As is known, Lent It is considered the central (main) fast in the Orthodox church calendar, which is preparation for the onset of the main holiday of the religious world - Easter. In the liturgical year, this period, is characterized primarily by special services, prayers, repentance and remembrance of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Lent was established in honor of the 40-day fast that the Savior observed in the desert.
When does Lent begin in 2018?
Lent in 2018 starts February 19 and will last until April 7. And on April 8, 2018, we will all celebrate -. The period of Lent is divided into 6 weeks and 1 Holy Week - a week of special abstinence from forbidden foods and carnal pleasures.
Meals for the days of Lent 2018
Everyone knows that lean nutrition is significantly different from regular nutrition, because it has a number of foods prohibited for consumption. Besides, food in fast days , usually occurs at a certain set time.
The first week of Lent is called the Triumph of Orthodoxy. These days, those believers who died for their religion are remembered, and those who believe now are also honored.
February 19 (Mon) – complete abstinence from eating.
February 20-23 (Tue-Fri) – dry eating. It is allowed to eat only raw, non-hot foods and unheated drinks: bread, vegetables, dried fruits, honey, nuts, water.
February 24-25 (Sat, Sun) – boiled food with added butter and wine are allowed. 
In the second week, believers remember St. Gregory Palamas.
February 26 (Mon), February 28 (Wed), March 2 (Fri) – dry eating.
27.02 (Tue) and 1.03 (Thu) – boiled food without adding oil.
3.03 and 4.03 (Sat, Sun) – boiled food with butter, wine.
The third week of Lent is called the Week of the Cross.
March 5 (Mon), 7 (Wed), 9 (Fri) – dry eating.
6.03 (Tue) and 8.03 (Thurs) – boiled food without oil.
10.03 and 11.03 (Sat, Sun) – hot food, wine.
Nutrition calendar for weeks 4, 5, 6 and 7
March 12 (Mon), 14 (Wed), 16 (Fri) – dry eating.
13 (Tuesday), 15 (Thu) March – boiled food with butter.
17.03 and 18.03 (Sat, Sun) – hot food with butter, wine.
March 19 (Mon), 21 (Wed), 23 (Fri) – bread, fresh, soaked or dried vegetables and fruits.
March 20 (Tue), 22 (Thurs) – boiled food with butter.
24.03 and 25.03 (Sat, Sun) – hot food with butter, wine.
March 26 (Mon), 28 (Wed), 30 (Fri) – bread, fresh, soaked or dried fruits and vegetables.
27.03 (Tue) and 29.03 (Thu) – boiled food, caviar.
31.03 – 1.04 (Sat, Sun) – hot food with butter, wine, fish.
Holy Week is the most important period of the entire Lent.
April 2 (Mon), 3 (Tue), 4 (Wed), 5 (Thu) – dry eating.
April 6 (Fri) – complete abstinence from eating.
April 7 (Sat) – dry eating.
Recipes for Lenten dishes for Lent - video
Also see: what date, according to the Orthodox calendar.
Lent, the strictest and longest of all four multi-day fasts established by the Orthodox Church, will begin on March 11, after Forgiveness Sunday.
During Great Lent, people cleanse themselves with prayer, fasting and repentance in order to meet with a pure soul and body. Bright Resurrection Christ's.
Therefore, Lent is the first of the many-day fasts of the year, the goal of which is to achieve internal qualitative changes, this is not just a refusal of modest food, but also from harmful passions and sinful thoughts.
Lent
Observance of Lent is a voluntary act and is deeply individual. In order for laity to fast according to church regulations, it is necessary to receive the blessing of a confessor because Christians, before entering into fasting, must prepare spiritually and undergo the sacrament of confession.
Free time during the entire period of Lent should be devoted to prayers, subduing desires for food, eliminating any excesses and striving for a more secluded lifestyle.
It can be difficult to start fasting without any preparation, and you can harm your health if you don’t know how to eat properly.
For seven weeks, an Orthodox Christian who observes fasting must abstain from meat and dairy products, and also limit food intake per day.
Each person must determine his own measure of fasting, how much food and drink he needs per day, and gradually reduce the amount, minimizing what is necessary for life, the clergy explain.
But fasting is primarily abstinence from rich food, and not exhaustion of the body, therefore Lenten menu should be varied and rich in vitamins.
Seriously ill people, military personnel, workers engaged in heavy physical labor, travelers, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under seven years of age are exempt from fasting. From seven to 14 years of age, children can fast only on Wednesdays and Fridays. And after 14 years of age, a teenager must choose whether to fast or not.
What you can and cannot eat
During Lent, like any other, the strictest food ban is placed on meat, since it is believed that the violent death of an animal whose meat we subsequently eat leaves its mark.
The Bible says that food for people in paradise was only plant-based, and that all the animals created by God were needed by people. Based on this, the attitude towards them should have been appropriate, therefore, during the flood, everyone was saved - “every creature in pairs.”
In the Bible, when creating Adam’s helpers, fish are not mentioned, and there was no need to save them during the flood. It is also read that fish do not experience the fear and emotions characteristic of other animals when killed.
IN common days During Lent, fish is among the forbidden foods, but the ban on it on holidays is not indicated anywhere.
During Lent, you can prepare various porridges - buckwheat, corn, oatmeal, peas, pearl barley, beans and others, as well as lean soups, pilaf, cutlets, pasta, salads and so on.
You can and should eat any vegetables that exist in nature: cabbage of all types, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, radishes, onions, green beans and so on.
To maintain health, during Lent it is important to eat a lot of fresh greens and bell pepper, which are rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for the body.
You can eat any fruit available in this season - apples, pears, bananas, oranges and so on. You can add jams, dried fruits, pickles, honey, nuts and spices to the Lenten menu.
Fasting calendar
It is customary to completely refuse food, church canons, on the first day of Lent - on Clean Monday and Good Friday (the last Friday before Easter).
In general, create a menu Lenten cuisine, according to the church charter, the following principles must be observed: in the first and last (Holy) weeks of Lent, as well as on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - dry eating, that is, it is allowed to eat bread, water, fruits, vegetables.
These days you can eat lean bread and thermally unprocessed food. That is, raw vegetables and fruits, as well as dried fruits, nuts, honey. Taking tea and compote these days is also not recommended.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays you can eat hot food plant origin without oil, and on Saturday and Sunday - food of plant origin with vegetable oil is allowed. On such days, prepare yourself salads from vegetables and fruits; fruit salads can be seasoned with honey. So, for example, cut any fruit - pears, oranges, apples, bananas, add raisins, chopped dried fruits and nuts, and season it all with liquid honey. It will turn out tasty and very healthy.
During Lent, the church charter allows fish, recognized as semi-lenten food, to be eaten twice - on the Annunciation (April 7) and on Palm Sunday.
The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday, like the Annunciation, is one of the 12 main holidays of the Orthodox Church - it is celebrated a week before Easter. In 2019, Palm Sunday falls on April 21.
Naturally, main meaning Fasting is a spiritual cleansing, as well as a renunciation of certain foods, harmful passions, anger, bad mood and irritability. But even during Lent, you want variety, and also enjoy sweets, at least occasionally.
IN last years To the delight of fasting sweet tooths, many Lenten sweets are produced - the main thing is that they do not contain milk and its derivatives, animal fats.
You can add dark chocolate, fruit and berry preserves, jams, nuts, dried fruits, natural marmalade, halva and much more to them.
The material was prepared based on open sources
Lent 2018 (Lent) has arrived - what date does Lent begin, what can you eat during this period. Recommended daily nutrition calendar Orthodox Church. We welcome the beginning of Lent in 2018 and remember the traditions of our ancestors. How they fasted in Rus', what basic rules did believers adhere to.
Immediately after the end of Maslenitsa week, Lent begins, which will continue until Easter. This time the best way Suitable for mental and physical cleansing. Orthodox fasting 2018 helps to put your thoughts in order and give your body a break from fatty and high-calorie foods. Believers have the opportunity to become stronger in their religious beliefs.
The beginning of Lent in 2018
As already mentioned, Forgiveness Sunday becomes the starting point for abstaining from eating fast food. Accordingly, it will not be difficult to say what date does Lent begin - in 2018 it has to on February 19. Believers continue to fast for 48 days, after which Christians celebrate a bright holiday - the Resurrection of Christ.
It should be noted that the duties of an Orthodox believer are not at all limited to refusing to eat fast foods of animal origin. If you intend to comply Orthodox fast in 2018, then during this period (from February 19 to April 7) you will also have to refrain from all kinds of entertainment and temptations of other kinds. During the period of fasting, a believer should think more about spiritual self-improvement than about earthly affairs and temptations.
Seven weeks (weeks) of Great Lent
1 week (from 19th to 25th February)- The triumph of Orthodoxy. The first and last weeks of Lent are considered the strictest. On Clean Monday, which falls on February 19, it is recommended to limit yourself to food as strictly as possible, and even more so not to eat fast food. Also, refrain from doing things that can be rescheduled.
Week 2 (from February 26 to March 4)- Savior Gregory Palamas. A philosopher and theologian, he managed to win one of the most difficult theological disputes. Savior Gregory was the bishop of the city of Thessalonica at the end of the Byzantine Empire.
Week 3 (from 5 to 11 March)- Worship of the Cross. At this time in Orthodox churches they carry out the cross, which is considered a symbol of the redemptive feat of Christ. The crucifix is decorated with flowers.
Week 4 (from 12 to 18 March)- Saint John Climacus. The week is dedicated Reverend Climacus, who became one of the most respected spiritual teachers of the Sinai monastery.
Week 5 (from March 19 to March 25)- Venerable Mary of Egypt. The pious behavior of this saint can be considered a role model.
Week 7 (from April 2 to April 7)- Holy Week. The week ending Lent in 2018. Believers not only prepare for the celebration of Easter, but also remember the feat of Christ, who accomplished redemption at the cost of his own life.
What can you eat during Lent 2018
Of course, the most strict “diet” is prescribed for monks and clergy. For the laity, it is enough not to eat “meat” food, in other words, products of animal origin. This category includes meat, poultry, offal, all kinds of sausages and sausages. Milk, eggs, cottage cheese and any dishes that contain these products are also considered fasting.
If you want to organize your meals during Lent by day in 2018 in accordance with Orthodox canons, then you can use this table.
diet during fasting
As you may have noticed, the nutrition calendar for Lent 2018 contains such an indication as “dry eating.” This means that on this day you should abstain from dishes prepared with spices, as well as from food that has been heat treatment. However, dry eating allows you to consume water, bread, salt, honey, nuts and dried fruits.
What not to do during fasting
There are some rules that a believer must adhere to when the Orthodox fast begins in 2018. Firstly, it is highly advisable to refrain from drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. Many clergy also recommend abstaining from sexual activity. But we must take into account that Orthodox Lent 2018 is not limited to carnal aspects alone.
A believer must learn to avoid pride, anger, and inappropriate passions. Envy, greed and similar vices will become the main “tool” of the devil, with which the evil one will test the Orthodox during the period of fasting. It is extremely important not only to adhere to the recommendations regarding a diet without fast food, but also to maintain good spirits and a positive attitude.
During Lent 2018, try to refrain from visiting cinemas, clubs and other entertainment venues. Spend more time in prayer, reflecting on your spiritual growth. Don’t forget to visit the temple, especially when it hosts services related to the most significant events of Lent (Annunciation Holy Mother of God, Lazarev Saturday, etc.).
Who can refrain from fasting?
Certain relaxations are allowed for sick people, as well as for those who have recently suffered surgery or long-term illness. Strict fasting is strictly contraindicated for young children and people with poor health. It is necessary to take into account that a person should fast only on a voluntary basis, this feat should in no case be forced! Everyone should have the choice to comply Orthodox traditions or not.
The days of the Holy Pentecost are approaching, some believers are looking forward to them with impatience and love, while others are afraid of these days of abstinence. It all depends on spiritual growth and attachment to one's flesh. The start of Lent in 2019 will be quite early compared to previous years. This is explained by the fact that Easter is early this year. Easter celebrations take place every year in different time and depends on the spring equinox.
What is Lent
Lent is the time when preparations begin for the most important holiday of Orthodox Christians - Easter. It will start unusually early in 2019 due to an early Easter this year. Preparation for such a bright and great holiday should be twofold: external and internal.
Preparations will soon be in full swing
External preparation implies bodily abstinence: from modest food and carnal pleasures, and internal preparation - abstinence from entertainment, distraction of the mind, and passions.
Abstinence from food humbles the flesh and refines the soul, making it receptive to prayer. And abstinence from entertainment and passions prepares her to accept Grace. All this is needed only in order to adequately celebrate the bright holiday of Easter.
Great Lent arose in memory of the Savior’s forty-day stay in the desert, where, according to the Gospel narrative, He did not eat anything at all, but only prayed. But perhaps the reason for the appearance of the forty-day fast was the procession of Moses and the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, as well as the forty-hour stay of Christ in the tomb.
However, in the first centuries of our era, Christians fasted before Easter lasted only a day, then it lasted up to forty hours. And only later did it become as long as it exists now.
The entire Great Lent from beginning to end is aimed mainly at combating passions, 2019 is no exception. Bodily abstinence is given only to help mental fasting, and it implies restriction from entertainment.
This means that it is not recommended to go to cinemas, theaters, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, circuses, and you also cannot watch entertaining films and programs on television and the Internet. As for the Internet, that’s a separate conversation; many priests recommend avoiding communication and hanging out on in social networks, since all this clogs the mind, distracts the soul from the most important thing.
And after all entertainment has been removed, you should tune your soul to reflection, prayer, soul-searching reading, awareness of your many sins and repentance of them. Nothing should distract a person from this activity during Lent, especially if the beginning of repentance has already been made. Of course, it’s hard that in 2019 very little time passed between Christmastide and Lent, but what can you do? The essence of Orthodoxy is largely asceticism.
Physical fasting
There is a lot of debate about this issue, but fasting is unthinkable without bodily abstinence. This means a conscious refusal of fast food. What does it mean?
Fasting is observed
The concept of “meat food” includes:
- meat products (red meat, chicken, dumplings, sausages, sausages, cutlets, etc.);
- dairy products (milk, kefir, butter, dairy products, cheese, etc.);
- eggs (chicken, duck, quail);
- fish (sea, river, fish cutlets, canned fish, fish caviar, etc.)
Of course, all dishes made from these products are prohibited during Lent. You should also limit sweets and stop smoking during fasting. Excessive amounts of alcohol are also not welcome, but moderate consumption of wine on some days of fasting is allowed (mainly on holidays) to maintain bodily strength.
If you look orthodox calendar, then you can see that in certain days Dry eating is recommended during fasting. This means that all food should be raw, not boiled. These are mainly vegetables, fruits, bread, lean cookies, honey, juices. Even vegetable oil Not recommended. Basically, such meals occur on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent. On other days, you can eat boiled food, but without vegetable oil.
On Sundays, throughout Lent, you can eat boiled food with vegetable oil and drink a little wine. Fish is allowed on Palm Sunday and the Annunciation. On some days they don’t eat anything at all, this usually happens on Monday, Thursday of the first week and Friday of Holy Week. On Tuesday of the first week they eat only bread and drink water.
But, of course, only very physically strong and healthy people can fulfill all the instructions regarding food restrictions.
Relaxation in fasting is permitted:
- pregnant and lactating women;
- children and teenagers;
- elderly and sick people.
So before you impose the burden of fasting on yourself, you need to consult with a priest, tell him about your chronic diseases, if they are. Because there is another extreme - excessive jealousy in fasting. This is when a person takes on food restrictions that are more than they can handle. In this case, fasting can even seriously harm some, because the body weakens, and this makes the soul impervious to prayer.
One saint said: “The human body is like a donkey - if you don’t feed it enough, it won’t take you to the Kingdom of Heaven, but if you overfeed it, it will go berserk.” Therefore, it is necessary to observe the golden mean in everything. But at the same time, limiting foods rich in animal fats for some time is very useful. After all, it is precisely these foods that cause an increase in cholesterol in the blood and, as a result, blockage of blood vessels. And this in turn leads to serious illnesses: atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart attack, hypertonic disease, stroke, angina pectoris, obesity.
And some people limit animal products (vegetarians) specifically for health reasons; it is also widely used to improve the health of the body. therapeutic fasting. Therefore, fasting is useful from a health point of view. The Church, like a caring mother, warns us against troubles, recommending time limits on certain foods.
Some sick people cannot do without certain dairy products (cottage cheese, milk, etc.). With the blessing of the priest, they are allowed to eat these foods. The same goes for fish or oil.
But you can do without meat for the entire period of fasting, even if you are sick, because it can be replaced with others lean products, for example, soybeans. Nowadays there are many soy products on sale, these are: soy meat, soy cutlets, soy cheese, etc. They are tasty and healthy, and at the same time contain a lot of protein needed by the body.
For those who cannot eat soy due to certain diseases, meat can be replaced with seafood, mushrooms or legumes. Few people know that a kilogram of squid contains the same amount of protein as a kilogram of meat. Moreover, squids are much healthier than meat: They contain iodine. And, as scientists have proven, meat sometimes contains antibiotics, hormones or harmful bacteria.
Some people fast for several days during Lent, usually at the beginning and end. Because the first week and the last are the strictest. Interestingly, in 2019 Easter is so early that the Annunciation falls on Holy Saturday, i.e. celebrated the day before Easter. Therefore, on Holy Saturday this year you can not strictly fast, but eat fish.
In addition, bodily abstinence implies not only restriction in food, but also in sexual life. Spouses are advised to take a break from certain relationships, and single people are strictly prohibited from getting married throughout the entire period of Lent, starting from Maslenitsa and ending with Bright Week. These days the Church does not marry anyone, and no weddings take place.
Weeks of Lent
The entire Great Lent lasts 48 days, but why then is it called “Holy Lent” in literature? The fact is that fasting consists of 7 weeks (49 days), of which the last (Passion) is not included in the days of Lent. And two days in the Vai week - Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are also not considered fasting due to the fact that on these days the fast is relaxed (on Saturday you can eat fish caviar, and on Palm Sunday - fish).
You should eat strictly according to the rules
Each week of Lent, which in 2019 begins on February 19, has its own meaning and name. The beginning of fasting is usually strict; the first week is the most demanding in terms of restrictions on food and entertainment. Many diligent and strong parishioners eat only bread and drink water this week. You should definitely visit the temple these days, where you will read throughout the week. Penitential canon St. Andrew of Crete and the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian with bows to the ground. This is a very beautiful service (in Lent, in general, there are the most beautiful services of the year).
In the first week it is recommended for everyone detailed confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries with the blessing of the confessor. You can find out more about this in the church and relevant literature. At the end of the first week the Triumph of Orthodoxy is celebrated. This special service in memory of the ancient victory Orthodox faith over heretical teachings.
The second week is dedicated to St. Gregory Palamas and his teaching about the Uncreated Light.
The third week is called the Worship of the Cross, during which time the Cross is brought to the middle of the temple for veneration.
Fourth week - St. John Climacus, who wrote the spiritual book “The Ladder”.
The fifth week is dedicated to the exploits of St. Mary of Egypt, and teaches us the power of repentance through the example of her miraculous conversion from a sinful life. On Wednesday of this week the entire canon of St. Andrew of Crete (which was read every day in the first week), this service is called “Standing of Mary of Egypt.” The life of the saint is read on it. Saturday of this week is called “Saturday of the Akathist”; at the evening service the Akathist to the Mother of God is read.
The sixth week is Palm Week, in which Saturday is called “Lazarus” and Sunday is Palm Sunday (the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem).
And finally, the last week Great Lent - Passionate. The most severe week, in which the suffering of the Savior, His crucifixion, and death are remembered. The beginning of Holy Day in 2019 is April 2.
For inexperienced people, Lent is a real punishment. There is a complete taboo on animal products, sweets are prohibited, alcohol is allowed only on designated days, intimate life You don’t have to think at all. The only pleasure we can allow is deep sleep And daily prayers to the Almighty. However, for every deeply religious Christian, observing the conditions of Great Lent is an incomparable joy. Why do people’s attitudes to the same ritual differ so much? What is the secret of inspired laity? How to fast correctly to experience all the benefits church tradition With thousand years of history? The nutrition calendar for Lent 2018 will tell you about this in detail with tables and menus for each day. Find out what you can and cannot eat in our educational program today.
Orthodox calendar of Lent for 2018: what the laity can eat by day
According to church regulations, Lent is a tribute to the memory of the Lenten feat of the son of God - Christ. After his baptism, Jesus wandered through the desert in thought for 40 days without water or food. This act marked the beginning of his great saving deeds in the name of all mankind. And in order to thank the Savior and honor him, the church introduced the strictest restrictions on the entire Lent, preceding Easter.
However, there is another version of the origin of the ritual of long pre-Easter fasting. At the dawn of Christianity, before the baptismal rite, the future “children of the church” were ordered to pray fervently for 40 days and strictly limit food and water. The christenings themselves took place only 1-2 times a year on major holidays, most often on Easter. Everyone who wanted to join the religion was called catechumens. And being in solidarity with them, the rest of the Christians adhered to 40 days of abstinence in the period before the ceremony (that is, before Happy Easter). As a result, the post known to us today was established not all at once, but rather gradually. True, over hundreds of years, the conditions of fasting have undergone changes more than once.
The main rules of modern Lent:
- Rejoice in everything and thank the Lord;
- Visit the temple during Lent 2018;
- Repent at Pentecost and you can be cleansed during Holy Week;
- Take care of your health. In case of illness, soften the conditions of fasting;
- Don't think about food;
- Look at your plate;
- Hasten to do good;
- Remember why you entered into fasting;
- Give up temptations and imaginary pleasures in favor of tireless prayers to the Lord;
How to fast correctly for Orthodox laypeople and what to eat on different days
The annual pre-Easter Lent is flexible in the calendar and in 2018 it falls from February 18 to April 7. The ritual of fasting lasts 49 days, of which 40 are the days of the Fourth Day, two twelfth holidays (the Annunciation and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem) and the ascetic 6-day cycle of Holy Week. According to the church charter, Lent 2018 is as follows:
- first week - February 18-24, 2018;
- second week - February 25 - March 3, 2018;
- third week - March 4-10, 2018;
- fourth week - March 11-17, 2018;
- fifth week - March 18-24, 2018;
- sixth week - March 25-31, 2018;
- seventh "passionate" week - April 1-7, 2018;
In addition to the church charter, it is important to know how to fast correctly and what Orthodox laity can eat by day in the 2018 Lent calendar. According to strict conditions, there can be no more than two meals per day. The first traditionally occurs around lunchtime (after church liturgy), and the second in the evening (i.e. after Vespers). If there is only one meal, its time is 15.00 Moscow time. In terms of nutrition, the first and last “passion” weeks are the strictest. They include days of dry eating and complete fasting. On certain days in other weeks, hot dishes with or without butter are allowed, sometimes fish caviar, and on the twelve holidays - wine and fish. The Orthodox calendar of Lent for 2018 will help you understand each week and its meaning in more detail: what can the laity eat by day, read further in our article.
Lent nutrition calendar: table
As stated above, the strictest weeks in the entire fasting period are the first and last. This is also reported in the tables of the Lent nutrition calendar. During these periods, the most zealous Christians do not eat anything more satisfying than a crust of bread and a cup of water. But not everyone can achieve such a feat, and you should approach nutrition wisely. You should never follow the advice of strangers; it is better to listen to the body’s prompts. Rely on your own health and strength, and seek the blessing of a priest. Also pay attention to the nutritional conditions dictated by the Church Statute:
- Eliminate all animal products: meat, milk, poultry, fish, eggs, etc.;
- Eat once a day from Monday to Friday, and twice on weekends (at lunchtime and in the evening);
- On Tuesday and Thursday, allow yourself hot dishes. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday go around raw vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, bread, compote;
- On Saturday and Sunday, you can add vegetable oil to your food and drink a little red wine. The exception is Saturday during “Holy” Week;
- On Good Friday, fast in principle;
The Great Lent nutrition calendar will help you plan your diet in detail for each day of fasting (the table is located in the next section). But remember: fasting is not a diet! If you can't live without milk, drink milk. If your body craves meat, eat some. Lent is, first of all, a period of repentance, and only then - restrictions on food and usual daily things.
Table of proper nutrition for each day of Lent
Accurate calendar for Lent 2018 with menu for the laity
For zealous and especially desperate Orthodox believers, an accurate 2018 Lent calendar with a menu for the laity will be a godsend. It specifically identifies acceptable foods to eat on fasting days, meal schedules, tips and advice regarding holidays. After all, if you approach nutrition correctly, then even during fasting you won’t have to starve or torment yourself with monotonous and unbalanced food.
So, the main products allowed to fasting people:
- seasonal vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes, cabbage, radishes, etc.);
- seasonal fruits (oranges, bananas, apples, etc.);
- berry jams, salted and pickled vegetables;
- boiled, baked or stewed mushrooms;
- black bread or cereal crispbread;
- legumes (peas, lentils, beans);
- honey, nuts, dried fruits;
- cereals (wheat, oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley, etc.);
- fish twice during the entire fast;
- compote, uzvar, tea;
- wine on weekends;
What do we eat during Lent 2018: sample menu for Orthodox laity
According to the exact calendar of Lent 2018, the menu for the laity for the first week is quite modest. The starting day of fasting involves complete abstinence from food, and subsequent days - the intake of raw foods without oil. And only on weekends are hot vegetable, cereal or legume dishes allowed.
It is much easier to think through the diet for 2-6 weeks of fasting. An approximate “gentle” menu might look like this:
- Monday. Breakfast - oatmeal porridge with water and tea. Lunch - buckwheat soup, boiled potatoes with herbs, apples. Dinner - dried fruit compote.
- Tuesday. Breakfast - rice porrige, vegetable salad With lemon juice. Dinner - vegetable soup, cabbage with mushrooms, jam. Dinner - tea.
- Wednesday. Breakfast - buckwheat, coffee. Lunch - vegetable hodgepodge, vermicelli, compote. Dinner - tea.
- Thursday. Breakfast - corn porridge with mushroom sauce, coffee. Lunch - cabbage soup with vegetables, salad, compote. Dinner: tea with jam.
- Friday. Breakfast - barley porridge, vegetable salad, coffee. Dinner - pea soup, lean dumplings with cabbage. Dinner - tea and fruit.
- Saturday. Breakfast - vinaigrette, coffee. Lunch - millet porridge, braised cabbage, compote Dinner - vermicelli with salad, uzvar.
- Sunday. Breakfast - oatmeal, fruits. Lunch - Ukrainian borscht, fried potatoes. Dinner - rice with vegetables, tea with jam.
Lent 2018 is a time to pray, repent, fight sins, do good deeds and enjoy life. But it is equally important to keep yourself within the limits prescribed by the church, no matter how strict they may be. Now you know how to fast correctly and what Orthodox laity can eat on every day of the difficult pre-Easter period. All that remains is to prepare mentally and physically. The Great Lent nutrition calendar 2018 with tables and menus by day will help you enter the fast correctly, easily overcome all difficulties and successfully complete a difficult and lengthy ritual.
