All people know that Great Lent is the strictest of all religious fasts that Orthodox Christians observe throughout the year. Many mistakenly consider it one of the diets that have become popular in recent years. The purpose of any fast is to refrain from carnal desires, which should make the believer stronger, freer and wiser.
General recommendations
Lent falls in the spring, when the human body is in some weakness after the winter cold and has lost almost all vitamin reserves. Eating during Great Lent allows you to avoid a heavy protein load and replenish the body with the missing beneficial substances contained in lean foods.
General recommendations for observing it are known to all Christians. Although some still do not know if fish is allowed in Lent. We will now describe all the features of this church custom. In the forty-day period, one should completely abandon the use of food of animal origin, switch to plant foods and be moderate in nutrition. Continence is spreadingalso on bad habits: smoking, alcohol. It would be right to change your behavior in the direction of generosity, forgiveness and reconciliation with the people around you. An Orthodox person should give up bad and evil thoughts, not express negative emotions. All these actions will help strengthen one's own faith, temper the will and spirit of a person.
Important note
Strict dietary rules during Great Lent are prescribed to be strictly observed by church ministers and monks. Ordinary laymen can make some derogations.
For example, do not force food abstinence from children under the age of fourteen, pregnant and lactating women, as well as sick and debilitated people. However, spiritual abstinence must be performed by all believers without exception.
Food during Lent
For those who have made the decision to fast for the first time, it can be difficult at first to radically change their diet. Therefore, before it begins, it is worth considering what foods you can eat in Lent for the benefit of the body.
Porridges in the menu of Slavic cuisine are the most common food. In practice, two or three types of cereals are used for their preparation. Most often it is buckwheat, rice or oats. But you can diversify your menu with cereals from barley, millet, wheat, millet, corn, barley, sorghum. Cooking meals during Lent should be done only on water without the use of fats. By adding mushrooms, nuts, vegetables and fruits, you can increase the nutritional value of cereals andto ensure the usefulness of the diet.
Vegetable proteins
By refusing to consume animal protein, a person runs the risk of being left without building material for his body. An excellent substitute can be legumes - peas, beans, soybeans, lentils. These are wonderful plant foods rich in protein, iron, vitamins and a full range of amino acids. The universal and unique properties of the chemical composition of plants can ensure proper nutrition during Lent. Bean products have long been popular in the national cuisines of many countries.
Vegetables and fruits are especially welcome during the seven week abstinence period. From them you can cook the first, second courses, side dishes, desserts and drinks. You can eat in any form: fresh, boiled, stewed, canned, pickled or dried.
Mushrooms are obligatory on the Lenten table, which are a full-fledged substitute for meat. From them you can prepare snacks, main dishes, sauces or fillings for pies. In the absence of fresh, it is recommended to use canned or frozen mushrooms. The distribution network provides modern consumers with a large selection of natural products that have been dry-frozen.
What about fish?
When wondering what foods you can eat during Lent, do not forget about fish and other seafood. Only twice in forty days is it allowed to feast on fish: on the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday. Caviar will come in handy on the Lenten table only once - on Lazarus Saturday. Aboutseafood, the opinions of the ministers of the church differ a little. Mollusks do not belong to animal or plant foods. They have nothing to do with fish either. Therefore, how to use them by the laity, you should decide on your own. Most often, it is recommended to eat seafood only on Sunday fast days. We conclude that fish is allowed in Lent.
But that's not all. In addition to the above, we will list more products that are allowed during Great Lent: sweets, nuts, seeds, pasta and sauces that do not contain fats and eggs. Without restrictions, it is allowed to eat unsweet pastries and bread. For lovers of cow's milk, it is proposed to try replacing it with coconut or soy milk during the period of abstinence.
Drinks
Having determined for yourself what foods you can eat in Lent, you need to remember about drinks. A variety of hot and cold drinks prepared on the basis of natural herbal ingredients are allowed to be consumed. Hot drinks include tea, coffee, cocoa. Cold - compotes, kissels, uzvar, juices, fruit drinks. As for alcohol, permission is given only for dry red wine and Cahors in very limited quantities. You can drink wine on Saturdays and Sundays, excluding the first and last weeks of fasting.
Food by day
So that church ministers and ordinary believers do not once again think about what foods can be eaten during Lent, a special calendar is published. It provides a detailed list of products recommended for consumption on a particular day of the week. The diet is specified for each week separately. All clergy and monks are required to strictly observe the calendar for Great Lent. Daily meals are designed so that, without violating the canons of the church, a person receives a sufficient amount of nutrients. In this way, he will be able to maintain his physical and mental strength.
Menu for Lent
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it is prescribed to eat vegetables, fruits, bread and water. On Tuesday and Thursday you can eat hot low-fat food. On Saturday and Sunday, it is allowed to add oil to food, and you can also cook fish. This is what general dietary recommendations look like during Great Lent. However, there are some special features every week.
So, the first week prescribes a strict fast. All food is prepared without oil, and on the first day, food should be completely abandoned. From the second to the fifth week, the food is the same: raw or boiled food without fat on weekdays, and with the addition of oil on the weekend. In addition, church wine is added to the diet on Saturday and Sunday.
The sixth week is similar to the previous ones, with the only difference being that caviar is added to the menu on Saturday. The last, seventh week, recommends strict fasting. From Monday to Wednesday only raw food without added fat. On Maundy Thursday, you can eat boiled food with butter and drink wine. On the day of Good Friday, there should be absolute abstinence from food. On the eve of Easter on Saturday, you can eat some boiled low-fat food.
