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.
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 ...
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.
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.
In Coptic Orthodox Christianity, fasting is defined as going without water and food from midnight to sunset; after that time, the consumption of water and one vegetarian meal is permitted. The fasting periods of Coptic Christians are exceeded by no other Christian denomination except the Orthodox Tewahedo.
The Orthodox Church refers to Lent as Great Lent or the Great Fast, and it calls for fasting for the entire duration of the 40-day liturgical season. The faithful not only abstain from meat but from eggs and dairy, too. Moreover, the Orthodox define meat as all animals with a backbone, including fish.
However, when you use the 16:8 fasting method, you need nutritional foods since you will be away from food for 16 hours. Tuna is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are essential for good health. In addition, fruits are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
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. All nuts and seeds: including sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame.
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.
We also dye the eggs red, symbolising the blood of Christ. On Good Friday, there is no cooking or work as it is the day that Jesus is crucified. For this reason all food preparation should happen on Holy Thursday or Easter Saturday. We also eat fakes (Greek lentil soup) or other boiled food with vinegar on Good Friday.
Local experts believe that Jesus ate simple meals of bread and locally caught fish. Aside from simple meals of bread and locally caught fish, local experts believe that Jesus also ate olives. Local experts believe that Jesus drank wine with his meals.
On Fasting days, besides the obligation of abstaining from flesh-meat, the number and quantity of meals are restricted. One may eat only one full meal in a day, and that not before twelve o'clock. A collation, or about one-fourth of a meal, is also allowed.
- You can take a shower during your fasting period as you may feel thirsty, dehydrated or heated. However, make sure that you do not swallow the water. - Women can apply kohl (kajal or eyeliner) or men/women can use eye drops or any other thing for the eyes.
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.
In Syriac Christianity, the Fast of Nineveh (Classical Syriac: ܒܥܘܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܝ̈ܐ Bā'ūṯā ḏ-Ninwāyē, literally "Petition of the Ninevites") is a three-day fast starting the third Monday before Clean Monday from Sunday Midnight to Wednesday noon, during which participants usually abstain from all dairy foods and meat ...
Some of the most popular ones include fasolada (a delicious black bean soup with tomato sauce), cuttlefish and spinach casserole, taramas (a delicious dip made of mashed potatoes and fish eggs that is way tastier than it sounds), lagana (a flatbread to dip into everything) as well as halva, the tahini-based dessert, so ...
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