is compiled correctly.

Key principles of Lent considered: a ban on animal foods (they can be replaced with legumes, beans, nuts), emphasis on vegetables and fruits, a minimum of spices and salt, a maximum of compotes, jelly and decoctions, small portions with a slight feeling of hunger after lunch.

For first courses - pickle pancakes, beetroot pancakes, vegetable soups, cereals.

For the second – vegetable salads, side dishes (porridge, potato dishes, cabbage rolls with vegetables, etc.), berries and jelly for dessert.

Approximate menu for Tuesday/Thursday of Lent

Fast days - hot dishes are allowed, vegetable oil is prohibited.

Don't forget the main thing: the essence of nutrition during fasting is self-restraint. Therefore, you should not get carried away with culinary delights. Binge eating Lenten dishes is also not welcome.

According to church canons, during this period all Orthodox believers must exclude a number of foods from their daily diet and devote themselves to cleansing, repentance and the fight against their own sins. Food restrictions during Lent include a ban on eggs, meat and dairy foods. The Church also calls for giving up entertainment, vanity and bodily pleasures, thinking about God, devoting time to serving others and visiting church.

In Buryatia, everyone joins in fasting every year more people. And although many are frightened by the thought of such a long-term “gastronomic” abstinence, doctors assure that it has a positive effect on human health. The main thing is to know in moderation in everything and combine foods correctly so as not to harm the body. The priests remind: restriction in food is not the goal of fasting, but only a means. This is necessary so that the body does not interfere with the soul’s internal spiritual work. Therefore, fasting should be regarded as a “diet” and an opportunity to lose weight. excess weight not worth it.

The seven weeks of Lent consist of Pentecost - forty days from February 19 to March 30 and Holy Week - the last week before Easter (from April 2 to 7). It is dedicated to the memories of last days earthly life and the death on the cross of Christ.

Holy Week is preceded by Lazarus Saturday (March 31), when the church remembers the miracle of Jesus Christ's resurrection of righteous Lazarus, and Palm Sunday (April 1), the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. These days the fast is weakened.

Prohibited

Those who decide to fast should give up “meat food”, that is, products of animal origin - meat, dairy products, eggs, white bread, partly fish, caviar and vegetable oil. In addition, baked goods, chocolate, candy, fast food and all alcoholic drinks - with the exception of red wine - are taboo. It can be consumed on Saturdays and Sundays throughout Lent, but only in moderate doses.

The main components of the menu during this period are vegetables (fresh, salted or pickled), fruits and dried fruits, mushrooms, herbs, water porridge, soups (without meat), pasta, vegetable salads, black bread, honey, various spices, jelly, tea and kvass.

The first two and last two days of fasting impose the most strict restrictions: Believers are ordered to completely abstain from food. Lay people are encouraged to receive a blessing from their confessor in advance. First and last week(except weekends), as well as all Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from the second to the sixth week inclusive (from February 26 to April 1) - dry eating, when the church allows only cold food (not thermally processed): raw vegetables and fruits, unleavened bread ( without sugar and oil), pickles, pickles, nuts and honey.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays from the second to the sixth week of fasting, you can eat hot food without oil - soups and cereal porridges, boiled potatoes, boiled and stewed hot vegetables. On weekends (Saturday and Sunday), it is allowed to include alcohol in the menu, as well as hot food with butter - fried potatoes, cabbage or carrot cutlets, etc.

On Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday you can eat fish dishes, but on Annunciation you will have to give them up, because in 2018 it falls on Holy Saturday (April 7). On this day, for the sake of the holiday, the canons allow hot food with vegetable oil and wine. On Good (or Great) Friday, April 6, people abstain from food until Friday Vespers, the culminating moment of which is the removal of the shroud from the altar to the middle of the temple, where it remains until Saturday night - the Easter Midnight Office.

Who can not fast?

From a medical point of view, a sharp reduction in protein foods during fasting can lead to loss muscle tissue and weakened immunity. This primarily concerns young children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and people with poor health, as well as those who suffer from anemia, stomach and heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and various inflammations.

Dietary restrictions are also dangerous for people with reduced level hemoglobin. The Church treats such situations with loyalty. To receive a blessing for a “softer” fast, it is enough to come to your confessor and explain the situation to him.

Healthy

According to nutritionists, regular refusal of food of animal origin and an increase in plant foods in the menu during fasting is very beneficial for the body: cholesterol and blood sugar levels decrease, arterial pressure and intestinal microflora, liver and gallbladder function improves. But in order to endure fasting, it is important to approach this issue wisely and not rush to extremes. Otherwise, you may face serious complications.

1. If you decide to fast, consult your doctor: for some diseases, a fasting menu is strictly contraindicated.
2. While fasting, try to eat at least 4-5 times a day. Because in food plant origin Much less calories than meat, it will be much more difficult to get enough. It is advisable that daily calorie content remained at the usual level. For an adult, the norm is 1600-2000 kcal.
3. Follow your diet: it is better to sit down at the table at the same time every day.
4. Include cereals, lentils, beans, peas, nuts, mushrooms and soy products in your daily menu: this will help fill the protein deficiency in the body.
5. Monitor your fluid intake. It’s better if it’s freshly squeezed juices diluted with water, mineral water without gas, green tea, cranberry and lingonberry fruit drinks or homemade compotes. But it’s better to avoid strong coffee or tea: these drinks overload nervous system. Try to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day. By the way, the ideal option for quenching thirst is regular drinking water.
6. Plan your diet: Lent occurs in the spring, when the body already suffers from vitamin deficiency. Therefore, it is important not only to provide it essential vitamins and microelements, but also correctly combine them with each other. Shortage fat-soluble vitamins A, E, K and D can be replenished by taking the appropriate vitamin complexes. Carbohydrates that give the body energy are found in bread, cereals, vegetables and potatoes. Do not forget about sources of iron and calcium - apples, buckwheat, walnuts and oatmeal.
7. You can add natural spices to your food that improve digestion: cardamom, anise, cumin, lemon balm, dill, rosemary, thyme, sage, flax seeds, mint, sesame. In between main meals, satisfy your hunger with nuts, dried fruits or fresh fruits.
8. Do not overuse pickles: this can lead to high blood pressure and exacerbation of various gastrointestinal diseases.
9. On the morning of Easter, you can eat about 200 g of Easter cake, one egg and a small piece of meat. It is recommended to drink a glass of water before starting your meal.
10. Fasting should not harm your health. If you feel unwell during the first week and your health worsens, you should loosen the restrictions (for example, include fish in your diet) or abandon them altogether. The psychological attitude also plays a big role. To make it easier to survive the days of abstinence, get good sleep, walk more fresh air, and to relax, take baths with pine needles or soothing herbs- mint, oregano, valerian or motherwort.

The right way out

During fasting, the body gets used to working in “economy” mode. If you don't comply certain rules, getting out of this state will be quite problematic.

The “transition” period is usually 10-14 days, so you should not immediately after the end of Lent attack fatty and meat food. This is fraught with exacerbation of gastritis or stomach ulcers. The fact is that the body, already accustomed to plant products, worse secretes the enzymes necessary for the breakdown of animal proteins. And abuse fatty foods, cakes and pastries can result in the development of cholecystitis, pancreatitis or excess weight. You need to introduce such products into your daily diet gradually and little by little.

1. To begin with, include in your menu fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and microelements, low-fat dairy products(ryazhenka, cottage cheese, kefir, yoghurt), then whole milk (milk, eggs and cottage cheese) and finally fish dishes. Meat products can be eaten on the fifth or sixth day: it is better if it is chicken, lean pork, veal or steamed cutlets.
2. Eat 5-6 times a day in small portions: this will protect your stomach from overload.
3. As a side dish for meat dishes it is better to use potatoes: they contain simple carbohydrates improve the absorption of animal protein.
4. At first, give up alcoholic drinks and foods " fast food» - sandwiches, sandwiches, crackers, chips and a variety of crackers.

In the photo: vegetable salads in Lenten menu- it’s not only tasty, but also healthy

What foods will help maintain health during fasting and how not to gain weight during fasting?

What can't you eat during Lent?

According to Orthodox traditions, during fasting it is forbidden to eat any products of animal origin.

The large list of products includes: meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy products (sour cream, cottage cheese, kefir, cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.), as well as eggs.

Regarding seafood (shrimp, mussels, squid, oysters, etc.), various denominations have not come to a common agreement. Thus, according to the Greek statute, seafood is equated to mushrooms, since they have plant and animal cells. And you can eat seafood occasionally.

In the photo: Greek regulations equate seafood to mushrooms, so you can occasionally eat seafood

Vegetable oil (sunflower and olive) is allowed only on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

You should also exclude mayonnaise, beloved by many, during fasting.

You cannot drink any alcoholic beverages during fasting.

You should also exclude sweet foods from your diet. White bread, a variety of baked goods from wheat flour and sweets.

What can you eat during Lent?

You can eat any products of plant origin: potatoes, cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, turnips, radishes, beans, mushrooms, nuts, various berries, fruits and dried fruits.

In the photo: salad from sauerkraut, bell pepper, onions and cranberries

In our stores you can also find “Lenten Menu” brands, which were developed with the participation and blessing of the Danilov Patriarchal Monastery.

Not everyone can withstand dietary restrictions throughout the entire period of fasting, especially if you decide to fast for the first time.

Doctors pay attention to this fact: during Lent, some may... gain weight.

It would seem: you deliberately refuse meat and other animal products, but you gain several kg in weight per month.

Reasons for gaining weight during fasting

1. Fast carbohydrates

Reason for completeness in post: a large number of fast carbohydrates.

You feel hungry, which is quite natural, and drink tea with sugar and bagels, eat instant vegetable soups, and snack on white bread with homemade jam. All this leads to the release of insulin, and this hormone is known to synthesize fat and increase appetite.

You feel hungry, consume fast carbohydrates, are hungry again and eat again. The result is excess weight.

2. Don't forget to have breakfast

Be sure to have breakfast. Brew yourself in the morning oatmeal, eat buckwheat, millet, bulgur, egg, couscous, spelt and polenta.

In the photo: what could be better than tasty and boiled buckwheat porridge?

Try making a salad with quinoa - a very fashionable plant today that comes from South America. The Incas called it "golden grain."

Quinoa contains a lot of protein and about 20 amino acids. This plant also contains a lot important microelements: iron, calcium and phosphorus.

Pictured: quinoa and vegetable salad

Even chefs of fashionable restaurants prepare warm vegetable salads and soups with quinoa.

Remember that at breakfast you should eat a third of the daily value.

If you didn't have time to have breakfast, then at lunch and dinner you will eat much more than your body needs.

The norm of calorie consumption for women is no more than 1500 kilocalories, for men engaged in physical labor - 1900 kilocalories.

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161.

3. Frequent snacking

Many people believe that when they feel hungry, they can snack on nuts and dried fruits. Yes, these products are very rich in various microelements, but they are also very high in calories. 100 g of nuts contain on average up to 600 kilocalories.

In the photo: the Lenten menu may include dried fruits and nuts. But remember that this is a high-calorie food, so in order not to gain excess weight, you should not eat them daily

The same applies to oil. Do not generously pour vegetable (olive) oil over all dishes. As doctors note, the rate of oil consumption is no more than 1 tablespoon per day.

4. Food at night

Have dinner at least 4 hours before bedtime. Salad with vegetables and herbs, durum wheat pasta with vegetables, fish or seafood in non-strict days fasting, beets, grain porridge with pumpkin - all this contributes to normal digestion.

And don’t forget about greens: parsley, dill, mint, green onions, arugula, pea pods, spinach help cleanse the body of toxins.

And the lack of fats and proteins can be compensated for with fish oil, which is now available in capsules. You can also buy it in pharmacies fish fat with wheat germ oil, sea buckthorn and rose hips.

In the photo: Omega-3 fish oil with wheat germ, sea buckthorn and rose hip oils