Are you bored of your current fasting meals? Or maybe you’ve just been baptized and have no idea what to eat. Well keep reading and take a look at my Orthodox Fasting Recipes listed below. Fasting as an Orthodox Christian is primarily about spirituality and discipline rather than the ingredients of your meal. We abstain from meat, dairy, olive oil and wine most Wednesdays and Fridays as well as during longer fasting periods through the year. Individual families may have different guidelines based on their medical conditions and nutritional needs. If you have any health concerns, I would recommend speaking with your priest for guidance on fasting as well as your doctor.
There does tend to be some confusion with the fasting rules. I’ve heard some Orthodox say any alcohol other than Wine is okay during a fast. Others have said absolutely no alcohol. The same goes for olive oil vs. other cooking oils. I will admit, I find it extremely challenging to completely eliminate oil, especially since it is commonly used for sautéing, but you can just sauté with water if needed. Regarding meat, most Orthodox I have spoken with say you are allowed to consume invertebrates, such as shrimp, crab, mussels, and lobster. If you are confused or have any questions on these topics, it is always best to consult with your priest.
Substitutions & Treats
Personally, I am not fond of substituting ingredients to accommodate fasting requirements. For one thing, many of these substitutions are unnatural and unhealthy. Second, it undermines the purposes of fasting, which are to strengthen our spiritual resolve and discipline our mind and body. If we merely eat the same dishes but replace certain ingredients, are we truly fasting?
One thing I prefer is to avoid treats (or sweets) while fasting. These indulgences often contain excessive amounts of sugar and giving in to these cravings contradicts the purpose of fasting. In today’s world, the convenience of smartphones and services like “DoorDash” have made instant gratification a widespread issue for many people in America. Obesity and Heart Disease rates are at unprecedented levels. Not only are companies continuously creating more processed foods, but these items are also becoming more accessible and cheaper than healthier alternatives.
Spirituality
With all that in mind, fasting should really provide us more time to work on ourselves spiritually. For this reason, I prefer to avoid elaborate recipes. By keeping our meals simple, we reduce the time spent on planning, preparation, and cooking, thereby allowing more time for our spiritual journey and prayer. If you are struggling to come up with fasting meal ideas, I have listed below some of my family’s favorite options. I plan to update this list as I continue, and I am also open to providing specific recipes upon request.
Breakfast:
Peanut Butter Oatmeal
We usually add peanut butter powder and syrup to our oatmeal but you can use regular peanut butter if you like.
Oatmeal with Chopped Nuts, Fruit and Syrup
Peanut Butter Banana Toast
Vegan Pancakes with Fruit and Syrup
Lunch:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Veggie Sandwiches with Hummus
Salad with Beans and a Fast-Friendly Dressing
Dinner:
Rice and Beans
I usually use dried pinto or black beans that I’ve previously prepared. Any kind of beans (even canned) work just fine. You can add veggies and spices to your liking.
Clam Chowder with Beans
Instead of heavy cream I just use almond milk. You can also use coconut milk or any other dairy substitute. If we’re feeling the need for more protein, I will add in some beans.
Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Refried Beans
Black Bean Tortas
Chick Pea or Black Bean Flautas
Mujadara
Lentil Sloppy Joes
Just use lentils instead of beef.
Burrito Bowls
You can use rice and lentils with taco seasoning. Optional toppings include salsa, guacamole, lime juice, pico de gallo, and lettuce.
Macaroni & Tomato Juice with Broccoli
Yes this is just cooked macaroni with some tomato juice. I usually cook some frozen broccoli separately and add it in with some season all and lemon pepper. If we want more protein, I will add some beans.
Noodles with Peanut Butter Sauce
Snacks:
Avocado Toast
I like to add chopped tomatoes or even some pico de gallo with Sriracha or Cholula.
Baked Sweet Potato with Coconut Oil, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon
Spinach & Fruit Smoothie
You can use dairy substitutes instead of milk. I usually just use water and add in some Turmeric and Black pepper.
During these periods, certain foods are prohibited. These are, in order of frequency of prohibition, meat (including poultry), dairy products, fish, olive oil and wine. Fruits, vegetables, grains and shellfish are permitted throughout the year.
During the 15-day Assumption fasting, fasters abstain from dairy products, eggs, and meat. Also, fasters abstain from olive oil on weekdays and from fish every day except for 6 August. Furthermore, every Wednesday and Friday, fasters abstain from dairy, eggs, fish, meat, and olive oil.
It can thus been seen that the Orthodox Christian Church, through its numerous fasting practices incorporating a periodic vegetarian diet (including vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, olives, bread, snails, and seafood), and its minimization of meat eating essentially proposes a variant of vegetarianism, thus ...
All fruits and vegetables are permitted, as are pulses, grains, nuts, and seeds, shellfish, and to the chagrin Roman Catholics everywhere, sugar, honey, preserves, and jellies.
In general, with a few exceptions, all Wednesdays and Fridays (Mondays also, in some monasteries) are kept as days of fasting, with no meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, wine or oil to be eaten.
The fast also limits fish, but other seafood like shrimp, mussels, and calamari have the OK. Greek Orthodox or otherwise, you can eat well while you fast thanks to all the fresh vegetables, grains, herbs, and seafood that abound in the Mediterranean.
Both wine and oil for many centuries were stored in "wineskins" (as we read in the Bible). It is for this reason that wine and oil on Saturdays and Sundays in Lent was considered to be a partial breaking of the fast to honor the day, since the "meat" leached in to the two liquids.
If you following what the Bible says to Christians, you are allowed to eat eggs on whatever day you want. Can you eat eggs on Fridays during lent? Yes, you may eat eggs on Fridays during Lent. It is only red meat (in the US, that mainly means beef, chicken, and pork) which is not allowed.
There are no specific time limits. Refrain from eating during the fast and only consume water or juice. Pray and read scripture during your fast. Ask God for forgiveness and strength.
Apart from this, no food should be eaten on a fast day. Water does not break the fast. Fasting is observed on the following days: All Fridays of the year, in honour of the Crucifixion of the Lord.
No matter whether you enjoy them scrambled, boiled, or even cooked in an omelet, eggs can be a fantastic food to choose when breaking a fast. They are packed with high-quality protein, are relatively easy to tolerate, and are a nutritional powerhouse.
Catholics and Protestants can choose what to give up for Lent, like chocolate or Facebook. Orthodox fasting is much stricter and it is not permitted to customize. Those who fast basically become vegan for 40 days and don't eat meat, eggs, and dairy, or drink alcohol.
No, you can't eat chocolate during a fast, you can't EAT during a fast. Depending on a fasting diet you may choose to only exclude some foods. There is a chance you could eat chocolate, if, for example, you were fasting from fried foods. But a true fast requires no food consumption.
All fruits: These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. All vegetables: These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. All Whole grains: including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, oats, barley, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.
It is the Orthodox Tradition to fast from food products that contain blood. So, we fast from meat, fish, dairy products, oil, and wine. ( Oil and wine, up until the last couple of centuries, were stored in skins of animals. This is why we can eat grapes and olives, we cannot have wine or olive oil.
We should avoid meat, eggs, and dairy products during fasting. However, we should eat legumes, fruits, vegetables, greens, bread, seafood, potatoes, some wine, with food, and occasionally some fasting dessert, such as halva.
The two full fast days carry four restrictions in addition to eating and drinking – one may not wash one's body, wear leather shoes, use colognes, oils or perfumes, or have sexual relations. Yom Kippur also has all the restrictions of Shabbat, and Tisha B'Av has restrictions somewhat similar to a mourner sitting shiva.
Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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