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What to eat during strict fasting. Lenten products: what and where to buy for fasting

What foods can you eat on the fasting list?

  1. Baking can be done on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday with the addition sunflower oil except the first week of Lent and the last Holy Week. You can do it on other days without adding sunflower oil. The composition may contain fruits, dried fruits, nuts, vegetables, flour, water, yeast, sugar, honey, mushrooms. Simply put, everything is plant-based.
    Very a delicious cake: flour 250 grams, baking powder 4 teaspoons, vegetable oil 5 tbsp. spoons, mineral water 250 Milliliters, juice 400 Milliliters, semolina 2 Art. spoons, sugar 1 tbsp. spoon, fruit 500 grams.
  2. Yes, it really is easier to list what is impossible. But I will try to list what is possible. And so, you can eat during Lent: foods plant origin. Vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, all types of cereals cooked in water, lean mayonnaise, pasta, ketchup, mustard and other dry seasonings, lean cookies, vegetable oil (only on Saturdays and Sundays if strictly observed), bread is also possible, waffles cakes and any pastries without adding eggs, milk, kefir. Drinks: jelly, compote, kvass, etc. without alcohol content. There is a lot more that can be done.
  3. What kind of baked goods can you make?
  4. List of Lenten Products

    Cereals. Any.
    Vegetables and mushrooms. Also any.
    Peas and all legumes.
    Vegetable fats. It's about about any vegetable oils.
    Fermentation products. From traditional cabbage to soaked grapes.
    Greens in any form (fresh or dried) and in any quantity.
    Soy and soy products.
    Bread and pasta.
    Olives and olives.
    Desserts include jam and marmalade, dark chocolate, marmalade, halva and kozinaki.
    Any fruit. Both ours and exotic ones, including dried fruits (raisins, candied fruits, etc.)

    Orthodox Lent 2016 Nutrition calendar by day - pictured
    A detailed article is on my blog - the link is blocked by decision of the project administration

  5. Great Lent is the most strict and significant of all fasts.

    Smoking and drinking are prohibited on all days of fasting. alcoholic drinks. You should not consume animal products (meat, fish, milk and eggs), rich (white) bread, sweets, buns, mayonnaise. Allowed only plant food(fruits, vegetables, dried fruits), pickles (sauerkraut, pickled and pickled cucumbers), crackers, dried fruits, tea, mushrooms, nuts, black and gray bread, jelly, water porridge. And on the holidays of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God and Palm Sunday it is allowed to eat fish.

    SO, WHAT CAN YOU EAT DURING LENT?

    First meal

    Lenten soups. The main thing you need to do is fry the onions and carrots, you can add ketchup or tomato paste, then the soup will be tastier. You can add bell pepper to borscht or cabbage soup to improve the taste. Great saver pea soup or bean soup, mushroom soups, sorrel soup. Also, for thickness, grains (rice, pearl barley) are usually added to lean soups.

    Second courses

    The most delicious, in my opinion, Lenten dish fried potatoes with sauerkraut. Potatoes will probably be your main food: French fries, mashed potatoes, potato cutlets, potatoes with gravy, baked potatoes... In short, everything that used to be a side dish will suit you for the main meal: green peas, beans (in jars with sauce), corn. Fried mushrooms completely replace meat. If you are already tired of everything, think about vegetable stew and hodgepodge. If it’s immediately clear what a hodgepodge can be made of, then you can put anything you can get your hands on in a vegetable stew. You can add nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts) to any dish when cooking; it’s both tastier and more satisfying. You can buy frozen vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, mixed vegetables).

    Drinks, desserts

    Juices, jelly, compotes, tea, fruit drinks. For dessert you can prepare something like this for children wonderful dish apple and carrot puree. Remember how it used to crack behind your ears? Or other fruit purees.

    Breakfast

    For breakfast you can eat muesli (water or juice).

    What's on offer at work?

    In general, it is difficult to adhere to a fast at work. But at work we found a way out; we made vegetable shawarma, which was a little funny. Bought Korean carrots, brought sauerkraut with them and added fresh vegetables, they wrapped the whole thing in pita bread (thin), rolled it into a tube and ate it. In general, you can take with you to work the same crackers, bagels, nuts, seeds, dried bananas, jam, seaweed(at worst) and salads.

  6. water
    bread
    prayer
  7. It’s easier to list what’s impossible...
    Food of animal origin.

The Christian faith teaches people to lead a modest lifestyle and not indulge in gluttony. The days when Christians fast are not days of torturing themselves with hunger, but days of spiritual cleansing, repentance of sins and humble prayer for their forgiveness. Abstinence from gluttony is a natural component of this process and every Christian knows what can you eat during fasting?

How to eat healthy while fasting

The Holy Church of Christ has defined both one-day fasts and multi-day fasts. Every Wednesday and Friday a Christian abstains from eating meat and dairy foods. This is done as a sign of memory of the tragic days in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. As we know from the Bible, on Wednesday he was delivered into the hands of Roman soldiers by Judas, and on Friday he was crucified on the cross. There are four multi-day fasts throughout the year.

  1. Lent. This is the longest and strictest fast. It lasts for seven weeks preceding the Day of the Bright Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Charter of the Orthodox Church allows the use of vegetable oil only on Saturdays and Sundays during Lent. On the day of the Annunciation and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, it is allowed to consume lean fish. On the remaining days of Lent, Christians eat exclusively plant foods and bread.
  2. Assumption Fast. This fast continues from August 14 to August 27 and is dedicated to the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The severity of this fast is similar to the severity of Great Lent. On the Day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, August 19, Christians are allowed to eat fish. On other days, the diet consists only of lean dishes.
  3. Christmas post. This fast is also very long, namely it lasts 40 days until the Nativity of Christ, which we always celebrate on January 6 according to the new style. The Nativity Fast is less strict than the Great or Dormition Fast. So during this fast, with the exception of Monday, Wednesday and Friday, eating fish and vegetable oil is allowed. On the eve of Christmas, Christians fast especially strictly and limit themselves in almost everything. On the last day before Christmas, Christians do not eat anything at all until the first evening star rises in the sky. Only after its appearance can you eat dried fruits soaked in water. This dish is called “sochivo”, hence the name last day before Christmas - “Christmas Eve”.
  4. Petrovsky post. This post is dedicated to the memory of the Great Apostles of the Christian Church Peter and Paul. In terms of severity, it is similar to the Nativity fast. It begins a week after the Feast of the Holy Trinity and lasts until the day of remembrance of the Apostles.

Before you start fasting, you need to understand that you are not going to starve, but want to stop using it for a while. fatty foods. The ridiculous idea of ​​torturing yourself with hunger will not lead you to anything good. This is how you can get gastritis, especially since the power of faith in most of us is not as powerful as that of holy people, who could manage only with spiritual food for many weeks and did not feel any weakness. Do not forget about the main purpose of the post and do not focus your attention on the secondary. If a person constantly experiences a feeling of hunger, then it will interfere with his spiritual cleansing. Instead of thoughts about God and about your lifestyle, you will be worried only about food and instead of a feeling of deep repentance, only irritability and impatience will arise.

What can you eat while fasting?

Let's figure it out together when it goes post, do's and don'ts eat. Let's say right away that any fruits and vegetables can be eaten in any form and in any quantity every day. That is, your stomach will never be empty during fasting. In addition, consuming pure fruits and vegetables without any accompanying products leads to maximum absorption of all vitamins and useful substances, which are present in these priceless gifts of nature. During the summer fast, of course, you need to eat all kinds of salads from fresh vegetables. During winter fasting, all kinds of pickles and, of course, vegetables and fruits are at your service, which in our time people have learned to store all year round.

During fasting, you can not only eat dishes made from raw vegetables, but also boil them. Of course, when boiled, vegetables lose about ninety percent of their nutritional value. Vegetables should be boiled in the minimum possible volume of water and should not be overcooked. There is no need to focus only on potatoes and cabbage during fasting. The Lord has given us a lot delicious vegetables and you can alternate them during fasting. These are zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower, green peas, corn, beans and many other tasty and healthy vegetables and fruits. The more varied your plant foods are on fasting days, the better.

The first dishes during fasting should be prepared without meat, but this does not mean that they will not be tasty and satisfying. You can always add various cereals to the soup, which are both healthy and quite high-calorie foods.

Do not forget that during Lent, Christians are allowed to eat almost any cereal. Hardly after the plate delicious porridge someone will feel hungry. Although porridge these days can be cooked only with water and without adding oil to it. But you can add raisins, nuts, dried apricots, mushrooms or carrots to the porridge. At the same time, it will become both tastier and healthier.

There is an opinion that by refusing to eat meat, milk and eggs, a person thereby deprives himself of protein, which is so necessary for normal operation body. This opinion is only partly correct. The fact is that the Lord has given us a lot of plant crops rich in proteins no less than meat, milk and eggs. During the fasting period, they must be included in your daily diet. Mushrooms and eggplants are rich in proteins, all without exception. legumes and of course soybeans, which contain the most proteins and other nutrients. Nowadays, in the culinary departments of stores you can always buy excellent soybean dishes, which are almost the same in taste and calorie content meat products. Why not take advantage of this during Lent?

Many people, when talking about nutrition during fasting, forget about non-strict days, which, by the way, during fasting are much more numerous than strict days. These days you can eat buns, bagels, cookies, vegetable oil and any fish dishes. Is it possible to remain hungry at the same time? Of course not! Another thing is that during fasting you should not overeat these dishes. The essence of nutrition at this time is only to satisfy the feeling of hunger, but not in excessive consumption of lean foods.

The main thing is that during fasting your food is simple and not oversaturated with various spices. Try to cook boiled and steamed dishes more often. Proper nutrition during fasting, in combination with sincere prayer, fasting is transformed not into suffering, but into powerful spiritual pleasure.

Now let's talk about what you should absolutely not eat while fasting. Eating meat, poultry, eggs and all dairy products, even kefir, is definitely prohibited. IN strict days Fish and vegetable oil are prohibited for consumption.

Many people wonder how it is possible to prepare the same salad or fry vegetables without vegetable oil. Meanwhile, to prepare the salad you can use lemon juice or marinade. You can easily fry vegetables without oil. To do this, you need to have a Teflon-coated frying pan. In the summer, oil is absolutely necessary for preparing salads, since fresh vegetables are already very juicy.

Temporarily giving up dairy products brings nothing but benefits to the body. Nutritionists have long argued that, in essence, milk is a product for children, and adults generally have no use for it. pure form not recommended, as their body does not absorb it well.

During fasting, it is forbidden to eat sweets. It’s probably not worth saying once again that sweets are far from being the foods that the body needs. Of course, drinking alcoholic beverages is prohibited during fasting. Even a glass of good wine is already a sign of idleness. The time of fasting does not imply such a state of the Christian’s soul, for fasting is not a holiday, but, if you like, a work of the mind and soul.

Finally, you need to devote a little time to how you need to end your fast and go back to your normal diet. Under no circumstances should you greedily pounce on heavy food after completing your fast. meat food. During fasting, the body has become unaccustomed to it, so in the first days after fasting, try to eat less meat. There is no need to overuse spices and salty foods. Everything that you gave up during fasting should return to your diet gradually, but in no case immediately.

In the photo: vegetable salads on the Lenten menu are 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(from 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: sauerkraut salad, 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

The reason for obesity during fasting: a large amount of fast carbohydrates.

You feel hungry, which is quite natural, and drink tea with sugar and bagels, eat instant vegetable soups, 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 on non-strict fasting days, 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 rosehip.


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

Keeping a fast is not difficult, the main thing is to decide on the menu in advance. There are many myths surrounding this issue, which we will debunk. So, what exactly and on what days can you eat during Lent?

Why do people fast?

Christian fasting has many features. On the one hand, fasting for us is an ascetic feat performed so that the flesh does not rule over the soul, does not cloud the insight of the mind, spiritual attention, and on the other hand, fasting is natural state a person when he sympathizes with the suffering of another or mourns. Fasting revitalizes the soul and adds health to the body.

In Christian fasting, the theme of repentance, for example, is more important than the theme of ritual purity or the theme of religious discipline. Fasting helps Christians repent. It is in repentance that a Christian gains spiritual purity and obedience to God.

Eating according to the rules of fasting is good for the body. The allowed list of products allows you to saturate the body with nutrients and tidy up your figure. Lenten food stabilizes the functioning of the body, and the key benefits are as follows:

  • improved digestion;
  • elimination of dysbacteriosis;
  • cleansing the liver and improving its functioning;
  • elimination excess weight;
  • cleansing the body of harmful substances.

Before you start fasting, you need to think very carefully about your diet. No one is forcing you to eat only dry crusts, and please, let’s do without such extremes. It really won’t take long for you to get gastritis and some other bad things, especially if your faith is not yet very strong, and you cannot rely on spiritual food alone, as the saints and ascetics did. Be prudent, there is no need to devoutly “mortify” your flesh. Better learn to live with your body in friendship, listen carefully to its signals, and understand what it really needs.

What can't you eat during Lent?

What should you give up during Lent?

  • Remember that fasting excludes any abuse - spices, hot, salty, sour, sweet, fried foods. It's better to give preference boiled dishes, as well as steamed or grilled.
  • Keep your food varied but simple.. And you, of course, will be able to feel and appreciate this joy and sacredness of the simplest food.
  • Of course, throughout any post It is not allowed to eat meat or any meat products, will have to give up poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products - that is butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, kefir, cheese, yoghurt and more. You should also not eat dishes that contain these products as components, such as mayonnaise that contains egg yolk.
  • Fish and fish products, like vegetable oil, are allowed in non-strict fast days- and are strictly prohibited.
  • How to do without vegetable oil? If you don’t have a Teflon frying pan, you will have to give up fried foods on strict fasting days. Instead of vegetable oil, salads can be seasoned, for example, with a weak marinade or lemon juice, and in the summer you can do without dressing - after all, fresh vegetables have enough of their own juice.
  • Don’t let giving up milk and dairy products scare you- it is necessary to do this for some time, and such a ban during the period of fasting is not only not harmful, but useful. According to some studies, milk as a product intended by nature for baby food, is not very well absorbed by the body of adults. So it won’t hurt you to slowly wean yourself off milk, at least during fasting.
  • Fatty sweets, chocolate, baked goods and fast food are prohibited.
  • During fasting, of course, it is forbidden to drink alcohol.

WE EAT ANY VEGETABLES AND FRUITS IN LENT

So, what can you eat while fasting? Of course, the most welcome guests on the table at this time are fruits and vegetables. There greatest number vitamins, minerals necessary for our body. So in the summer, let there be salads from fresh vegetables on your table every day, and in the winter - sauerkraut, pickles, carrots, beets.

During Lent, we eat boiled and stewed vegetables. But here we must remember that the less heat treatment, the better - more nutrients will be preserved in the finished dish. Therefore, it is better to put vegetables in boiling water, and then make sure that they are not overcooked. You should not cook vegetables in large quantities water, and do not allow it to boil strongly when cooking.

And remember that you don’t have to limit yourself to just potatoes and cabbage. The entire diversity of the fruit and vegetable world is open to you, don’t forget about zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, corn, and green peas. The more varied the better.
You can also cook vegetable soups by adding cereals - rice, barley.

WE EAT PORridge ON FAST

A very important component of the Lenten table is porridge. Of course, cooked in water, not milk, and without adding butter. But this does not mean that the porridge will necessarily be tasteless. Remember that there are many foods allowed during fasting that can be added to porridge for taste. These include raisins, nuts, carrots, and mushrooms, which can be combined with buckwheat, rice, and other cereals. Experiment, give free rein to your culinary imagination!

LENTEN BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS

The statute does not prohibit the consumption of baked goods and bread if eggs and dairy products were not used in their preparation. If the day is not strict, it is allowed to sprinkle the bread with vegetable oil. Modern cooking offers many recipes for dietary sweets. Wonderful desserts without dairy products and sugar allow you to make Lenten menu diverse.

During all weeks it is allowed to eat honey. It can act as a sweetener for porridge. You can use it to make a pie without milk or eggs. Uzvar, compote, jelly with a small muffin are considered the ideal end to a meal.

TO flour products include pasta, but they are not subject to the restriction. If you master Italian cuisine, pasta can be varied with sauces and vegetable appetizers.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD OF MEAT IN LENT

There is an opinion that by not consuming meat, eggs, and dairy products, a person deprives himself of the required amount of protein. This is true, but only if you approach the post illiterately.

Don't forget to include in your diet foods that contain vegetable protein, - and everything will be fine.

These include mushrooms, eggplants, legumes, and, of course, soy. Now on the shelves there are a lot of different products made from the so-called “soy meat”, which, when properly cooked, flavored with spices and sauces, perfectly replaces real meat. Nutritionists claim that soy protein in its composition and biological value is an equivalent substitute for meat and fish protein.

IS SUGAR ALLOWED DURING FASTING?

Despite the presence of albumin in sugar, the church does not prohibit the consumption of sweets during Lent. What other sweets can you have?

  • dried fruits– their range allows you to satisfy many gastronomic tastes;
  • bitter chocolate– a dessert without milk or toppings is suitable. Many delicacies are prepared based on this chocolate;
  • kozinaki– any nuts pressed with sugar, honey or molasses. Homemade sweets are prepared without using butter;
  • marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade, pectin jelly.

Lax fast days

It is not prohibited during fasting and bakery products, and on non-strict fasting days - vegetable oil and all the variety of fish products. Just remember that You should never overeat during Lent- even if you limit yourself to strictly lean foods.

How to eat after fasting?

It should be borne in mind that after the end of fasting, one must switch to a normal diet gradually and in no case immediately pounce on fatty meat, smoked sausage, fried entrecotes...

This will not lead to anything good. Gradually, day by day, introduce small amounts of animal products into your diet - a little cheese, a little butter, and if it is meat, then in small pieces, boiled or steamed.

Remember, if you adhere to strict instructions in the first two days of Lent, that is, refuse food altogether, then after that you should not eat anything salty for two days, it is advisable to refuse adding salt to food and even eat special, dietary, salt-free bread. Do not overuse salty foods immediately after fasting.

In the first days of breaking fast, you also need to abstain a little, because the body has become unaccustomed to animal food. That is why it is necessary to introduce it into the diet gradually. It is advisable that the dishes be boiled, and they should be consumed in small portions.

Cereals with fruits will be more useful. You can add greens to porridge. The body requires more vitamins after fasting.

Do you listen to your body or strictly observe fasting?

The Orthodox Church associates the tradition of fasting with Great Holidays, Sacred Historical Events and the Sacrament of Communion. Fasting is an ascetic practice that involves a person’s abstinence from consuming animal food, moderation in Lenten food, refusal of other carnal pleasures.

During the days of fasting, not only the body, but also the soul, which is freed during this period from bad thoughts, words and unkind desires. So, main goal bodily and spiritual abstinence is the acquisition of harmony between the two principles.

Main Fasts according to the Orthodox calendar

Life is structured in such a way that a person does not get anything in it without effort, therefore, before the start of any Great holiday, it is important to find out: what main fasts will take place this year? Orthodox calendar, how long will they last, what is their history and what lifestyle and nutrition should be followed during these special days.

Russian Orthodox Church provides four main posts:

NameDurationDescriptionGeneral provisions about the Lenten menu
LentFrom February 19 to April 7, 2018Guided by the spirit, the Savior was sent into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. It is in honor of Jesus Christ and in the name of his suffering that Lent is celebrated.Refusal of food of animal origin and vegetable oil, practice of dry eating.
Petrov or Apostolic FastFrom June 4 to July 11, 2018Summer fast established before the holiday of Peter and Paul. Starts on Holy Monday.After a period of dry eating, lean foods without oil, cereal dishes, fish and mushrooms are allowed.
Dormition postFrom 14 to 28 August 2018The fast is dedicated to the Mother of God, who remained in prayer and abstinence from food before her ascension to heaven.Strict dry eating in the first three days of fasting, eating food without adding oil, allowing fish dishes if Dormition this year fell on Wednesday or Friday.
Christmas or Filippov fastFrom November 28, 2018 to January 6, 2019The time of winter fasting begins after Philippi Day and lasts until the Christmas holidays. By observing this fast, people make a sacrifice of gratitude to the Lord for the benefits that were given to them from Above during the year.Fish dishes are allowed on special days when a particular Orthodox holiday coincides with certain dates. It is customary to enjoy juice - honey wheat grains or rice with raisins.

Central (main) according to Orthodox church calendar considered to be Lent, which stands preparatory stage for the Easter holiday. Every Orthodox Christian should know how to behave correctly in this special period, what can and cannot be eaten, as well as what other mandatory rules are imposed by Lent.

Everyone who decides to fast does not pursue the first goal of following a dietary diet, but strives to achieve spiritual cleansing in order to meet the bright holiday of the Resurrection of Christ “renewed.”

The entire period of Lent is traditionally divided into four stages.

  1. Pentecost lasts the first forty days.
  2. Lazarus Saturday falls on the sixth Saturday of Lent.
  3. The Christian holiday, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday, is celebrated on the sixth Sunday of Lent.
  4. Holy Week or Great Week.

Video story

What traditions are observed during Lent?

Total duration Lent is forty-eight days long. last week, the time of Holy Week, is devoted to careful preparation for Easter.

  • With the start of Holy Monday, it is important to start cleaning and tidying your home.
  • On Tuesday, spend time washing and ironing clothes.
  • The environment is intended for carrying out economic work.
  • Thursday - to get rid of garbage. Also on this day, according to tradition, they bake Easter cakes, which are not just a symbol of festive bread, but the body of Christ himself.
  • Friday is a special day of abstinence from any food, household chores and fun.
  • On Saturday, all housewives again begin household chores - busy in the kitchen, painting eggs.

People spend the entire period of Lent in prayer, reading spiritual books and confessing, and abstaining from eating non-lenten foods.

What foods can you eat while fasting?

The time of abstaining from non-lenten food does not negate the variety of dishes; on the contrary, the special purpose of fasting is to gain a person’s understanding of the true joy and holiness of the process of eating simple food. Products are steamed, boiled, baked or grilled without adding oil or spices. The basis of everything should be: vegetables, fruits and berries, root vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts, mushrooms.

This list of products does not imply only their strict use. You can deliciously diversify the menu without violating the canons of fasting: bake bread from cereals, make jam, cook bean soup and much more.

What foods can you eat?

Category of dishesNameIngredientsRecipe
FirstPotato soup with buckwheat

  • 2 large potatoes;

  • 2 carrots;

  • Parsley;

  • Parsnip;

  • ½ garlic;

  • 3 onions;

  • 200 g buckwheat.

The vegetables are boiled. As the potatoes are cooked, add cereal and continue cooking until the buckwheat is completely cooked.
Lentil soup

  • 500 g lentils;

  • 200 g grated carrots;

  • 2 cloves of garlic;

  • salt, spices - to taste;

  • Bay leaf and green onions to garnish the dish.

Lentils are boiled together with carrots for 3 hours, stirred regularly. Add salt, pepper and bay leaf. Chop the garlic 5 minutes before the dish is ready. To dilute the thickness of the stew, you can add a little water.
Tomato cabbage soup

  • 2 potatoes;

  • 1 large onion;

  • 1 carrot;

  • ½ head of cabbage (400 g);

  • Tomato paste;

  • Bay leaf;

Diced potatoes are sent to cook until half cooked, then finely chopped onions, cabbage and carrots are added (you can cut them into slices) and seasoned tomato paste(2 tbsp), bay leaf is added 5 minutes before the soup is completely cooked. Parsley and dill are used for decoration.
Lenten cabbage soup

  • 2 potatoes;

  • 100g cabbage; 1 carrot; 2 onions;

  • Greens – parsley, dill (you can add celery root);

  • Allspice;

  • Dry garlic;

  • Bay leaf.

Potatoes are cut into 2 parts, onions - into 4. Cabbage leaves separated from the stalk, cut and thrown into broth with herbs, add pepper and bay leaf. If celery root is used, it is cut into large strips or grated on a coarse grater. Finely chopped carrots are mixed with garlic seasoning and added to the cabbage soup. For spiciness, you can season with red pepper.
SecondBoiled potatoes with nuts

  • 500 g potatoes;

  • 1 onion;

  • 100 g walnuts;

  • 1 clove of garlic;

  • Wine vinegar (1 tbsp);

  • Cilantro, parsley, dill - for decoration;

  • Spices – salt, red pepper.

Washed potatoes are boiled in their skins, cooled, peeled and cut into cubes. Mix ground walnuts with garlic gruel, red pepper and salt. Mix the spicy mixture with potatoes, season with wine vinegar and chopped onions, ready dish decorated with fresh herbs.
Lenten potato meatballs

  • 500 g potatoes;

  • 1 onion;

  • 100 g walnuts;

  • 1 clove of garlic;

  • 250 ml of clean water;

  • Vinegar;

  • Greens – cilantro, saffron.

  • Pepper mixture;

  • Salt.

Boil the potatoes and mash them into a puree. Squeeze nut oil into the mixture of spices and herbs (use a high-power blender to crush the nuts until the “juice” is released) and pour into a separate bowl. Add water with vinegar diluted in it to the mixture of nuts and spices, add finely chopped onions and herbs. Combine with potato mass. Small meatballs are molded from the resulting “dough”, placed on a plate, making a small depression in each ball, into which nut butter is poured.
Bean puree

  • 200 g red beans;

  • Onions - to taste;

  • 40 g walnuts;

  • Vinegar;

  • Salt;

  • Dill, cilantro, parsley.

Boil the beans until half cooked, add finely chopped onion and salt. When the dish is ready, strain the puree, leaving the broth to dilute the bean mass. Everything is seasoned with nut crumbs, vinegar and decorated with herbs.
Vegetable pearl barley


  • 1 carrot;

  • 1 onion;

  • Spices and salt - to taste;

  • Bay leaf.

The washed pearl barley is poured with water, brought to a boil and cooked over medium heat for 2 hours. During the cooking process, add grated carrots, finely chopped onions and spices, bay leaf - 5 minutes before the dish is ready.
Salads without added oilSalad with prunes

  • 100 g cabbage;

  • 8-10 pcs. prunes;

  • ½ lemon;

  • 1 carrot;

  • Salt, sugar - to taste.

Finely shredded cabbage is ground with sugar and salt, and the juice is squeezed out. Prunes are pitted and soaked for 2 hours in hot water. Grate carrots with lemon. All ingredients are mixed in a large bowl.
Salad with carrots and pickles

  • 800 g carrots;

  • 5 gherkins;

  • 200 ml tomato juice;

  • Pepper.

Finely chop the cucumbers and pour tomato juice, season with pepper and set aside for 20 minutes. Finely chop the carrots, combine with the cucumber mixture and serve.
Carrot salad with apples

  • 2 carrots;

  • 1 apple;

  • Sugar and salt - to taste;

  • Table vinegar.

The apple is peeled, cut into strips, mixed with grated carrots. Add sugar, salt, season with vinegar.
Pumpkin and apple salad

  • 200 g pumpkin;

  • 1 apple;

  • Zest of 1 lemon;

  • 1 tbsp. l. liquid honey;

  • Any nuts.

Pumpkin and apples are ground into shavings, “seasoned” with lemon zest and sprinkled with lemon juice. The mixture is sweetened with honey, and nuts are crumbled on top.
DessertCranberry mousse

  • 750 ml of clean water;

  • 150 g cranberries;

  • 150 g semolina;

  • 100 g sugar.

Juice is squeezed out of cranberries, boiled and filtered. Cranberry juice is boiled, sugar and semolina are added. Stir regularly during cooking. Cool the finished pulp, add cranberry nectar, and beat with a kitchen whisk or mixer. The mousse is placed into bowls. Decorate with whole cranberries.
Lemon jelly with rice

  • 100 g white rice;

  • 100 g sugar;

  • Agar-agar – for jelly (1 tbsp);

  • 4 lemons;

  • 100 g lemon - for syrup.

Rice is boiled with added sugar. Pour water into the agar, heat until completely dissolved (do not boil!), add sugar and the juice of 2 lemons. Heat again, avoiding boiling. Warm rice is poured into the jelly mixture, cooled and placed in the refrigerator. Frozen portions of rice jelly are poured with sugar-lemon syrup.

  • Dried fruits and nuts are suitable as the nutritional basis of a lean diet. They can be combined with honey. A delicious dessert snack will saturate the body with energy for for a long time, and will also act as a source of vitamins.
  • It is a mistaken belief that the post menu is poorer than usual. You can prepare a variety of dishes from root vegetables alone. Using a bow cauliflower or broccoli can diversify your diet with health benefits.
  • Greens and beans will help your digestion do its job.
  • A hearty breakfast of cereals, prepared without adding milk, can be combined with vegetables. And for lovers of sweet breakfasts, jam is suitable as an addition to the dish.
  • Pasta dishes provide space for the manifestation of culinary fantasies. Noodle recipes will allow you to diversify your dinner table by adding vegetable sauces and mushrooms.
  • An alternative to vegetable oil for dressing salads is marinade or lemon juice. There are also substitutes for eggs - for example, tofu, flax, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Video tips

What foods are strictly prohibited during Lent?

While observing fasting strict ban The following products are used:

  • Animal origin: meat, eggs, milk. However, on certain days, fish dishes - on the Annunciation (April 7) and Palm Sunday - are acceptable. You can eat caviar on Lazarus Saturday.
  • Vegetable oil is not allowed to be added to food throughout Lent, but you can season porridge or salads on Maundy Thursday and holidays in honor of the saints - the Martyrs of Sebaste and St. Gregory the Dvoeslov.
  • Any sweets, including baked goods.
  • Fast food and alcoholic drinks.
  • It is customary to spend Clean Monday and Great Friday without food.

Many people consider the tradition of fasting to be ascetic, but conscious abstinence turns out to be a useful practice for human body. All illnesses come from ignorance of moderation. Excluding fried, fatty, and spiced dishes from the menu for a while helps to establish normal digestion.