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:
A healthy whole grain cereal with Almond or Oat Milk
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
we use sugar free syrup and it still tastes delicious.
Peanut Butter Banana Toast
Sometimes I sprinkle a bit of sugar and cinnamon on top
I prefer to buy the Zatarain’s brand. Prepare according to box instructions and then add chopped peppers and garnish with avocado.
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.
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.
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. Of course, the Orthodox Church never reduces the practice of fasting to a legalistic observance of dietary rules.
The following foods are avoided: Meat, including poultry, and any meat products such as lard and meat broth. Fish (meaning fish with backbones; shellfish are permitted). Eggs and dairy products (milk, butter, cheese, etc.)
Uncooked raw vegan foods (raw vegetables, fruit, nuts), possibly with some bread or similar. It is the strictest form of Orthodox fasting, usually reserved for days such as Holy Friday or practiced by monastics.
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.
Orthodox. 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.
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.
Lent is traditionally a time of fasting and penance for Christians around the world and for many, that means not eating meat on Fridays. Whether you follow this tradition or not, tuna is an underappreciated and highly delicious meat alternative for Fridays or any day!
lastly: can you eat pasta while intermitant fasting? True intermittent fasting means abstaining from food and drink. Only allowing water during the period of fasting. For this reason, pasta shouldn't eaten during a period of intermittent fasting, but can be enjoyed freely during the non-fasted hours of this diet.
The strictest observance would have a 24 hour period where one abstains from wine/alcohol, as well as meat, eggs, cheese, and on most weeks even vertibrate fish, either from midnight to midnight or from evening to evening (6pm the evening before until 6pm of the following evening).
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church do not permit pork consumption. Hebrew Roots Movement adherents also do not consume pork. The pig tended to be regarded as a dangerously liminal animal.
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.
Discussion: Christian Orthodox fasting showed beneficial effects concerning glucose and lipid control, whereas the data for blood pressure remain inconclusive. Concerning weight control, fasters were characterized by lower body mass and lower caloric intake in the course of the fasting periods.
Strict fasting is observed on most Wednesdays and Fridays, weekdays of Great Lent and the Dormition Fast, and the last ten days of the Nativity Fast. Oil and wine — on 'oil and wine' days we keep to a vegan diet, but we eat a normal number of meals.
Eat no meat, eggs or dairy on Pure Monday, nor on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout. For the whole of Lent abstain from a whole meat group (mammal meat, for example, since mammals are closest to humans, or at least from a whole group such as beef or pork). Hard liquor is to be abstained from throughout all of Lent.
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.
For those receiving Holy Communion, no food or drink is taken from the time of rising from sleep until after receiving Communion, even on a non-fasting day. As usual, water does not break the fast.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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