Fasting

[Natalia.V]

Do you all fast every wednesday and friday? If so, what do you typically eat those days?:)

[Macarius]

By the blessed obedience given to me by my spiritual father, I try to follow the fasts prescribed by the Church (including W/F). I am under obedience to ignore the fast from oil, so I eat vegan food with oil used for cooking or as a topping if needed.

My wife and I eat hummus, chickpea soup, lentil soup, basic italian pastas, japanese udon soup, thai rice soup, red curry, panang curry, or we use frozen and crumbled tofu as a ground-beef substitute and eat stuffed pitas.

She's a vegitarian, which makes this a lot easier (since we already have a pretty good arsenal of veg foods).

[StrawberryShortcake2]

No, I don't fast due to medical reasons.

[Kolya]

Yes, I do try to keep Wednesday/Friday fasts. Breakfast is fruit and Granola or a raisin bun. Lunch is avo and olive sandwiches or sandwich with vegetarian polony. Supper typically vegetable stir fry- not olive oil- or rice with vegetarian protein / or fish if allowed. Or a Vegetarian TV dinner!

Yes, I do read package labels, but I don't get too hung up if dairy is a very minute content. I avoid candy with dairy or egg in it.

Why do I fast? Because I'm Orthodox, and it does my body weight good into the bargain too. :) My wife does not fast with me for medical reasons. My Protestant son thinks I'm being legalistic sometimes, but I tell him that it's no sin to eat what you like, but a dicipline to help me in my spiritual struggle.

Kolya

[Protoevangel]

I try.

I am under obedience not to fast when my wife is preparing my meals (my conversion has been hard on her, and Father does not want to place another stumbling block in her way).

[KenBrauckmann]

Slight bend to the topic: what ARE the fasting rules? And is there a difference between Western Rite and Eastern Rite?

[fuerein]

The short answer is the fast consists of avoiding meat, fish, eggs, dairy, olive oil (or all oils), and wine (or all alcohol).

However there are different fasts which change the rules allowing certain of those foods. See http://www.abbamoses.com/fasting.html for a full explanation of the changes depending on the season.

As for myself, I should start trying. I'm still trying to figure out how best to do so. Father said those of us in the class should start trying now, actually he said that at the start of Nativity... yeah, that didn't work out so well.

[-Kyriaki-]

I don't, for medical reasons - I've was told off very severely the first time anyone actually realised I was trying to keep them!

My fiance does though, and salad is good, or beans and vegetables. I have a curry I make with chickpeas in it too, and we'll often eat that if he's around on a fast day. There are a lot of vegan meals that are really good, you just have to look for them - we've got used to eating meat or dairy in every meal, and we really don't need to.

[Kristos]

Yes - fruit, vegetables and nuts. If I'm stuck eating out, then salad and baked potato, maybe shimp cocktail.

[Akathist]

I am not allowed to follow the fast fully due to health problems. I do a partial fast when I can.

But I understand your question because I had it before. While there are recipe books out, I want just plain simple stuff. Also, I cook for one so I don't like to make big meals.

When I can follow the fast here is what I might eat:

breakfast: oatmeal made with water or if I have it, soymilk.

or... a smoothie made with tofu, frozen fruit, and water or soymilk. (I like to add some wheat germ to make a whole protein).

Or... just some fruit while on the run.

Lunch: Peanut butter and something sandwich. (I vary it with sometimes having it with bananas, or apples, or apple butter or jam... I vary the bread too... rice cakes, toast, pita, wheat, white, etc.)

Alternatively: left overs from supper before.

Or tomato soup made with water and pita and hummus. (Or humus and celery). Pita bread and hummus is especially good with cucumbers added to make a sandwhich.

I have even started to have hummus on plain bread or toast instead of pita bread.

I had a few toasted tomato sandwhiches too. Just make it like a grilled cheese but forget to add the cheese and butter. It is not bad at all. (Two pieces of bread with tomato slices between them in a dry pan until the bread is toasted and the tomatoes are a bit warm.)

Supper: spaghetti with veggie red sauce and no cheese. (I usually cook up a can of tomatoes and add some tomato sauce.)

Or, lentils: I like to make them like "sloppy joes" with tomatoe paste.

I make lentils and rice cumin for a seasoning with salt and pepper. Lentils are very neutral in flavor.

Bean or pea soup. I make this just like I make bean soup from the recipe on the bag of beans or peas, I just use vegetarian stock and no meat. I like to add potatoes to bean soup to reduce acidity. I digest it better.

Veggie chili: I make this exactly how I make chili only I use no meat. (I don't usually use oil or cheese anyway.) I use two cans of beans, one can of tomatoes, chili seasoning mix and onions chopped up. (If you like peppers or other veggies this would be good too.) (This freezes very well.)

Or. Roasted veggies. I get tired of all the fasting stuff I know how to make that uses tomatoes. So, I often take whatever veggies I have handy, lay them out on a cookie sheet and just dry roast them in the oven. I add some seasonings before serving as they might burn during the roasting. If I want to increase the protein, I might have some veggie baked beans (from a can) and a bit of bread too.

The next day I will take the veggies I roasted and put them in a soup pan with vegetable stock and a can of stewed tomatoes, rice, and a can of white beans to make a soup that is a full protein. (this also freezes well)

Almond rice. I take the veggie version of rice a roni and brown it in a nonstick skillet with no oil. I also toast up the almond slivers at the same time. Then I add vegetable stock and the seasoning package.

I add a salad to meals and dress it with just watered down cider vinegar. I like to add walnuts or other nuts to the salad to help with protein and the crunch is good.

When eating out, which I try to avoid but it happens, I will ask to go to taco bell and get a bean burrito with no cheese or meat or sour cream. Or I will try to go to a place with a salad bar and get a salad that is fast friendly. They usually have vinegar to dress it with too.

Or, I have gone to subway and had a veggie sub with lots of pickles and tomatoes so I don't miss the mayo or dressing.

[Monica, child of God]

Its good to stock up on pantry and freezer items:

nut butters
crackers
grains (I like the organic whole grain mixes that have their own seasoning in particular)
apple sauce
dried fruit
canned beans
canned baked beans
dry legumes
jarred salsa
diced canned tomatoes in juice
frozen shrimp
frozen fish fillets
pasta
marinara
good sardines
smoked oysters (if you like them)

If you have a well stocked pantry of lenten foods it is easy to put meals together and balanced snacks to head off low blood sugar. You can add fresh veggies and fruits as they are in season as well as hummus, tortillas, flat breads and stuff like that.

M.