The Lent of Holy Lent is called Great Lent due to the special importance of its establishment. Traditionally, the Holy Forty Day and all divine services begin with Vespers of the Maslenitsa (cheesy) week. During the evening service on Forgiveness Sunday, when there is a rite or rite of general forgiveness in the temple.
Great Lent was established mainly in memory of the forty-day fast of Jesus Christ, who soon after His baptism went into the wilderness and fasted there (Matt. 4, 2), as well as in memory of the forty-day fast of Moses (Ex. 34, 28) and Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:8).
The fact that the fast was established by the apostles and lasted for forty days almost from the beginning of its establishment, there is evidence from ancient times, and the name "Fourteen" itself is often found in ancient written monuments.
However, the fast of the Holy Forty Days (which lasted everywhere for 40 days) was observed in the ancient Church not at the same time. This depended on the unequal calculation of the days of fasting and the days when it was allowed. In the Eastern Churches, the observance of Great Lent, which still exists to this day, was established in the 4th century.
Great Lent consists of a forty-day fast (Fourteen) and the fast of Passion Week “for the sake of the saving passions” of Christ. The Apostolic Decrees on Great Lent say: “Let this fast (Fourteen) be celebrated before the fast of Pascha (Passion Week)” (book 5, ch. I).
The ancient Christians observed Great Lent with special strictness, even abstaining from drinking water until the ninth (third in the afternoon) hour of the day. Food was eaten after the ninth hour, eating bread and vegetables. Meat, milk, cheese, eggs were forbidden.
The rules for observing Great Lent are also reflected in the Church Charter. During the first and Holy Weeks, the Orthodox Church prescribes keeping a particularly strict fast. On Monday and Tuesday of the first week, it is prescribed to observe the highest degree of fasting: “It is by no means appropriate to eat.” In the rest of the weeks of fasting, except for Saturdays and Sundays - dry food. On Saturdays and Sundays, cooked food with oil (vegetable oil) is allowed. And only on the feast of the Annunciation, if it does not fall on Holy Week, is it allowed to eat fish.
The Church severely condemns those who violate Great Lent, but, acting in the spirit of God's love and mercy, does not impose the rules of fasting in its entirety on children, the sick, the infirm, and the elderly, does not alienate them from participation in the joy of communion and Pascha. But those who are weak in body, like those who are healthy, are obliged during Great Lent to do deeds of love and mercy and, as in other fasts, to keep spiritual fasting from sins.
In numerous stichera and troparia of the services of the Holy Fortecost, the Church explains the essence of true fasting as a means of spiritual rebirth: a time of spiritual achievement, strengthening oneself in self-sacrifice, and mortifying sinful desires. Therefore, in hymns, the Church calls the Holy Forty Day a joyful time of fasting.
By eating lean foods, a person will not feel weakened, since such food fully satisfies the needs of the body. A person adhering to the restrictions during fasting feels cheerful and light. A person adhering to the restrictions during fasting feels cheerful and light, and not weakened and exhausted, as some believe. Many people follow this diet all their lives and feel very good about it. In order for lean food to be tasty and look beautiful on the table, we created this section on the site. It is important to know the history of Lent and the meaning of Lenten cuisine in Russia.
- Great Lent begins 49 days before Easter.
- His goal is to prepare for the Easter holiday within 7 weeks.
- The first 40 days are considered a type of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days after being baptized.
- Subsequent: Day 1 is Lazarus Saturday, the second day is Palm Sunday and Holy Week - the final 6 days.
- The last week is the most important, as it helps to refresh the memory of the last week of our Lord's life. These are the resurrection of Lazarus, the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the Last Supper and Jesus' sermons.
Of course, the main goal of fasting is the spiritual growth of a person, the correction of sins, the purification of the soul from passions. No wonder there is such a saying - fasting is not in the belly, but in the spirit. Therefore, before talking about the “food” component of fasting, I will cite one wonderful saying of St. Basil the Great: “Do not limit the benefits of fasting to one abstinence in food, because true fasting is the elimination of evil deeds ... Forgive your neighbor an insult, forgive him his debts. You do not eat meat, but you offend your brother... True fasting is the removal of evil, the abstinence of the tongue, the suppression of anger in oneself, the excommunication of lusts, slander, lies and perjury. Refraining from this is true fasting.”
Thus, fasting should not be considered as a diet for weight loss. This article will talk about how to rationally compose your menu so that you do not violate the rules of food abstinence in fasting, and do not harm your health.
Speaking about proper nutrition in fasting, it is worth noting that each person has his own measure of abstinence in food. Someone is healthy, and someone has chronic diseases that require a therapeutic diet. Someone studies, someone performs hard physical labor. For pregnant and lactating mothers, fasting is also usually relaxed. The measure of abstinence in food during fasting is best discussed with your confessor.
Now there is Great Lent, which implies the exclusion of meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs. There are days of dry eating, days of eating food without oil. In less strict multi-day fasts - Christmas and St. Peter's fast, fish and fish caviar are blessed on some days.
Among fasting people, there is a controversial attitude towards the use of soy products and seafood (bloodless marine reptiles) in fasting, as well as eating foods such as lean mayonnaise, lean sweets and cakes, etc. Again, if there are doubts and questions, all controversial points are better decide with your confessor. If eating squid and soy cheese is a delicacy and temptation for you, of course you should refuse such food. However, one should not condemn one's neighbor in the use of such products - perhaps a person has the blessing of a confessor for eating certain products.
Basic principles of proper nutrition in fasting
- During fasting, most of the diet of a fasting person is carbohydrate food, and very little protein is consumed. Meanwhile, protein is essential for human health, it is the "building material" of our body. Animal protein is excluded during fasting, but vegetable protein is allowed. Sources of vegetable protein - nuts, seeds, legumes, mushrooms, cereals, bread, soy products. Marine reptiles - shrimp, squid, mussels, etc., are also very rich in protein.
- If a person leads an active lifestyle, foods that are a good source of energy and give a feeling of satiety for a long time are mandatory - these are pasta, potatoes and cereals. But keep in mind that instant porridge is "fast" carbs! Such porridge quickly saturates, but also “burns out” quickly, and after a couple of hours you can feel hungry. Choose hercules with a cooking time of 15-20 minutes. If there is no time for cooking in the morning, you can fill the oatmeal with cold water in the evening, and in the morning just warm up the porridge.
- It is useful to season salads with olive oil, for your serving - 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Useful moderate consumption of dried fruits in the post - dried apricots, prunes, dates, and nuts. They can be added to morning porridge, take with you for a snack. Dried fruits and nuts have a high calorie content, so they quickly saturate.
- Instead of sugar, use honey - you can add it to morning porridge, tea, use honey as a natural sweetener in baking. Bitter chocolate, marmalade and dried fruits in moderation are preferable to sweet lean flour products that can be found on store shelves. These foods tend to be high in fat, and their consumption can lead to weight gain.
- A very important principle of proper nutrition in fasting is the daily use of fresh and / or thermally processed vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are great for a snack - for example, if it is a vegetable salad (you can diversify it with the addition of mushrooms, legumes, squid, nuts, crackers, if desired), seasoned with olive oil and 1 fruit.
- It is important not to starve and try to plan your meals so that there are no long breaks between meals. In this case, the digestive system quickly and better adapts to a plant-based diet and the risk of such "troubles" as gastritis, constipation and indigestion will decrease. For those people who observe the monastic charter, eating no more than 2 times a day, observing the days of complete refusal of food, it is better to prepare in advance. Even before fasting, you should gradually reduce the frequency of meals so that the body can more easily adapt to the new regimen.
- If you have excess body weight, it is important to follow the following rules so that you do not gain weight during fasting.
- First of all, it is necessary to reduce the amount of carbohydrate food in the evening meal as much as possible. Since carbohydrates provide a lot of energy, and in the evening after school or work, energy is usually not spent, it will be deposited in the form of fat “in reserve”. Therefore, in the evening it is better to give up pasta, potatoes, rice, cereals, flour products, bread and sweets. For dinner, you can eat a variety of vegetable dishes and legume dishes. These can be vegetable and bean salads, vegetable casseroles and cutlets, stews, vegetable caviar, baked and stewed vegetables, grilled vegetables, vegetable and bean soups (without potatoes, cereals and pasta). Dinner is recommended no later than 3-4 hours before bedtime! If you consider it obligatory for yourself to have a snack after dinner (for example, if dinner took place 5-6 hours before bedtime), then have a snack no later than 2 hours before bedtime.
- If the use of marine reptiles and soy products is acceptable for you, you can also include them in your menu in the evening.
- On days when fish is allowed, an excellent dinner option would be fish + any vegetables (except potatoes).
- In the evening with tea (not sweet), you can eat a few nuts. Sweets for dinner should be excluded.
- Eating potatoes is acceptable for lunch or breakfast, but not every day. Rice and pasta are preferred over potatoes. Cereals are best consumed for breakfast, fruits and dried fruits - before 7 pm. Diversify your diet with frequent consumption of vegetables, both raw and cooked.
- Pay attention to the moderate consumption of vegetable oil - the most high-calorie product known!
- The use of a variety of soups is welcome, both for lunch and dinner (for dinner, vegetable / bean soups without cereals, pasta and potatoes).
- Further, in the examples of the Lenten menu, you will see the mark (dietary breakfast/lunch/dinner), this means that this dietary option is suitable for overweight people. On days of dry eating, there is no such mark, since the diet of such days is dietary in itself.
RECIPES for LENTEN BREAKFAST / LUNCH / DINNER on dry days
Oatmeal and fruit smoothies: Fill the hercules with cold water overnight. In the morning, add 1-2 teaspoons of honey and diced fresh fruits - banana, kiwi, orange. Blend with a blender, adding water as needed. You can use other fruits and any berries to make smoothies. If desired, you can add dried fruits, nuts.
Fruit and nut salad: 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange cut into pieces, mix, season with lemon juice, cinnamon and 1 tsp. honey. If desired, add any dried fruits and nuts. If desired, any fruits and berries can be added to such a salad.
Oatmeal muesli with soy milk: pour muesli with soy milk, wait 10 minutes until the flakes swell.
Carrot and apple salad: grate apple and carrot, mix, season with lemon juice, 1 tsp. honey, garnish with nuts if desired.
Strawberry-Pear-Carrot Salad: Grate 2 carrots on a coarse grater, add strawberries and pear cut into large cubes (peel the pear and remove the core), add 1 tsp. honey and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Mix.
Vegetable salad: chop the tomato, cucumber, radish, corn, leek, lettuce, dill, parsley, sesame, mix. In such a salad, you can add grated celery root, young zucchini, crackers. Fill with lemon juice.
Salad "hearty": mix canned beans, corn, green peas and diced tomato. You can add crackers, avocado and garlic if desired.
Cabbage and Pea Salad: chop white cabbage, mash with salt with your hands, add diced fresh cucumber and green peas, sprinkle with lemon juice, mix.
Salad with wheat: chop lettuce leaves, add wheat germ, diced avocados, corn, pine nuts, olives. You can add crackers. Mix.
Avocado salad 1: cut the avocado into cubes, mix with chopped lettuce, croutons and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Avocado salad 2: cut the avocado into cubes, mix with chopped fresh cucumber, dill and corn, sprinkle with lemon juice.
Carrot and Pumpkin Salad: grate carrots and pumpkin, season with 1 tsp of granulated sugar or 1 tsp. honey. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Sandwiches with avocado and tomato: Grease black bread with crushed garlic, put sliced avocado on top, and sliced \u200b\u200btomato on top of the avocado.
Sandwiches with avocado pate: Mash the avocado with a fork, add a little lemon juice, dried basil, a pinch of salt and paprika. Mix until smooth and spread on bread. Top with sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts.
Examples of lenten breakfast on dry days:
— Any salad/smoothie from the list of dishes + tea/coffee/cocoa with dried fruits/nuts.
— Oatmeal muesli with soy milk + tea/coffee/cocoa with dried fruits/nuts.
- Corn flakes with soy milk + tea / coffee / cocoa with dried fruits / nuts.
- Vegetable salad from the list + fruit salad / smoothie from the list + tea with lemon.
- 2 avocado sandwiches + tea with dried fruits / nuts.
- Vegetable salad from the list + fresh fruit 1-2 pieces + tea with honey and lemon.
Examples of fasting meals on dry days:
- Any salad / smoothie from the list of dishes + 1-2 avocado sandwiches + tea with honey and dried fruits / nuts.
- Any salad / smoothie from the list of dishes + 1-2 slices of bread + 1-2 fruits.
Examples of fasting dinner on dry days:
- Vegetable or bean salad from the list of dishes + 1-2 avocado sandwiches + tea with lemon and nuts.
- Vegetable or bean salad from the list of dishes + bread + tea with lemon and nuts.
- Vegetable or bean salad from the list + bread + fresh fruit 1 pc + tea with lemon.
RECIPES for LENTEN BREAKFAST / LUNCH / DINNER on oil-free days
Oatmeal, boiled in water with 1 tsp. honey, a handful of fresh berries / fruits or dried fruits (prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dates) or nuts.
Baked apples with oatmeal, berries and nuts: Take out the middle of the apples, put oatmeal in the middle, 1 tsp. honey, berries and nuts. Put in a mold, bake in the oven at 200g. 15 minutes.
Millet porridge on the water with pumpkin and / or prunes: Rinse the millet, pre-soak the prunes in warm water. Cut pumpkin pulp into cubes. Put everything together in boiling water, cook until viscous. At the end of cooking, salt the porridge to taste. Before serving, add 1 tsp. honey and garnish with nuts if desired.
Borsch lean thick: Pour water into a large saucepan, add spices: bay leaf 2-3 pcs, cloves 4-5 pcs, allspice 2-3 pcs, black pepper 1-2 pcs. and 1-2 medium-sized peeled potatoes, boil over medium heat. Pour 2-3 ladles of water into a separate small saucepan, add the onion chopped into small cubes and grated carrot, cook over medium heat. Grate 1 large beetroot, sprinkle it with 1-2 tsp. lemon or 1 tsp. vinegar, mix and put in a small saucepan 10 minutes after the carrot, without stirring. Beets should be slightly covered with water. Remove spices and boiled potatoes from a large saucepan. Mash the potatoes in a separate container with a pestle and return to the pan. Separately, cut 3-5 tubers of raw potatoes into cubes, put in a large saucepan. When the beets turn opaque, put the contents of the saucepan into a large saucepan. Cabbage can be taken both sauerkraut and fresh. Rinse sauerkraut lightly with water, put in a saucepan. Shred raw cabbage, put in a saucepan. Add 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste, mix thoroughly. Salt the borscht to taste and cook until tender. 5 minutes before readiness, add chopped parsley and dill.
Mushroom soup with potatoes: Soak dry mushrooms in hot water. Pour water into a saucepan, add spices: bay leaf 2-3 pcs, allspice 2-3 pcs, cook with spices for 5-10 minutes, remove the spices. Cut 4-5 potato tubers into cubes, put in a saucepan, salt the soup. Cut the onion and carrot into cubes, put in a pan with 2 tbsp. water, simmer for 5-10 minutes. Grind mushrooms as desired, put in a pan with onions and carrots, simmer for another 10 minutes. Put the contents of the pan into a saucepan with soup, mix, cook until tender. 5 minutes before readiness, add chopped parsley and dill.
Bean soup with potatoes: Soak the beans overnight in cold water with 1 tsp. baking soda. In the morning, drain the water, rinse the beans, put them in a pot of water and cook until almost cooked. When the beans become almost soft, cut 4-5 potato tubers into cubes, put in a saucepan, salt the soup. Cut the onion into cubes, grate the carrots, put in a pan with 2 tbsp. water, simmer for 5-10 minutes and put in a pot with soup. Salt the soup, add spices to taste and cook until tender. 5 minutes before readiness, add chopped parsley and dill.
Vegetable stew: Mushrooms cut into large pieces, fry in a pan with a non-stick coating. Vegetables (you can take a frozen mixture of vegetables, you can use any of your own, diced, if desired) put in a pan with mushrooms, salt, add spices, 1 tbsp. tomato paste and some water. Simmer under a lid over low heat until tender.
Mashed potatoes with mushrooms: Boil potatoes and puree with a small amount of potato broth. Mushrooms chop, salt, stew in a pan. Serve the dish sprinkled with chopped dill.
Potatoes with pumpkin and mushrooms in the sleeve: Cut potatoes, pumpkin, fresh mushrooms randomly, salt and add spices / herbs to taste, mix. Put the mass in the sleeve. Pierce the sleeve in several places with a toothpick (so as not to burst during cooking). Bake in the oven at 180g for 40-50 minutes. Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs.
Examples of a lean breakfast on oil-free days:(dietary breakfast).
- Oatmeal porridge on the water + green salad + tea with lemon / coffee.
— Baked apples with oatmeal, berries and nuts + vegetable salad + tea / coffee.
— Millet porridge on water with pumpkin and/or prunes + green salad + tea/coffee.
Examples of fasting meals on oil-free days:(diet lunch).
– Lean borscht + 1 slice of bread + vegetable salad + tea with lemon + nuts + tangerine.
— Mushroom soup with potatoes + sandwich with avocado pate + tea with lemon and nuts + apple.
- Bean soup with potatoes + 1 slice of bread + green salad + tea with dried fruits.
Examples of a fast dinner on oil-free days:
— Rice with vegetable stew + vegetable / bean salad + compote.
— Mashed potatoes with mushrooms + vegetable salad + tea with lemon and nuts.
— Potatoes with pumpkin and mushrooms in the sleeve + bean salad + tea with lemon and nuts.
— Vegetable stew + bean salad + tea with lemon and nuts. (dietary dinner).
RECIPES for LENTEN BREAKFAST / LUNCH / DINNER on oil days
Apple fritters: Sift flour 1.5 cups, mix with 0.5 tsp. baking powder, 4 tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt, vegetable oil 2-3 tbsp. whisk or mixer until smooth, adding water to the consistency of thick sour cream. Peel and core 1 large apple, grate on a fine grater and add to the dough, mix. Heat the pan, grease with vegetable oil and bake pancakes over medium heat on both sides. You can serve with honey, fresh berries and fruits, jam.
Lean yeast pancakes. Put a dough of 1 tbsp. flour, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and a bag of dry yeast (1-2 teaspoons, depending on the final amount of dough). Put the dough in a warm place (you can put a bowl of dough in a bowl of hot water and cover with a dry towel) for half an hour. Opara should fit well. Next, add 2-3 cups of sifted flour, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp to the dough. granulated sugar, 3-4 tbsp. vegetable oil and a glass of water. Beat the mixture with a mixer, adding water to the consistency of liquid sour cream or fermented baked milk. Put the finished dough in a warm place for 20 minutes, covered with a dry towel. When the dough rises, check it. If it becomes too thick, add some water and mix thoroughly. Heat the pans well, and periodically lubricating them with vegetable oil, bake pancakes. Serve with honey, fresh berries, fruits, jam.
Granola: 1.5 cups of hercules, a handful of hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, diced dried fruits (optional) mix thoroughly with 2 tbsp. honey, 2-3 tbsp. r oil. Put parchment paper on a baking sheet, spread the mixture and bake at 160g for 40 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. The mixture should take on a nice golden brown color. Don't overdry! Cool, add coconut and raisins, mix. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Serve with soy milk.
Pea soup: Soak peas overnight with 1 tsp. baking soda. Drain the water in the morning. Boil the peas in new water until half cooked. Cut the potatoes into cubes, fry the carrots and onions in vegetable oil. Roast and potatoes lay out the soup. Salt and add spices to taste. Cook until done. Serve with crackers.
Lenten soup - kharcho with mushrooms: Soak dry mushrooms in boiling water for half an hour. Fry onions and carrots in a pan. When the onion turns golden, add mushrooms and a little water. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Put the contents of the pan into boiling water and add rice, cook for 10 minutes. Salt the soup to taste, add 2 tbsp. tomato paste and chopped dill with parsley. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, bringing to a boil.
Baked eggplant with tomato: cut the eggplant into rings, pour salted water for 1 hour (to remove the bitterness). Cut the tomatoes into slices. Squeeze the eggplant from excess water, lightly fry in a pan with vegetable oil. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil, put eggplant mugs, tomato mugs on top, a drop of lean mayonnaise on top (can be replaced with mushroom caviar). Bake in the oven at 200gr. 15 minutes.
Pots with vegetables and mushrooms: Cut the eggplant into cubes, soak in salted water for half an hour to remove the bitterness. Cut the tomato and onion into cubes. Cut mushrooms into large slices. Fry the onion in a pan, when the onion is browned, add the mushrooms, fry for 5-7 minutes, add the eggplants with tomatoes and fry lightly. Carrot cut into circles. Drain water from canned beans. We put all the ingredients in pots and pour salted water so that the water slightly covers the vegetables. We send the pots to the oven and cook at a temperature of 200 degrees for about 1 hour.
Lachanorizo: Fry onions and grated carrots in vegetable oil. Chop 300-500 grams of white cabbage, put it on carrots and onions and fry over high heat until caramelized, stirring constantly. Add 2-3 tbsp. tomato paste and spices. Salt to taste, stir and reduce heat.
Add ½ cup rice and 1 cup water to cabbage. Rice can be added more or less as desired. Simmer covered until the rice is done.
Examples of Lenten Breakfast on Butter Days:
— Apple fritters + green salad + tea with lemon.
– Lenten yeast pancakes + green salad + tea with lemon.
Granola + green salad + coffee with soy milk. (dietary breakfast).
Examples of Lenten Meals on Butter Days:(diet lunch).
- Pea soup + green salad with butter + tea with lemon + apple.
- Lenten kharcho soup + raw vegetables + sandwich with vegetable caviar + tea with lemon.
- Lean thick borsch + green / bean salad + tea with 2-3 pieces of marmalade.
— Lachanorizo + sandwich with vegetable caviar + fruit salad + tea with lemon.
Examples of Lenten Dinner on Butter Days:
— Spaghetti with vegetable stew + bean salad + tea with lemon.
- Boiled potatoes with 1 tsp. fragrant oil + baked eggplant with tomato + vegetable salad + compote.
– Lachanorizo + vegetable salad + tea with lemon and nuts.
- Pots with vegetables and mushrooms + bean salad + tea with lemon and nuts. (dietary dinner).
RECIPES for LENTEN LUNCH/ DINNER on days with fish
Potato soup with red fish: Pour water into the pan, put the potatoes, cut into cubes. In a pan with 1 tbsp. oil will fry grated carrots and diced onions. After 10 minutes of cooking the potatoes, add the frying and pieces of red fish to the soup. Add spices and salt to taste, chopped dill and parsley. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Potato soup with squid meatballs: Meatballs: Cook potato soup. When the soup is almost ready, we make meatballs with a teaspoon: we take squid puree in a spoon, form a ball the size of a walnut on a spoon. Gently lower the spoon with minced meat into the soup, hold for a few seconds to “grab” and turn the spoon over, our meatball will not fall apart. This is how we make all the meatballs. Bring the soup to a boil and the soup is ready!
Salad with rice and fish: Boil rice, cool, add pieces of boiled pink salmon (or canned food), green peas, green onions, dill, vegetable oil, salt to taste and mix.
Squid cutlets: These meatballs can be frozen ahead of time. We take squid carcasses. If with skin, remove it with a stocking, remove the insides. Using an immersion blender, or a meat grinder, we make mashed squid from squid. Salt, pepper to taste, add 2-5 tbsp. breadcrumbs (crackers are only needed so that you can form cutlets from the squid mass), chopped dill, mix. We form cutlets, roll them in breadcrumbs. Freeze for future use, or fry in a pan.
Fish cakes: pass the pulp of any fish through a meat grinder (or take ready-made minced fish), add 2-3 tbsp. Breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to taste. In a frying pan, fry the onion, diced and carrots, grated. Mix with minced meat. Form cutlets.
Tuna and Tomato Salad: Cut the tomatoes into cubes, add pieces of tuna (canned food), chopped lettuce leaves, dill and green onions. Drizzle with olive oil, stir.
Examples of Lenten Meals on Fish Days.(diet lunch)
- Potato soup with red fish + bean salad + 1 slice of bread + compote.
- Potato soup with squid meatballs + green salad + 1 slice of bread + tea with lemon.
— Boiled rice + baked fish + green salad + tea with lemon and nuts.
— Vegetable soup + salad with rice and fish + 1 slice of bread + compote .
Examples of Lenten Dinner on Fish Days.
— Buckwheat porridge + baked fish + raw vegetables + tea with lemon.
- Fish cakes + boiled rice + vegetable salad + tea with lemon.
— Tuna and tomato salad + lachanorizo + tea with lemon and nuts.
— Vegetable stew + fish cakes + slice of soy cheese + tea with lemon (dietary dinner).
— Squid cutlets + vegetable stew + vegetable salad + tea with lemon. (dietary dinner).
— Grilled vegetables + red fish steak baked in the oven + tea with lemon and nuts. (dietary dinner).
Adhering to proper nutrition in fasting, it is important to know something else. Exclusion from the diet of certain foods can lead to a deficiency of important vitamins and minerals. For example, if you refuse milk and sour-milk products, the intake of calcium into the body, from which our bones are “built”, is significantly reduced. And if you refuse meat food, there may be a deficiency of iron, which is necessary for blood formation and oxygen "nutrition" of the body. Therefore, to make up for this deficiency, you can supplement your diet with nutritional supplements and multivitamin complexes, the intake of which must be discussed with your doctor.
Do not forget that the end of the post should not be "sharp". Our body needs time to adapt to "heavy" food and rebuild metabolic processes. At the end of the fast, you need to include fast food in your menu as carefully as possible - first introduce dairy products and eggs, after a while - fish and meat. And it is very important not to overeat.
I wish the readers good health!
Endocrinologist Akmaeva G.BUT.
Many Orthodox people pay special attention to nutrition, however, the restriction of animal products during Lent is not really a key point, what is happening in the human soul is much more important. Nevertheless, not thinking and not talking about the Lenten menu in general is fundamentally wrong, because through restrictions comes cleansing - the main task of Great Lent.
So, let's talk about what to cook in Lent and what can be a Lenten menu?
Let's start from afar. How often do you cook strictly following the recipe. Experienced chefs and those who simply often cook, as a rule, bring their own “zest” to any dish, or even do without a recipe at all, taking the main idea as a basis and developing it to their own masterpiece. The products that are at hand are used, some ingredients are replaced by others, cooking in a pan gives way to food in the oven, and so on. The recipe as such in this case is required only in the form of a push and an idea.
The second reason why this article was written is the constant search for inspiration. Working housewives are familiar with the annoying thought boring their heads: what to cook for dinner today? So that thoughts do not drill into your head, but soar, waving culinary excitement like a flag, we offer an approximate lenten menu for a week - only ideas, no exact proportions and recipes, one solid inspiration that you can use at your own discretion.
As for detailed cooking instructions, then they are- in the form of links to pages with recipes that Magic Food has collected for you.
Monday
- Not everything to the cat Maslenitsa - Great Lent has come.
BREAKFAST
Lean coffee pancakes
Pancakes in the post - a very real story with the aroma of home comfort, grandmother's hands and memories of a sweet childhood. All that is needed for this delicacy to appear on the table in Lent is to replace milk with any other drink (mineral water, fruit juice, or even ordinary strong tea), and instead of eggs, add a little more flour or starch. Let the dough brew, and then bake the most ordinary thin pancakes. Delicious, tender and lean.
This time, try to take strong freshly brewed coffee as a base - pancakes with it will turn out with a very unusual flavor, the color is caramel-cream. The drink should be warm - it will brew the flour, so that the dough will come out elastic and strong. Fragrant Lenten Delight!
The vinaigrette
An undeservedly forgotten dish in Lent will come in handy. To make your vinaigrette as tasty as possible, do not forget to buy unrefined sunflower oil, which smells like seeds and contains much more nutrients than its refined “relative”.
Alternative: "white" vinaigrette without beets(potatoes, beans, sauerkraut, onions, sunflower oil).
AFTER SNACK
Lean Banana Smoothie
A peeled banana, some berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or cherries from the freezer), half a glass of any fruit juice or compote, a pinch of cinnamon, a minute with a blender - and you have an amazingly delicious lean smoothie in your glass! Thick smoothies without cream, milk or yogurt are just what you need to make the Fasting enjoyable.
Alternative: mango or pineapple smoothie, (bananas, carrots, apple, orange, ginger, mint.
DINNER
Pilaf with seafood
Lightly fry the carrots and onions in vegetable oil, add the mussels and squid rings, then add rice, add water and simmer until the cereal is cooked - here's a great lenten dinner for you.
stuffed tomatoes
Not the most budget dish, however, if you do not give yourself regular small pleasures, Lent will be a very difficult test. So - take a couple of tomatoes, cut off the “cap” and remove the core, put inside the stuffing from boiled rice until half cooked, finely chopped and fried mushrooms, onions, carrots, herbs, spinach, celery and bake until done. Very juicy, tasty and flavorful!
DINNER
Spaghetti with champignons
A little onion, cut into half rings - in a frying pan, fry until golden. Striped champignons - there too. A couple of tablespoons of soy sauce - to mushrooms and onions. Salt, pepper, parsley, add spaghetti boiled al dente ... magical! Allow yourself half a glass of wine for today's dinner, and then the feeling of a fairy tale will be complete and comprehensive.
Wednesday
- In the middle of the post and the mother is simple.
BREAKFAST
Lavash with vegetables
Unfold a sheet of thin pita bread bought in the evening on a board, grease with any lean mayonnaise (for example, apple or walnut). Put vegetables on one edge - tomatoes, Korean-style carrots, fried or pickled champignons, lettuce leaves, greens. Roll up and have a tasty and healthy breakfast.
Alternative: instead of pita bread, you can take corn tortillas tortillas.
DINNER
Mushroom soup puree
Mushrooms are what gives any dish a special touch of satiety and solidity, so soup prepared with butter or mushrooms will be especially appropriate in Lent, when the calorie content of the diet to which you are accustomed is reduced. Do not spare vegetables - thanks to them, the first course will be even more fragrant.
AFTER SNACK
sesame milk
Pour a couple of handfuls of sesame seeds with hot water and leave to infuse for 3-5 hours, then finely chop the mass with a blender and pass through a piece of linen fabric. Add honey, cinnamon or vanilla - a delicious drink is ready!
DINNER
Stuffed bell pepper
You definitely have a supply of frozen bell peppers, don't you? Boil some rice, mix with sauteed onions, carrots, parsley root and celery, salt, stuff peppers and lightly stew in the oven or double boiler. Don't be bored, dinner is ready!
Thursday
“They don’t die from fasting, but they die from gluttony.”
BREAKFAST
Nutella fruit toast
Place lightly dried nuts and pitted dates in equal proportions in a blender bowl, add a little citrus zest for flavor, if desired, a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder and sugar. Grind everything into a homogeneous, rather thick, lumpy mass, after which, without turning off the blender, add a little vegetable milk (sesame, pumpkin, poppy, almond or any other), achieving a smooth structure and the desired consistency. Such a paste is an excellent spread on dried slices of toast bread. In the company of a cup of coffee - an elegant lenten breakfast that will energize you for the whole day.
DINNER
Assorted vegetable soup
We take a voluminous capacious saucepan, heat a small amount of vegetable oil in it (olive oil would be great!), sauté onions, carrots, parsley root, add diced bell pepper, cauliflower and broccoli divided into inflorescences, do not forget about peeled tomatoes , pour a handful of green peas, do not be greedy and add a little corn. We pass, pass ... and then - op, a little bit of white wine and ordinary boiling water, spices and spices, salt and pepper. When serving, be sure to sprinkle with herbs. Overeating!
AFTER SNACK
Cranberry jelly
Good old jelly that smells of childhood and naivete... Why not? All you need is sugar, starch and some cranberries.
DINNER
Potato dumplings
Unleavened dough, mashed potatoes with fried carrots, pot-bellied dumplings, golden onion gravy ... Beware: so tasty that you can burst!
Friday
- Bread and cabbage will not let in dashing.
DINNER
Lean pickle
A simple science is to take, boil pearl barley in it, add diced potatoes, striped carrots and finely grated pickles. Hearty, rich, delicious.
Chinese vegetables in sweet and sour sauce
In a wok, fry coarsely chopped carrots, onions, bell peppers, pumpkin, celery root, add a little soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and then pour in half a glass of a weak solution of starch mixed with sugar and lemon juice. A couple more movements - and the magnificent vegetables in sweet and sour sauce are ready.
DINNER
Vegetable cutlets
Grind boiled broccoli, cauliflower, sauteed carrots, fried onions in any way convenient for you, add greens, spices, sun-dried tomatoes, add a couple of tablespoons of starch, form cutlets and fry them until golden brown. Appetizing!
Saturday
- During fasting, food is simple.
BREAKFAST
Lean potato pancakes
A couple of potato tubers on a grater, a little dill, a spoonful of flour, salt, pepper and a frying pan with vegetable oil - that's probably all you need to get a wonderful and tasty Saturday breakfast. Of course, lean.
Rice with vegetables
Fry the onions, carrots, bell peppers, asparagus beans, celery stalk and everything else that you have in the refrigerator and freezer in a deep saute pan, then add a glass of rice and simmer until tender. A colorful lunch is uplifting!
DINNER
Rustic potatoes in the oven
Well, who can think of something more appetizing than oven baked potato slices sprinkled with fragrant herbs and seasoned with garlic? Do not forget to get a jar of pickles from the pantry - you will have a great dinner.
Sunday
- Fasting is not in the belly, but in the spirit.
BREAKFAST
Homemade lean buns
Take as a basis any yeast dough recipe that you always succeed in, put the dough, wait for it to grow. Knead lean dough, add dried fruits and herbs, poppy seeds and nuts, berries and candied fruits, form balls - and delight the family with hot homemade breakfast buns.
eggplant caviar
Peel the baked eggplants, add some nuts and garlic, herbs and bell peppers, chop into a paste with a blender - you have an excellent vegetable snack on your table.
AFTER SNACK
rice ice cream
You will be surprised to know what ordinary rice porridge is capable of. If you mix it with sugar and apple marshmallow, add some lemon zest and vanilla, and then grind everything with a blender, freeze, stirring occasionally, you will get an amazing ice cream that melts on the tongue, leaving a delicate aftertaste. And yes, it's completely lean!
DINNER
Lean vegetable pizza
The classic pizza dough is prepared lean, that is, without the addition of milk and eggs. Great, this suits us! Everything else is the same as always, except for one moment: we remove the cheese, but add a lot of different vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, onions. Bake and enjoy with a glass of dry wine.
We are all people, weak and mostly greedy for goodies, and therefore it is worth taking care that small treats for snacks are always at hand during Lent.
The easiest option is a secret jar with your favorite dried fruits: fill a beautiful container with nuts, dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dried cherries and open it when there is a very strong desire to “break loose” from the chosen diet and eat a cake with butter cream or buy three kilograms " Doctoral” and make yourself such a sandwich.
Lenten cookies help: a little sweet - and everything seems simple and real again. Study carefully the composition of the chocolate offered in stores - among the bars of "black joy" there are often those that are made without milk and dairy products. Many caramel sweets are also suitable for a lenten menu, and therefore can cheer you up and help you resist the temptation.
Easy and delicious Fasting to you!
With sour cream and jam, the time of Great Lent comes. Much has been written and said about what can be eaten during fasting and what cannot be, but I still want to quote the words of Hieromonk Oleg, a priest of the Ascension Caves Monastery, about the observance of fasting by the laity: “... first of all, we should think about spiritual fasting ... ". For those who are not confident in their abilities, the hieromonk advises to start small. First fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Do not eat eggs, meat and dairy products these days. Then gradually observe other restrictions of fasting.
What can you eat in a post
Lent 2016 starts March 14th and ends April 30th. During fasting, it is supposed to eat lean food, this one that is of plant origin. All kinds of pickles are allowed (pickled and pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut), as well as mushrooms, nuts, tea, crackers, gray or black bread, you can cook compotes, fruit jelly and various cereals on the water with the addition of raisins, prunes and dried apricots.
How to eat healthy in Lent
- On Mondays- dry eating (water, black bread, fruits and vegetables)
- On Tuesdays- hot food without vegetable oil
- On Wednesdays- dry eating (vegetables, fruits, black bread, water, compotes)
- On Thursdays- hot food cooked without vegetable oil
- On Fridays- dry eating (water, black bread, vegetables and fruits)
- On Saturdays- food with vegetable oil, grape wine is allowed
- On Sundays- food cooked in vegetable oil, wine It is supposed to eat once a day, in the evenings, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday, when it is allowed to eat twice, at lunch and in the evening.
Meals for Lent on holidays
- March 14th- complete abstinence from any food
- April 7 (Annunciation) - you can eat fish dishes
- April 23 (Lazarus Saturday) - you can eat dishes with fish caviar
- April 24 (Palm Sunday) - fish and seafood dishes are allowed
- April 29 (Good Friday) - you can not take any food before the removal of the shroud during the church service
- May 1 (Easter)- fast food is allowed
Lenten dishes
A very tasty lean dish, which is prepared from pumpkin, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. Vegetables seasoned with spices are baked in the oven. See detailed step by step recipe...
Beans are not only tasty and nutritious, they are also famous for the fact that they contain vitamins, proteins and amino acids indispensable for the human body...
An ideal dish during fasting, tasty and nutritious, contains vegetable protein and vitamins. Preparing this dish is quite simple, and in the presence of canned beans and lecho, it is generally done instantly ...
This dish is simply indispensable during fasting, it is tasty and nutritious, contains vegetable protein (mushrooms). At the same time, these zrazy contain neither meat, nor milk, nor eggs...
During fasting, only lean food is allowed. In order for the body to receive the proteins it needs, it is necessary to consume proteins of plant origin. And the leader among such plants is beans ...
Despite the fact that this borsch is prepared without meat, it turns out to be so rich, tasty and fragrant that many meat soups fade against it...
This pate is very tender, tasty and nutritious. Great recipe for fasting people. Also, this lean pate recipe will be very useful for vegetarians, as well as for everyone who adheres to proper nutrition ...
This dish needs no introduction, everyone knows it. Vinaigrette is healthy, nutritious and delicious. You can cook with beans, you can without, and most importantly - even without adding oil, it remains delicious ...
Prepare this delicious and healthy soup with mushrooms and barley. Natural protein of plant origin will fill the body with strength and energy, only in fasting it should be eaten without sour cream...
It is not so difficult to eat tasty and varied during fasting, it is enough to show a little imagination and a boring potato turns into a real delicacy. Try it, delicious, fast and affordable...
Beans are a source of very valuable vegetable protein, vitamins and amino acids. During fasting, it is very important that the diet is balanced, cabbage soup with beans will help you with this ...
The most delicious mushrooms are pickled. Moreover, you can pickle mushrooms yourself at home. I offer a very simple and quick recipe, just a few hours and the delicacy is ready!
Delicious and inexpensive meal. In addition to buckwheat, you will need any edible mushrooms (mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, etc.), onions, carrots, grows. oil. The perfect meal during Lent...
Surprising but true: dough without milk and eggs can be delicious! And not just tasty, but very tasty. Preparing lean dough is quite simple, you can make any filling ...
A quick, tasty and healthy dish, suitable for both everyday menu and fasting. Rather, these are even two lenten dishes, because. This recipe allows you to cook delicious boiled fish and aspic ...
An ideal dish for vegetarians and fasting. Green beans are full of vitamins and minerals, mushrooms provide vegetable protein, and pasta is a carbohydrate source of energy...
During fasting, prepare a delicious and nutritious soup. Gazpacho is made from fresh tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and lettuce. During Lent, instead of white bread, we put gray ...
Diversify your menu during fasting with delicious sauerkraut. She prepares very quickly. Only three days and the vitamin dish is ready. You can eat it sour, or you can stew it and stick dumplings on it ...
On Saturdays and Sundays, when hot food cooked in vegetable oil is allowed, you can make this tasty and healthy stew. For its preparation, you will need carrots, zucchini .....
A very tasty and healthy meal. First, boil the eggplants or bake them in the oven, then cut them together with onions and lettuce peppers. A little salt and a little oil, and our dish is ready...
During fasting, when the menu is not so varied, ferment cauliflower. This simple lean dish will not only decorate the table, but also bring an element of novelty to your diet. Try it, very tasty cabbage...
A simple and delicious recipe for a lean dish. To prepare pickled eggplant, you will need eggplant, carrots, onions, garlic and quite a bit of vegetable oil ...
It is a traditional dish of fasting people and vegetarians. It cooks very quickly and always turns out delicious. With the appropriate decoration, it turns into a lenten festive dish ...
The ascetic and often insipid taste of lenten dishes can be pleasantly complemented by spicy carrots cooked according to a Korean recipe, which is so loved by our people...
Ratatouille, although it is a lean dish, is worthy of a festive table in terms of its taste and appearance. Therefore, on the holidays of fasting, remember this dish ...
A very tasty and filling meal. Mushrooms are a 100% vegetable protein, which during fasting will more than replace animal proteins for you.
Boiled rice is a very healthy and nutritious dish, it helps to cleanse the body. Complement boiled rice with stewed vegetables and you get a great lean, healthy lunch...
In those days of Lent, when it is allowed to eat fish, you can cook this beautiful appetizer from avocados, shrimp, fried fish and cherry tomatoes. Cooking skewers in the oven...
There are many different recipes for cooking potatoes. Among the simple and lean recipes, I recommend this one. The use of paprika powder will give the dish a special golden color, and the garlic will give an appetizing aroma...
An old recipe that came out of the origins of folk cooking. A very simple dough without eggs and milk, which is well molded. Delicious toppings and appetizing roasted onions...
Ragout with potatoes and vegetables is prepared very quickly and simply, and in order for the potatoes to boil quickly and the stew to turn out thick, use a simple tip on how to properly cut potatoes ...
Fried potatoes with mushrooms is a very high-calorie hearty dish. Cook it for lunch and you will have energy for the rest of the day, which is very important for a modern business person...
Do not be afraid of the overseas tricky name Brava sauce. It's actually quite easy to make the sauce. We take tomato sauce, garlic, paprika, flour and a little spicy Tabasco sauce ...
During fasting, you can not eat meat soups and broths, however, boiled liquid food is necessary for the body. Here we are all rescued by the ear, which can be cooked on those days when it is allowed to eat fish ...
Silver carp is a very common and affordable fish, the meat is tender and juicy. It cooks quickly and can be fried with minimal oil. This modest but tasty dish will expand your diet during Lent...