What can you eat on Lenten days? The post is coming

To those allowed in Lent Products traditionally include cereals, grains, vegetables and fruits, berries, mushrooms, legumes, spices, honey, as well as pickles and preserves stored over the summer.

Lent is seven weeks strict restrictions affecting all aspects of human life. Of all the religious prohibitions, the ban on eating savory foods is, if not the most important, then at least, very significant. Of course, one cannot agree with those who are ready to compare fasting with a diet, but those who underestimate food prohibitions, considering them an empty formality, are deeply mistaken.

After all, by fasting in food, we fight our temptations, strengthen our willpower, learn to be content with little, and through all this we develop spiritually.

So, Lent is a challenge that lasts 48 days and involves a radical change in our eating habits, giving up many foods and generally reducing the amount of food we consume.

Products prohibited during Lent

Eggs, animal and poultry meat, milk and all dairy products are strictly prohibited during Lent.

You will also have to give up fish on all days of fasting, except Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Annunciation. On weekdays, wine and vegetable oils (and therefore all fried foods) are prohibited. Clean Monday, all Wednesdays and Fridays, and especially Good Friday, are considered the strictest days, when many believers generally refuse to eat food and drink only water.

It is very important to exclude from the diet all products that contain even the slightest proportion of components of animal origin.

Thus, the list of foods prohibited during Lent can be continued for a very long time. This list will include rich pastries, milk chocolate, mayonnaise, and butter, and even chewing gum(since it may well contain gelatin of animal origin). Before purchasing products Lenten table, carefully study their composition.

There is another very important prohibition, which is often forgotten or not given due importance. We should deny ourselves those foods that we eat not for satiety and benefit, but for pleasure. Of course, such products include unhealthy sweets, chocolate bars, carbonated drinks, fast food... then everyone can independently continue this list.

Products allowed during Lent

Anything that can be prepared from ingredients plant origin, you can safely serve it on the Lenten table. Undoubtedly, the basis of a Lenten diet should be vegetables in all their diversity and splendor (raw, stewed, boiled, salted, canned, in soups, salads and side dishes, casseroles and pies). You should only refrain from fried vegetables.

Lovers of hearty and nutritious food during Lent can safely cook porridge from buckwheat, rice, pearl barley, corn, millet cereal. It is important to remember that milk and butter cannot be added to porridge, but mushrooms and vegetables can be added. For example, champignons, onions, carrots, bell peppers, herbs and spices added to boiled buckwheat will turn it into very tasty treat. And you can safely add dried fruits, berries and nuts to sweet cereals.

"Lenten Market"

You can buy it in stores today a large number of products allowed during Lent and designed to further diversify our menu: soy sauce, coconut milk, ketchup and tomato paste, buckwheat pasta, Korean salads.

Those with a sweet tooth can treat themselves to bitter dark chocolate, marmalade, halva and other delicacies that do not contain prohibited foods.

Fasting without harm to health

For our body normal operation and maintaining immunity, you need to get everything you need from food nutrients. Therefore, it is unacceptable to turn a fast into a hunger strike, which will undermine vitality and will negatively affect the health of even a strong body. It is important to learn how to diversify your menu and fully replace foods prohibited during Lent with permitted foods rich in protein and vitamins.

Having excluded meat and dairy products from the menu, be sure to replace them with protein-rich products of plant origin: mushrooms, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, sprouted wheat grains, soy products.

By refusing meat food, we deprive our body of the main source of iron. To replenish its reserves among the foods allowed during Lent, we choose those that are rich in iron. These include apples, buckwheat, bananas and cocoa.

Simple and healthy food, prepared from products that are allowed to be consumed during Lent, will help the body overcome spring vitamin deficiency. The main thing is to remember to diversify your menu, then fasting will only bring you benefits and will contribute to overall health improvement.

Lenten delicacies are questionable

Having dealt with the main prohibitions and restrictions on the use of foods during Lent, one can, however, notice some ambiguous and controversial points in their classification.

Thus, we do not face a direct ban on the consumption of overseas fruits, coffee, tea or seafood. However, we must remember that fasting is a time to limit yourself and fight your bad habits. For example, drinking caffeine is more of a habit than a need for the body. Perhaps you should give up that extra cup of coffee for the benefit of others healthy drinks: chicory, herbal decoctions, natural juices, compotes, fruit drinks.

Seafood delicacies can hardly be called a lean product. The absence of bans on them is connected only with a historical feature. In the 17th century, when the customs of observing Lent were finally formed, there were no such delicacies in the Russian diet at all and it was pointless to ban them. Today, everyone has the right to choose for themselves whether to classify seafood as products prohibited during Lent or to consider them permitted and consumed without restrictions. Most often, sea delicacies are equated to fish products, that is, it is permissible to consume them only in certain days Great Lent.

Separately, I need to say a few words about such a product as caviar. Today this is a rather expensive delicacy, but among our ancestors, caviar, especially pike and crucian carp, was the most common dish even during Lent. Modern traditions equate caviar with fish, and thus it is also prohibited.

In conclusion, we say that everyone is free to decide for themselves how and when to eat. But in Lately All more people tries to follow the rules and customs of Lent. This is very pleasing, as it indicates that our people are reviving love and respect for the religious traditions of the past, the desire to improve themselves and the world around them, the desire to develop strength and spirit and constantly improve.

By voluntarily giving up food and not taking part in entertainment, a person fasts. Usually Christians make this decision, knowing what they can eat during Lent and adhering to proper diet, even without fast food you can maintain vigor and strength for work and full life.

Some beginning Orthodox Christians sometimes make the mistake of thinking that fasting means a complete refusal to eat. Not at all. To begin with, you should avoid all kinds of events where a person is just having fun without doing anything:

no holiday celebrations;
do not watch entertainment programs;
avoid all kinds of negative actions and misconduct;
don't make love;
do not swear;
do not discuss anyone or gossip.

Only after this should you eat the specified food during Lent, refusing the fast food.

What to eat during fasting - list of staple foods

Anyone who wanted to fast should not hesitate to familiarize themselves with the list of the most popular foods allowed for consumption.

You can eat the following during Lent:

Almost all varieties of cereal products: from semolina to pearl barley.
All possible vegetables.
Dishes of fruits and berries in any form (raw, fried, baked, boiled, canned).
Nuts, whatever is available.
Any mushrooms.
Spices from plants and vegetables (ground and whole pepper, herbs, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, etc.).
Honey and other bee products.

It is mandatory to eat during the fasting period, because no one forces you to undergo a strict survival test. This is just a certain test for the believer. In order for the body to function properly these days, it will need protein. What sources can there be if food of animal origin is prohibited?

It's simple. Vegetable protein will be a lifesaver. The diet includes peas, beans and other available legumes. They will help you fast deliciously. It won’t be difficult to cook a nice soup from vegetables, some cereals, chickpeas and season it with your favorite spices. However, even such a dish should be eaten in moderation, using it only to satisfy hunger.

When is it permissible to eat fish during fasting?

This product is prohibited in some cases. This applies to days in strict fast. To avoid mistakes, you need to know how to use it correctly.

The inclusion of fish products in the Lenten diet is not prohibited if the fast itself coincides with a major church holiday. Usually this

Annunciation
Lazarev Saturday
Sunday before Easter
Transfiguration

During the Nativity fast, fish is allowed on the dinner table on Saturday and Sunday. On these same days of the week you can eat it during Peter’s Fast, plus on Thursday and Tuesday.

If your health is too weak, it is better to eat fish on all days, having previously discussed this with the priest.

Meals on different days of the week

There are certain rules dictating the consumption of food in different days differently. In some cases they don't eat at all. Sometimes relaxation is possible.

The strictest fast falls on three odd days:

Monday
Wednesday
Friday

If you have the strength, it is better to refuse food or eat raw foods without adding any vegetable oil.

The main thing is what the meal will consist of:

bread, preferably rye;
jelly or compotes, without sweet additives;
fruits vegetables.

Days allowing boiled or fried food without vegetable oils - Thursday and Tuesday.

On weekends, you are allowed to pamper yourself with soup prepared using sunflower or any other vegetable oil. Fish is not forbidden.

Some rules for eating during Lent

For that. To observe the strictest fast, first of all you need to calculate your strength. The health status of the person who is going to endure it plays a big role. Sometimes mothers who are breastfeeding babies are allowed a small amount of meat products. The same applies to those suffering from serious illnesses.

What do you give up during Lent?

seafood;
meat;
any fish;
milk and everything that is made from it
egg;
any baked goods containing additives from the above;
sauces, mayonnaise of any kind, if they contain milk or eggs, egg powder;
alcohol.

An important rule: do not eat food on Fridays and on the first day. The first and final weeks are the most difficult. They drink only water and eat fruits and vegetables. At other times, honey is allowed, and in some cases, fish dishes with vegetable oil.

Can I have sweets?

Sometimes the question arises: is it permissible to drink tea with sweets or chocolate? Yes. If bitter, without milk and in small quantities. It is not forbidden to eat kozinaki, dried berries, and marmalade.

More strict Orthodox Christians, especially monastics, are against the use of honey. However, clergy do not prohibit it. According to their advice, to have good source vitamins, eat better linden honey or buckwheat.

Approximate one-day menu

For those who decide to fast, we can recommend a proven meal plan:

In the morning, have breakfast with porridge (250 g) from any cereal, boiled in water and a piece of bread, preferably black.
You can have lunch with a light salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce leaves, salted and sprinkled with lemon juice.
They have an afternoon snack with fruit and berry compote.
It is recommended to have dinner with a stew made from a combination of potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

By abstaining physically and spiritually, a person becomes closer to the Creator.

Voluntary refusal of food and abstinence from any entertainment is called fasting. True Christians who want to reunite with, decide to fast. But what can you eat while fasting to maintain strength for everyday life?

The essence of fasting

Many Orthodox Christians who are just beginning their path to God believe that fasting means giving up eating altogether. But this is not entirely correct. First of all, you need to limit yourself from activities that bring idleness and pleasure:

do not participate in pleasure festivities;
stop watching entertainment programs;
do not do bad things;
not fulfill marital duties;
do not use foul language or gossip.

Secondly, you need to stop eating fast food. Only lean foods are allowed.

There is a basic list of lean foods that can be eaten:

Various types of cereals: semolina, barley, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, pearl barley.
Any vegetables: potatoes, cabbage, onions, beets, carrots.
Fruits and berries.
Mushrooms.
Nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pine.
Bee products.
Canned vegetables, fruits and berries (compotes, jam, vegetable salads).
Seasonings, spices and herbs (dill, parsley, Bay leaf, black and red pepper, cardamom, etc.)

You can eat during fasting, because this is a test, not a test of survival. In order for the body to function fully, it requires sufficient quantity squirrel. Where can I get it if the meat is in fast days under strict ban? The answer is simple, you should replace meat products with those that contain vegetable protein. Legumes (beans, soybeans, chickpeas, peas) are especially enriched with such protein.

Try making lean soup using any type of legumes, vegetables and grains. Season with spices to taste, and you will understand that fasting can be delicious. But don't overeat. After all, excess food is a violation of fasting. You should eat everything in moderation, trying only to satisfy your hunger, and not to eat to satiety.

When can you eat fish during fasting?

Fish is a unique product that is prohibited on strict days. To answer the question “When can you eat fish during fasting?”, you should study the basic rules for its consumption.

Most often, fish can be included in your diet when fasting days coincide with big days. church holidays. For example, April 7 (Annunciation), the last Sunday before Easter (The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem), the Saturday of Lazarus.

During the Dormition Fast, fish is allowed on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Peter's Fast allows you to eat fish on the following days: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.

During the Nativity fast, fish can be included in the menu on weekends: Saturday and Sunday.

Special rules apply to people with poor health. When talking with the priest, you can ask for relief, then you will be allowed to eat fish products Anytime.

Meals on different days

During the week, you need to know on which days you should relax, and on which days, on the contrary, you should completely abstain from food.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday are the days of the strictest fasting. At this time, if possible, you should completely refuse food or you can allow yourself to eat very little raw, uncooked foods. In addition, during these 3 days you cannot add vegetable oils to your dishes. The main food is Rye bread, vegetables, fruits and unsweetened jelly or compote.

Tuesday and Thursday. These days you are allowed to eat food that can be pre-cooked or fried. But again, adding sunflower oil is prohibited.

Saturday and Sunday. Days of relaxation. You can cook your own soup or prepare a vegetable stew with the addition of fish and vegetable oil.

This fast is the strictest and longest. Therefore, before you start committing it, you need to think about whether it will harm your health. Sick people and nursing mothers are allowed to eat even a little meat on fasting days.

You should refuse:

from any type of meat, fish and even seafood;
dairy and fermented milk products, eggs and even egg powder;
baking, since prohibited products are added to the dough during cooking;
mayonnaise and other sauces if they contain milk or eggs;
alcoholic drinks, as they have cheerful properties.

It must be remembered that fasting people do not eat at all on the first day of Lent and every Friday.

In the first and last 7 days, you can only eat vegetables and fruits and drink only fresh water.

On other days, you are allowed to consume honey, sunflower oil, and sometimes fish.

Are sweets allowed?

Some sweet tooth lovers are interested in whether it is sometimes possible to drink tea with sugar or eat a bar of chocolate during Lent? The Church gives a positive answer.

During fasting, it is allowed to add sugar to food; in addition, you can eat dark chocolate in small quantities without adding dairy ingredients, dried berries, kozinaki, marmalade candies and honey.

Some Orthodox Christians believe that eating honey is undesirable. Old Believers and monks especially adhere to this opinion. But church officials are not against honey being present on the table of Orthodox Christians during Lent. They advise choosing buckwheat or linden varieties, as they contain many trace elements and vitamins.

Menu for one day of Lent

For people who have decided to start fasting for the first time, we can recommend the following approximate meal plan:

Breakfast: a piece of black bread, 250 g of any porridge cooked in water.
Lunch: lettuce salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, seasoned with lemon juice and salt.
Afternoon snack: one apple or pear. A glass of berry compote.
Dinner: stew of stewed vegetables: potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

According to the clergy, the most important thing is the purification of the soul. But the question “What can you eat during fasting” has no such of great importance. The main thing is to sincerely believe that through spiritual and physical abstinence we...

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.

Great Lent. This is the longest and strictest fast. It lasts for seven weeks preceding the Day of the Bright Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Charter Orthodox Church During Lent, he allows the use of vegetable oil only on Saturdays and Sundays. 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.
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.
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”.
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 you want to stop eating fatty foods for a while. 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 of delicious vegetables and you can alternate them during Lent. These are zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower, green pea, corn, beans and many other tasty and healthy vegetables and fruits. The more diverse your plant food on fasting days, so much 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. It is unlikely that anyone will feel hungry after a plate of delicious porridge. 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 the normal functioning of the 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, eggplants, all legumes without exception, and of course soybeans, which contain the most proteins and other useful substances, are rich in proteins. Nowadays, in the culinary departments of stores you can always buy excellent soybean dishes, which in taste and calorie content are almost similar to 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. On strict days, consumption of fish and vegetable oil is prohibited.

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, during fasting it is unacceptable to use alcoholic drinks. 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 meat foods after completing your fast. 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 very salty foods. Everything that you gave up during fasting should return to your diet gradually, but in no case immediately.

Orthodox fast These are the days when people are cleansed in spirit. But at the same time, the body is also cleansed, because everything in every person should be pure - soul, body, and thoughts. On fasting days, you need to be attentive to your psychophysical state. A person who has decided that he is ready to limit his diet, in principle, knows which foods are allowed to be consumed in a given period and which are not.

Basic canons of nutrition during fasting

You need to figure out what you can still eat on fasting days, and what foods you need to exclude from your diet. So, the following are subject to mandatory exclusion:

Meat products;
Milk, as well as butter, cottage cheese and cheeses;
Eggs and mayonnaise;
Fatty sweets and baked goods;
Fish and vegetable oil (on strict fasting days);
Alcohol and tobacco.

These foods should not be eaten during Lent. There is an opinion that if a person does not eat meat, eggs, or drink milk, then he is deprived of protein, which is so necessary for the body. But when the right approach This is absolutely not the case with a lean diet.

There are many foods that are rich in protein. If you diversify your lean diet with mushrooms, eggplants, legumes and soybeans, you can get required amount squirrel. After all, even nutritionists have proven that soy can easily replace fish and meat.

And yet, before fasting, you should find out whether it will become dangerous for the body, because not everyone may benefit from abstaining from certain foods.

What is allowed to eat during strict fasting?

In Christianity, fasting days vary in severity. On one day one thing may be allowed, on the second - another. And there are days when you can’t eat at all. The strictest fast for Christians is Lent.

It lasts 40 days, during which any entertainment activities are prohibited. In addition, there are some canons that must be adhered to:

It is forbidden to eat any food on Fridays, as well as on the day of the beginning of Lent;
The first and last weeks are marked by the permission to eat vegetables, fruits and bread. Water is allowed as a drink.
On other days, honey, nuts and any plant foods are allowed.

What can you eat during fasting on non-strict days:

Eggplant;
Zucchini;
Fish;
Lentils;
Oatmeal;
Any fruit salads, of course, without dressing them with sour cream.

The main food during fasting is herbal products. These are mainly cereals (the best of course are buckwheat, wheat, barley and oatmeal, since these are native Russian types of cereals, and they are also rich in fiber and minerals).

Of course, you shouldn’t forget about the vitamins contained in vegetables and fruits. The main thing is that fasting does not cause a violation of the diet. You should not skip breakfast, and you also need to remember that it is advisable to snack more often during Lent.

Due to the fact that the lean diet lacks animal protein, which gives the feeling that a person is full for a long time, you want to eat something substantial, especially in the first days. But in this case, you can forget about cleansing.

The best option here is regular nutrition, as well as the inclusion of whole grains in the diet, and of course beans.

It is important to remember that you need to prepare your body for any food restriction. For him, it will be the most severe stress if a person overeats every day and suddenly suddenly stops eating. There will be no benefit from such an attempt at cleansing.

Features of nutrition after fasting

Some people think that if the fast is over, then they need to make up for all the days and eat everything at once, and even more.

At the same time, without thinking at all that in this case there will not only be no benefit from abstinence, but even, on the contrary, only harm. How to eat after the end of fasting?

The first days should be like a gradual “fading” of fasting. It is not recommended to eat these days:

Meat (except perhaps chicken, turkey or fish);
Mushrooms, especially pickled ones;
Don't get carried away with baking;
High-calorie sweets such as cake, pastry with butter or cream;
Sausages and smoked meats.

Since the body, during the period of fasting, becomes weaned from animal food, you need to start eating it little by little, as if re-accustoming yourself. You should not eat fried meat or fish. It is advisable that the food be boiled and should be eaten in small portions, little by little.

It is better to limit salt in the first days after fasting. Do not get carried away with flour products based on butter and eggs. Much healthier will be dishes made from cereals (rice, buckwheat, millet or oatmeal - it doesn’t really matter) with fruits, to which it is advisable to add more greens. After all, the body needs vitamins during this period.

The Sacrament of Communion - how to prepare for it, what can you eat?

The shortest duration of fasting before Communion is three days. It happens that a person cannot withstand these restrictions due to illness or even hard, exhausting work, while the body requires a lot of calories.

In this case, at confession, which necessarily takes place before communion, the priest must repent of this sin as well. What you cannot do is tell the priest that you have been fasting if the fast is not maintained.

So what can you eat during this fast? Almost the same things are allowed as on other fasting days:

You can eat vegetables and fruits;
Cereal porridge;
Boiled or baked fish;
Bread;
Nuts.

You can also eat sweets, such as dark chocolate, kozinaki, but it is better to limit the consumption of these products. The main thing is to remember that when consuming even those foods that are allowed, you need to know when to stop and not overeat.

The benefits of fasting for a person or “why fast”

Eating according to all the rules during fasting is very beneficial for human health. Allowed food will give the body necessary substances, and the absence of foods that are prohibited will not allow the body to waste energy fighting toxins, etc.

Lenten nutrition inherently normalizes the functioning of the entire body, but its main benefit is this:

Improved digestion;
Getting rid of dysbacteriosis;
Cleansing the liver and normalizing its work;
Complete cleansing of the body. Slags and toxins are completely removed;
Eating every day will prevent gain excess weight.

Some people, fearing excess weight, do not touch, for example, pies with potatoes fried in oil, even vegetable oil. If you pay attention to fasting days, then on weekends this food is completely permissible and is not at all harmful to health.

Why is this happening? It's simple. Even if on a day off you allow yourself to enjoy your favorite pies, everything unnecessary for the body the substances will be eliminated from the body over the next five weekdays.

Little joys after fasting

Only those people who actually held Lent, after its end, can fully experience the pleasure of everyday food. In the first days, after forty days of abstinence, ordinary food tastes unusually “sweet.”

Those foods that seemed ordinary before fasting seem like the most delicate nectar. Not everyone can experience such sensations. Only those few who truly abstained from forbidden food are capable of this.

After all, you no longer need to ask yourself the question: can I do this today, now? After all, no matter how hard a person tries, there is not always enough time for cooking, and on fasting days tomorrow you won’t be able to eat what you ate today.

That’s why it turns out that all food often consists of water, nuts and dried fruits.

To fast or not?

In any case, regardless of whether a person fasts or not, one should know moderation in everything. After all, if you exhaust yourself constant hunger, the body will not receive the substances it needs and will use internal resources that are not endless.

But in the end, it will simply “get tired” of working and stop. Are there any benefits from such fasting? The answer is obvious - no. The same can be said about overeating. Excess will be deposited in the body, and as a result - obesity, heart disease and other internal organs.

So whether to fast or not is everyone’s business. The main thing is not to go to extremes.