What can be eaten in the post list. Lent: meals by day with recipes and a complete list of lean foods

The longest, strictest and most famous post in Christianity is called the Great. In Orthodoxy, it is called "Fourteen" because it lasts forty days and precedes Easter - Christ's Sunday. After Fortecost comes the most severe time of abstinence - Holy Week. The purpose of fasting is the spiritual and physical cleansing of the believer, therefore, during the entire “fasting” time, the laity completely restricts themselves in the use of meat, and partially - fish and dairy food. In Lent 2017 , starting February 27 , Christian food will also be modest. What can and cannot be eaten at this time, the rules of nutrition for every day and for weeks can be found in special calendars published on Orthodox websites.

Food calendar for Lent 2017

Spiritual cleansing during fasting includes daily prayers and repentance, forgiveness of enemies; physical cleansing involves strict adherence to the rules of the diet. The food calendar for Lent was introduced at the end of the 4th century. It was necessary to limit oneself in certain types of food already six weeks before the start of the resurrection of Jesus - Easter. Today, many who fast for forty days consider abstaining from meat food as a cleansing diet. During the entire Great Lent 2017, spicy spices, alcohol, and meat are forbidden to eat. On some days, wine may be on the table.

Beginning of Lent 2017 - Diet according to the calendar

Opens Great Lent 2017 Clean Monday February 27 - the day of the most strict abstinence at the beginning of forty next days(except last Holy Week). Believers are starving; only water is allowed. After the end of Clean Monday, you can eat only bread for another four days. In the future, the laity must adhere to general rules eating food. They involve eating cold, dry foods on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Animal oils and fats, meat are prohibited. Food should not be exposed heat treatment. The main foods included in a lean diet are mushrooms, fruits, and vegetables. On Tuesday and Thursday of Great Lent, hot food is allowed (soups, baked or stewed vegetables, cereals). Every Saturday and Sunday of forty days of abstinence, you can use a little wine and oil, and on Palm Sunday and the Annunciation, you can also eat fish. The use of fish products is prohibited on Saturday of the 6th week of Lent (Lazarus Saturday). In the last, Holy Week of Lent, from Monday to Wednesday, only fruits and vegetables are eaten. On Pure Thursday, the consumption of oil and wine is allowed, and on Good Friday, believers go hungry. On the last Saturday before fasting, in the evening, you can eat food that has not been cooked. However, many fasting people do not eat anything until Passover.

In the calendar, strict fasting days are indicated in gray, on which one should eat a meager meal, consisting of bread and water.

The color blue is the days when hot food without oil is allowed. Liquid and hot buttered food - yellow tint.

Dry eating days are marked in green:

Mondays - 27.02, 6.03, 13.03, 20.03, 27.03, 3.04, 10.04;

Wednesdays - 01.03, 10.03, 17.03, 24.03, 31.03, 05.04;

Fridays - 03.03, 25.04, 01.04, 08.04, 15.04, 22.04

Great Lent 2017

During Great Lent, believers train not only the body, but also develop their will. Not every person, especially those who often eat meat and fish at other times, will be able to resist the temptation to taste, for example, fried chicken or brisket. Lean food is food of plant origin. The monks in the monasteries fast very strictly, avoiding even fish, which is allowed for the laity on certain days of abstinence. According to the basic rules of a fasting diet, meat and animal fats are completely excluded from the fasting diet.

How to eat on the days of Great Lent 2017 for the laity

Lent 2017 is not the same diet. The quality and quantity of food allowed to be eaten during these days varies. For example, the most strict fast is to be observed by the laity on Wednesday and Friday. Those who fast according to the full charter do not even use vegetable oil these days. The most moderate days of fasting, allowing even wine, are Saturday and Sunday. The main principle of fasting is the rejection of meat. Strict or moderate adherence to the rest of the rules of the "Fourteen" is associated with the personal zeal of each person, his piety, opportunities, health, and many other factors - location, age, degree of churching, etc.

Lent 2017 - Food for every day strictly according to the rules

Great Lent 2017, starting on February 27, involves both complete abstinence from food and moderate consumption of fish and dishes with the addition of vegetable oil. According to the church charter, fasting consists of Forty days, Lazarus Saturday, coming before Palm Sunday, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem and Holy Week before Easter. Those who are fasting at this time must strictly follow the rules of nutrition. They depend on the days of fasting.

Meals for the days of Great Lent 2017

Great Lent 2017 begins on Clean Monday, February 27th. The first week runs until March 4th. On Monday, one should refrain from eating any food, but already on Tuesday it is allowed to eat bread. March 1, Wednesday, the consumption of raw food is allowed - greens, vegetables, fruits, water and bread. On Thursday, church people go hungry, and on Friday, March 3, they eat boiled or baked food once a day. On Saturday, March 4, laymen can eat hot, but, of course, lean food twice a day. The Second Week, from March 5 to March 11, allows the use of hot food. On the rest of the days, up to the strictest abstinence in Holy Week, it is better to follow the general rules of Great Lent by day: moderately eat hot food of plant origin on Tuesdays and Thursdays, strictly fast on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and even allow yourself to taste diluted wine on Saturdays and Sundays . Those who are interested in more precise dietary rules for Great Lent can read the tables that give detailed information by day.

Diet rules for Great Lent

The main rules of nutrition in Lent, as mentioned above, are the complete rejection of animal food. However, do not forget that fasting is also a spiritual cleansing. Daily prayers, appeals to the Lord, forgiveness of enemies must also be observed. The strictest days of Great Lent 2017 are the first Week from February 27 to March 4 and the Seventh Week from April 9 to 15. You can find out about the exact rules of nutrition on these and other days from the tables.

What can you eat according to the rules of Great Lent

The dietary rules for Lent were drawn up many hundreds of years ago. At that time, some products that appeared in the diet of believers later did not yet exist. Today in Lent 2017 it is allowed to eat sea ​​kale and other algae, a variety of nuts, durum wheat pasta prepared without adding eggs to the dough, unleavened bread, croutons, vinegars. Cakes and cookies, sweets on milk and chocolate can be replaced with figs, dates, raisins, prunes, dried apricots. Stewed vegetables with the addition of tomato paste are very healthy and tasty. On days that allow the use of fish products, you can cook fragrant stuffed fish. The list of lean foods allowed to be eaten can be found below.

Great Lent 2017― Meals by Week

Speaking about nutrition for the days and weeks of Lent 2017, we should not forget about those who, for various reasons, cannot limit themselves to the use of certain foods. It also happens that a nutritionist or doctor does not allow believers to strictly adhere to fasting rules. For example, a doctor may recommend a diet rich in protein to a patient - in this case, you can and should eat fish, dairy products. Fasting should not be observed by people with illnesses gastrointestinal tract, patients recovering from major operations or illnesses, young children, pregnant and lactating women. On the contrary, in the presence of certain diseases, a lean diet is recommended. For people with problems of the cardiovascular system, hypertension, kidney failure, abstinence from meat and dairy products will only benefit. Remember, fasting is not the same as dieting. Yes, it includes strict abstinence from certain foods. However, the main thing during Lent is prayer, a daily conversation with the Lord, a rethinking of one's life.

How to eat during Lent 2017

If a believer, accustomed to regularly eating foods such as meat, strong broths, salads such as Olivier, fried foods, decides to start fasting, his body may experience some stress. During a change in diet, a person gets used to new food gradually - it all depends on the ability of a person to adapt to sudden changes in nutrition. An active, healthy middle-aged person will adapt to a change in the diet and quality of food much faster than the elderly and children. Do not forget that food restriction should not become an end in itself during Great Lent 2017. Lent is a time of reflection, so thoughts about food should not distract the believer from prayers and reflections. It makes no sense to prepare specially for each day of fasting, since in this case the layman will only think about the diet. Fasting should be approached gradually - depending on age, health status and readiness for restrictions. It is also worth remembering that you should leave the post gradually, at first still maintaining the restriction in the consumption of animal food.

In Lent 2017, food for the laity should be limited. The rules of strict abstinence in food by day and week can be found in the nutrition calendar, produced by various book publishers and published on sites dedicated to Christian topics.

Lent is the strictest and longest of the Orthodox fasts. This is a special period in the life of the Church, anticipating the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. For Orthodox believers Lent in 2017 begins on February 27 (Monday) and will last until April 15 (Saturday). At this time, the liturgical life changes, and after it the filling of the daily life of Christians, when repentance becomes the main thing. In Greek, "repentance" means "change of mind." This means the change of the whole person. A person must realize his own untruth before God and people, change his way of life, behavior, thoughts. And the highest point of this knowledge is concentrated in the fact of Christ's Resurrection, when God reveals to us a new perspective of life, in which there is no death.

In 2017, Great Lent lasts 49 days. Its name is also known as "Holy Forty Day". This name emphasizes the special grace of these days. It also reflects that Great Lent itself lasts exactly 40 days. From the total number of 49, the feasts of the Annunciation and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Saturday and Sunday) are excluded, on which fasting is relaxed, which means that it can no longer be called fasting in the strict sense. 6 days of Holy Week are also not considered, since they form a special liturgical and ascetic cycle - the Fast of Holy Week.

Lent in 2017 day by day

Why is it necessary to refrain from eating while fasting?

Now every year there are more and more people who want to join the sacrament of fasting. And very often beginners have a question: why are food restrictions imposed during fasting, how can this affect the state and purification of the soul?

Very often, it is Great Lent that is chosen as the first test in the feat of abstinence, probably attracting with its significance. But you need to think about church fasting only if you already have some spiritual experience. Today, many people who are drawn to faith decide to enter the Christian life by starting to fast, and especially during Great Lent. At the same time, they do not go to the temple and do not read prayers, and from such a fast one continuous diet is obtained. Fasting has meaning as abstinence both in bodily pleasures and in spiritual entertainment, and the essence of fasting is not in abstinence itself as a fact, but in showing through this one’s obedience to the Church and expressing fidelity to Christ, preparing one’s soul for a meeting with the living God.

Having decided to fast, every Christian must clearly understand its goals and objectives. Fasting serves to focus on serving God, renouncing worldly problems and worries, to cleanse your soul from sinful filth. An important, although by no means the only component of fasting, are dietary restrictions. Why is this needed? What does abstinence in food have to do with the spiritual state of a Christian during the period of fasting? The answer is simple enough. During the period of fasting, we must show our love for God to the maximum, but love, as you know, is learned from deeds, and if we want to love God, we must limit ourselves in what removes us from Him. Both in worldly life and in spiritual life, if we set ourselves some kind of goal, then we have to sacrifice something. Those who do not want to sacrifice anything are left with nothing, not only do they not acquire anything worthwhile, but also lose what they had. Restrictions in nutrition and act as one of these victims, the most simple, understandable and accessible. But one should not approach the concept of fasting only from gastronomic positions. There are people who already have a tendency to the restrictions imposed by fasting, for example, because they do not like meat and entertainment. In this case, if fasting is easy for you, without effort, you should contact your spiritual father to figure out what you should work on during the fasting period.

Each of us has something that can become the subject of special care during fasting days - imperfection often lies not outside, but inside us, and the task of fasting is to help see it. The Church singles out special fasting periods as a time of knowing one's own weakness and overcoming one's own "I". During this period, we realize something important for the soul, embark on the path of struggle with certain inclinations and shortcomings, and we take these achievements, awareness out of fasting into everyday life. The next post brings something of its own. Thus, through each fast, we become closer to God, which is why the Holy Fathers say that fasting is a ladder that leads us to Heaven. Therefore, during the period of fasting, one should not only observe dietary restrictions, but also be very attentive to one’s inner mood, try to be calm and friendly with everyone, pray regularly and ask the Lord for forgiveness for any, even minor, sins, grant humility, patience and meekness.

How to Prepare for Great Lent?

Those who are serious about fasting understand that this is not just the observance of a certain diet, but, first of all, spiritual cleansing and mental work. In this regard, the question arises: how to prepare for fasting, what is required for this?

“Fasting is not in the belly, but in the spirit” - this is how the popular proverb says. For many years now, most priests have agreed that a culinary fast is by no means an end, it is just a means. And the goal is a post of feelings, emotional experiences of a person. If you limit yourself in food, but allow yourself an empty pastime, watching TV, then your abstinence from food is meaningless. The meaning of fasting is that, by limiting, troubling his flesh, a person makes it possible for his spirit to work, concentrating on his service to God.

In fasting, as already mentioned, you must definitely visit the temple, pray, control your behavior, and do good deeds. In fasting, worship brings a special inner joy. To understand what it is, you need to start going to the temple. In fasting worship, the closeness of God to man is manifested most clearly, and this feeling is the main content of Great Lent.

Advice for beginners who find it difficult how to fill these days for their own improvement: Before the start of Lent, write down on a piece of paper what you should get rid of in your life. Lent is the time when you can work on yourself.

With such an appropriate spiritual attitude, abstinence in food will become natural and logical for you.

Preparing for Great Lent 2017

Very often, when talking about Great Lent, they forget to dwell on those days that are its eve.

February 18, 2017

Day of Remembrance of the Dead. On parental days, Orthodox Christians commemorate the dead, visit churches where funeral services are performed. These days, it is customary to make sacrifices on the memorial table (eve) in the form of various products, with the exception of meat.

From February 20 to February 26, 2017 - Cheese Week (Maslenitsa)

This is a week of folk festivals, when everyone bakes pancakes and pies in abundance, go to visit and treat each other with them. Butter, eggs, fish and dairy are allowed all week, but meat is no longer consumed this week

Again, the celebration should be reasonable: one should not spend time in drunkenness, not in overeating, because this is the time of preparation for a gradual entry into the ascetic exploits of Great Lent. With spiritual growth, every Christian will gradually abandon such purely worldly, secular amusements on Maslenitsa and come to understand the spiritual meaning of this preparatory week: Cheese Week (Maslenitsa) passes between the weeks (Sundays) of the Last Judgment and the remembrance of Adam's exile. That is, the two Sundays framing Maslenitsa tell us about quite serious events in the history of mankind, which are not particularly conducive to fun.

February 26, 2017 - Forgiveness Sunday

On this day, a conspiracy is made for fasting: for the last time, modest foods (except meat and dairy) are allowed. There are two meals. On this day, a ban on dairy products is already imposed. This day is called Cheesy Week by the Church.

Food in Lent 2017

The Orthodox Charter suggests no more than 2 meals a day. The first of these is usually performed after the Divine Liturgy (around noon), and the second after Vespers. If only one meal is laid, then it is usually served at 15 o'clock Moscow time.

During fasting, it is forbidden to eat only modest (from the old Russian “soon” - fat) and high-tech products (high in food additives, but simply - chemistry). When eating natural, predominantly plant foods during Lent, the body has time not only to cleanse itself of poisons and toxins, but also to rejuvenate. The correct selection of dishes and products will not allow you to gain extra pounds, despite the restriction of protein nutrition. Through active use raw salads, limiting many sweet dishes, drinking herbal teas, various natural kvass and other drinks that have always been used in Rus', your body will receive cleansing on a physical level along with spiritual cleansing. Lenten cuisine can and should be healthy and varied.

The first week of Great Lent 2017 from February 26 to March 4

It is called "Fedor's Week", or the week of "Triumph of Orthodoxy". At this time, it is customary to remember all the defenders of the Orthodox faith. The holiday itself falls on the first Sunday (week) of Great Lent - March 5th. The first and last weeks of Great Lent are, according to the Rule, the strictest in regard to abstention from food.

• This is a day of complete abstinence. Christians wash, change clothes, try to spend this day clean. Shrovetide amusements remain in the past; concentration and humility come to replace them. On this day, the charter prohibits any food, only drinking water.
• On this day, you can drink a lot of cold water, about 2 liters per day. Two days (including Tuesday) of such washing with water against the background of complete fasting perfectly cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, as a result, the mind clears up and lightness appears in the body. On an empty stomach, a person who prays is better able to concentrate his thoughts and direct them towards God. Worldly cares recede, because there is no need to think about food and its preparation. Frees up time to think about the soul.

• On this day, it is recommended to continue fasting, but if this is not within the power of health, then dry eating should be followed. Entering the period of fasting, regarding food restrictions, one should take into account the state of health. And for those who cannot endure complete abstinence from food and drink during the first two days of Lent, as well as for the elderly, “bread and kvass” is allowed on Tuesday after Vespers.

• Xerophagy. According to the Athos version, on Wednesday and Thursday they eat once a day, it is possible with salt, and they drink water.
• On the first four days of the week, in the evening, during Divine Liturgy (at Compline), the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is read in churches. This liturgical service contains 250 troparia; it is permeated with a sense of repentance before God, a person's awareness of his sinfulness; this main theme is revealed in the canon by referring to images from the Old and New Testaments, to examples of the lives of saints. From Monday to Thursday of the 1st week, the canon is read in parts; it is read in full at Matins on Thursday of the 5th week of Great Lent.

• Dry eating (according to the strength of the fasting person). Dishes that are allowed to be eaten also remain cold. Blessed in the church and served kutya.
• Kutya is blessed in the church and served on the table on Friday of the first week of Great Lent in memory of the miracle of St. Martyr Theodore Tyron, who, appearing on this day in 362 in a dream to Bishop Eudoxius of Antioch, warned of the desecration of food in the markets with idolized blood.

• Boiled legumes, olives and black olives are recommended at the meal.

Second Week of Great Lent from 5 to 11 March 2017

March 5, 2017 - The Triumph of Orthodoxy, the first week of Great Lent

• This is the first week (Sunday) of Lent. On this day falls the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. In the week (Sunday) of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the victory over the iconoclastic heresy is celebrated. For almost 100 years, iconoclasts opposed icons, considering their veneration to be idolatry. The veneration of icons was finally restored in the 9th century by Empress Theodora on the first Sunday of Great Lent, on which the Triumph of Orthodoxy has been celebrated ever since.
• Hot food with vegetable oil is allowed.

• Meal once a day.

• Hot food without oil, seafood is allowed.
• Meal once a day.

• Xerophagy. Cold dishes without vegetable oil and cold drinks are allowed. But in our climatic conditions, hot tea is quite acceptable for the laity.
• Meal once a day.

• Finding the head of John the Baptist (first and second acquisition) - an Orthodox holiday in honor of the most revered part of the relics of John the Baptist - his head. The prophet John the Baptist had the great honor of baptizing Jesus Christ himself. He is also called the Forerunner, because he became the forerunner of both the birth of the Lord, and His preaching, and His death. John the Baptist is remembered in every divine service. In his holiness, he is considered above all people, except for the Most Holy Theotokos.
• On this day, hot food with vegetable oil is allowed. Eating once a day.

• Xerophagy. Cold dishes without vegetable oil and cold drinks are allowed. But in our climatic conditions, hot tea is quite acceptable for the laity.
• Meal once a day.

March 11, 2017 - Parental ecumenical Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent. Day of Remembrance of the Dead.

• Hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, wine, meals twice a day.
• Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

Third Week of Great Lent - March 12-18, 2017

March 12, 2017 - Week of Gregory Palamas, the second week of Great Lent.

• This is the second week (Sunday) of Lent. On this day, the Church prayerfully remembers St. Gregory Palamas, who lived in the 14th century, a zealous champion of monastic life and spiritual work, an exponent of a special church teaching about the Light of Tabor - the intangible, grace-filled Heavenly light with which the Lord shone during the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor; this is a teaching about the possibility for a person to acquire the grace of the Holy Spirit, about the ways to this - prayer and good deeds, to which believers are especially called upon by the Church during the days of fasting.
• Hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, wine, meals twice a day are allowed.
• Pure grape wine diluted with hot water is allowed. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

• Dry eating: eating once a day.

• Dry eating: meals once a day.

• Dry eating: meal once a day.

March 18, 2017 - Parental ecumenical Saturday 3rd week of Great Lent

• On Saturday of the third week, during Matins, the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is brought to the middle of the temple for veneration by believers, therefore the third week and the next, fourth, week are called the Adoration of the Cross.
• Hot food with vegetable oil and wine, meal twice a day.
• Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

Fourth Week of Great Lent Adoration of the Cross from March 19 to March 25, 2017

The fourth week of Great Lent is called the Adoration of the Cross, or the Cross of the Cross. The Life-Giving Cross from Sunday - the week of the Adoration of the Cross - until Friday of this week is in the center of the temple, in the place of the icon of the holiday. The Church glorifies the Holy Cross of Christ as a sign of the mightiest power that protects us and opens the way to salvation. Throughout the week, believers worship this shrine with special reverence. On Friday of the week, at the end of the service, the Cross is solemnly conveyed to the altar.

March 19, 2017, Sunday. Third Week of Great Lent - Adoration of the Cross

• On this day, they read spiritual literature, help their neighbors, think about death and the terrible judgment, work is considered a sin. All believers visit temples to worship the cross, reflect on the concept of "bearing their cross."
• Hot food with vegetable oil and wine is allowed (pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, mostly diluted with hot water). At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.
• Seafood is allowed.

• Dry eating, eating once a day.

• Hot food that has undergone heat treatment, i.e. boiled, baked, etc. Oil free. Once a day.

• Xerophagy. Meals are allowed once a day.

March 25, 2017

• Hot food with vegetable oil, eating fish and seafood is prohibited.

Fifth Week of Great Lent 2017 from March 26 to April 1

• Memorial Day of theologian John of the Ladder. Rev. John of the Ladder was the abbot of the Sinai monastery, wrote the famous "Ladder of Virtues". "Ladder" in Old Slavonic means "Ladder". This scripture is about the steps of ascent to spiritual perfection. The image of the "Ladder" is borrowed from the Bible, which describes Jacob's vision of the Ladder, along which the angels ascend. According to the calendar, the day of memory of John of the Ladder falls during Great Lent, it was moved to Sunday, and it was assigned to the 4th Sunday of Great Lent.
• Allowed hot food with vegetable oil, seafood and wine (one cup of 200 ml), a meal twice a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

• Xerophagy. Meals once a day.

• Hot food without oil. Eating once a day.

• Xerophagy. Meal once a day.
• Wednesday evening at Orthodox churches a special service is performed - "Maria's standing". At this service, for the only time a year, the whole Great Canon of Andrew of Crete is read (before that it sounded in parts from Monday to Thursday of the first week of Great Lent) and the life of St. Mary of Egypt.

• On this day, according to ancient custom, the following of the Great Canon is sung. Saint Andrew composed it at the same time that Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, wrote down the life of Mary of Egypt. Father Andrew first brought the great canon and the word about St. Mary to Constantinople when he was sent by Patriarch Theodore of Jerusalem to help at the Sixth Council.
• Hot food with vegetable oil is allowed. Eating once a day.

• Xerophagy. Once a day.

• Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• There have been several cases in history of the miraculous deliverance of Constantinople from enemies by prayers to the Mother of God. In memory of them, the Holy Church established the Feast of the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos on Saturday of the 5th week of Great Lent. On this day, everyone turns to the Mother of God not with requests and not even with gratitude, but with praise. With special solemnity, the akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos is read in churches. This is the first akathist written for church use and has become a model for all subsequent akathists in honor of various church holidays.
• Allowed hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, wine (one bowl 200 ml). Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

Sixth Week of Great Lent 2017 from 2 to 8 April

April 2, 2017, Sunday. Fifth Week of Great Lent (Fifth Sunday of Lent)

• Memorial Day of St. Mary of Egypt. The Monk Mary was born in Egypt in the middle of the 5th century. At the age of 12, she left her parents and went to Alexandria, where she spent 17 years living in sin. Once Mary arrived in Jerusalem for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and tried to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, but some force prevented her from doing so. She realized her fall and began to pray in front of the icon of the Mother of God, which was in the vestibule of the temple. After that, she was able to enter the temple. Then Mary went into the desert, where she spent the rest of her life, 47 years, in fasting, asceticism and repentance. The Church gives in the person of St. Mary of Egypt an example of true repentance and shows the mercy of the Lord to repentant sinners. The calendar memory of Mary of Egypt falls during Great Lent, it was moved to Sunday, and it was assigned to the 5th Sunday of Great Lent.
• On this day, hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, wine, meals twice a day are allowed. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

• Xerophagy. Once a day.

• Hot food without oil. Once a day.

• Xerophagy. Once a day.

• Hot food without oil. Once a day.

• Feast of the Annunciation.
• On this day, a spiritual event on a global scale is celebrated. Announcement to the Virgin Mary of the good news of the conception and future birth of the Divine Infant Jesus Christ by Her. Archangel Gabriel brought to the Virgin Mary the biggest and most important message - the Son of God becomes the Son of man. Isaiah's prophecy is being fulfilled. The Mother of God responds by agreeing to the message of the angel: "Let it be to me according to your word." Without this voluntary consent, God could not have incarnated and become a God-man. He could not be incarnated, since God does not act by force, does not force us to do anything.
• Hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, wine. Fish are allowed. Meal once a day. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, mostly diluted with hot water.
• Fish dishes during Great Lent are allowed only on the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and on Palm Sunday.

• Lazarus Saturday
• On this day, Christians remember the miracle of the resurrection of the righteous Lazarus by Christ, which was performed as evidence of the coming resurrection of all the dead. The celebration of Lazarus Saturday has been established since ancient times; it precedes the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
• Hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, fish caviar, wine, meals twice a day are allowed. Pure grape wine without alcohol and sugar, diluted with hot water. At the same time, abstinence from wine is highly commendable.

Holy Week of Great Lent 2017 from 9 to 15 April

Food restrictions in Holy Week are as strict as in the first week of Lent. It is supposed to observe dry eating once a day.

• The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - the great twelfth feast is celebrated a week before the celebration of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, in memory of the solemn Entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on the eve of His Passion on the Cross. Christ entered Jerusalem on a young colt, greeted by many people who learned about the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. The people greeted Him as kings and conquerors are greeted, but in a few days these same people will shout to the Roman governor Pilate: “Take, take, crucify Him!” and they will pronounce a terrible curse on their people: “His blood is on us and on our children.” Therefore, this celebration is actually a foreshadowing of the suffering of the Savior.
• According to church tradition, on this day in churches, believers, as if meeting the invisibly coming Lord, stand at the service with willow branches in their hands (hence the other name of the holiday - Palm Sunday). Willows replace vaya - palm branches, which were held in the hands of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who met Christ.
• On the eve of the holiday, at the all-night vigil on Saturday, the willows are consecrated by sprinkling with holy water after reading a special prayer.
• Fish are allowed. Hot food with vegetable oil, seafood, wine.

• On Great Monday, the Old Testament patriarch Joseph, sold by his brothers to Egypt, is remembered as a prototype of the suffering Jesus Christ, as well as the gospel story about Jesus cursing a barren fig tree, symbolizing a soul that does not bear spiritual fruit - true repentance, faith, prayer and good deeds.

• On Great Tuesday, we remember the denunciation of the Lord of the scribes and Pharisees, His conversations and parables, spoken by Him on this day in the temple of Jerusalem: about tribute to Caesar, about the resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, about ten virgins and about talents.

• On Great Wednesday, the anointing of the feet of Jesus Christ with peace and the betrayal of Judas are remembered.

• On Maundy Thursday, 4 most important evangelical events that took place on this day are remembered in worship: the Last Supper, at which the Lord established the New Testament sacrament of Holy Communion (Eucharist), the Lord washing the feet of His disciples as a sign of deepest humility and love for them, the Savior's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas.

April 14, 2017 - Great Friday. Good Friday. Crucifixion of Christ.

• The day of the Great Heel (Friday) is dedicated to the remembrance of the condemnation to death, the suffering on the Cross and the death of the Savior. In the worship of this day, the Church, as it were, sets us at the foot of the Cross of Christ and before our reverent and trembling eyes depicts the saving sufferings of the Lord. At the Matins of the Great Heel (usually served on Thursday evening), the “Following of the Passion of the Lord” is performed, after which 12 corresponding fragments from the Gospels are read. At the end of Vespers on Good Friday, the rite of the removal of the Shroud of Christ is performed with the image of His position in the tomb, after which there is a reading of the canon about the crucifixion of the Lord and the lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos.
• Refraining from food until the removal of the shroud.

• On Great Saturday, the Church remembers the burial of Jesus Christ, the stay of His body in the tomb, the descent of the soul into hell to proclaim victory over death and the deliverance of souls who with faith awaited His coming, and the introduction of the prudent thief into paradise.
• On Great Saturday, many believers also refuse food until Easter, but for monks 200-250 g of bread, 6 pieces of figs or dates, a cup of kvass or honey drink are allowed. Or bread with vegetables. For the laity, hot food with vegetable oil is allowed.

• Easter means "transition", "deliverance". With the Resurrection of Christ, we celebrate the deliverance of the human race from the power of sin and death.

Lent is the most important and oldest multi-day fast in Christianity. It is believed that Great Lent is the most instructive, beautiful, touching and bright time in the entire Orthodox calendar. This forty-day period is entirely aimed at preparing for the main Christian holiday - the Bright Resurrection of Christ, or, as it is also called,.

The essence of Lent for believers

Jesus Christ himself was led by the spirit into the wilderness, where he was subjected to the temptation of the devil for all forty days, during which the Savior did not eat anything. That is, by fasting Christ began the work of saving our souls. Great Lent is a strict fast in honor of the Son of God, and the last week of fasting, Holy Week (week), is established in honor of the last days of earthly life, torment, violent suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

The main purpose of Lent- the complete eradication of the destructive manifestations of the human soul and the acquisition of virtues. This is facilitated not only by the restriction in food, but also by prayer, constant attendance at church services and the complete renunciation of lies, hypocrisy, foul language, etc.

Not 40, but 48 days

In fact, Great Lent does not consist of forty days, it includes all forty-eight days of strict preparation for Easter, both of the soul and the body.

Parts of Easter Lent:

1. Forty days (first 40 days);
2. Lazarus Saturday (1 day - Palm Saturday before Palm Sunday);
3. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (1 day - Palm Sunday, a week before Easter);
4. Holy Week (6 days - the whole week from Monday to Saturday before the Easter holiday).

Food calendar by day during Lent 2017

The liturgical charter describing the main traditions of the life of the church (Tipikon) describes the rules of the meal during Lent as follows:

• Fast foods (food of animal origin - meat, fats, milk, butter, eggs, etc.) should be completely abandoned throughout the fast.
• First week and last week During the Great Lent, it is necessary to observe the diet especially strictly. Spirit, soul and body must be kept in particular severity during these two weeks.
• On Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week of Great Lent, food can only be eaten cold (this is called a raw food diet) without oil (not even vegetable), and it is allowed to eat only once a day, in the evening.
• Tuesday and Thursday of every week Lent food is taken only once a day - in the evening. On these days, hot food is allowed, but oil cannot be added.
• Weekends - Saturdays and Sundays- fasting people receive some relief: you can eat food with the addition of vegetable oil and drink a little red wine twice a day.
• Friday of the last week of Great Lent(Holy Week) abstain from food.
• Saturday of Holy Week believing fasting Christians do not eat at all.
• On a holiday, it is allowed to eat fish, but only if this religious holiday does not fall on Holy Week.
• Fish is also allowed.
• If the holidays of the saints fall during Lent, then these days they also make indulgences in the form of wine and hot food with vegetable oil.

The desire to keep Great Lent is highly commendable, both from a spiritual and health point of view. Doctors unanimously say that refraining from heavy food in the spring will only benefit the body.

However, many, especially beginners, mentally shudder: will they be able to survive these difficult 7 weeks so that they do not think only about food all the time? After all, the lion's share of fasting should be devoted to pious thoughts and prayer. Let's figure out together what foods are allowed for consumption during Lent.

Vegetables

Vegetables, of course, include cabbage, which can be of different types and taste completely different: broccoli, white cabbage, cauliflower, Beijing and Brussels sprouts.

You can also eat potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, Bell pepper, green beans, carrot. Do not forget about fresh herbs - dill, parsley, green onions, spinach, sorrel, basil, cilantro, leafy salads, etc.

cereals

Agree, usually a family chooses two or three favorite cereals, and, at the same time, the choice of various cereals in stores is very large. Try to take a closer look and diversify your lenten menu with cereals from new cereals.

Legumes

Peas, beans and beans are the most important sources of protein during Lent. And if you or your family members play sports, be sure to include these healthy ingredients in your diet. They can be added to vegetable stew Or make a puree out of them. Very tasty lobio is obtained from beans, carrots and sweet peppers.

Fruits

Of course, you can and should eat fruits: citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, lemons), grapes, pomegranates, cranberries, apples.

Fruits during the fasting period can be included in the family menu in any form: squeeze juice out of them, and add to salads.

Mushrooms

In Lent, mushrooms will equally replace meat and fish. Soup, appetizer, schnitzel, fry sauce for porridges and potato pancakes, roast, etc. are prepared from carefully washed and peeled mushrooms.

Fish

According to the strict rules of the Easter fast, fish is banned, but it can be consumed, as mentioned above, on the feasts of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. And on Lazarus Saturday fish caviar is allowed.

Sweets

There is good news for those with a sweet tooth: you can also eat sweets during Lent, but they must be prepared without the use of fast foods.

You can: oatmeal cookies, halva, dark chocolate without adding milk, lollipops, gozinaki, cranberries in powdered sugar, honey and sugar.

Beverages

If you really miss milk, try to find soy or coconut in stores. You can also find soy yogurts and soy tofu.

You can: cocoa (real, non-instant mixtures containing milk powder), coffee, tea, compote, uzvar, fruit drink, juice, jelly, red wine on weekends (not on Holy Week days).

Other products

You can also include in your diet:

• seaweed;
• Korean salads;
• seeds;
• nuts;
• pasta that does not contain eggs;
• flour products made from flour, water and salt;
• bread (without the use of milk and eggs), unleavened pita bread, crisps;
• sauces (ketchup, lean mayonnaise, adjika, soy sauce, tomato paste);
• balsamic, apple, table vinegars.

chief editor of the site "M.Vkus"

Lent begins on Monday. A time that is recommended to be spent in silence, calmness and abstinence. For 40 days, you should refrain from social networks and TV shows, avoid negative emotions and thoughts, exclude any animal products from the diet. Even if you are not too orthodox, we highly recommend trying to stick to the established rules during this entire period. Firstly, this is an excellent detox that will help you lose weight gained over the winter, avoid vitamin deficiency and improve intestinal microflora. Secondly, this is an ideal way to put your thoughts in order, adjust your goals and plans for the future, and be alone with yourself. Thirdly, instead of entertainment, read long-delayed useful non-fiction books, improve your English level or take an online training course. In general, Great Lent is 40 days that you can spend with maximum benefit for your own soul, body and intellect.

There are quite strictly regulated food regulations for each day of Lent. They are very severe, but one must understand that in the Orthodox tradition there are no separate rules for monks and ordinary people. So these rules should be strictly adhered to by church employees, while everyone else can make themselves one or another indulgence. In addition, travelers, pregnant women, children, the elderly and the sick are not allowed to fast.

For everyone else there is one important rule- for almost all 40 days, follow a strict vegan diet, completely eliminating alcohol and any animal products from the diet: meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products.

For those who are going to fast for the first time, we clarify - this list also includes cappuccino and latte with regular milk, milk chocolate, most pastries and desserts. When buying ready-made products, just carefully study the packaging. In addition, many large supermarkets make a separate rack with lean products during Lent or mark them with special stickers.

Starvation

In these days of Great Lent, complete abstinence from food is recommended, that is, you need to starve. Only drinking water is allowed. Assess your own mental and physical strength, how much you can endure a day without food. If you have any chronic diseases or health problems, then you should consult your doctor about fasting and strict fasting days.

Xerophagy

Fasting days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

The strictest days of Great Lent, when you can not eat hot boiled foods and use vegetable oil. Do not think that there will be nothing to eat - delicious meals more than enough. Fresh, salted and pickled vegetables and mushrooms, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, bread, honey and cold-cooked cereals are allowed. From drinks, water, fresh juices, lemonades (without boiling) and smoothies are allowed. These days you can try your culinary skills in preparing a variety of raw food dishes. Such as zucchini spaghetti with parsley pesto, raw gazpacho, raw dehydrator bread, a variety of salads, desserts made from nuts and dried fruits.

From the M.Vkus collection of recipes, the following recipes are suitable for these days:

Hot food without oil

Fasting days: Tuesday, Thursday

These days it is allowed to eat all dry foods, plus add cereals, legumes and pasta on the water or vegetable milk, a variety of dishes from cooked vegetables and mushrooms (boiled, baked, steamed or sous vide), bread and pastries without butter, fresh or cooked fruits, you can drink hot tea and coffee, black or with nut milk. Separately, I would like to note soy products, which during the days of Great Lent are an excellent source of protein, replacing animal proteins. Prepared from soy delicious cottage cheese or a cheese called tofu, which can be simply sautéed with vegetables or made into imitation scrambled eggs or syrniki. Soy milk is a great alternative to cow's milk - you can make cappuccino and lattes with it, cook cereals on it, cook pastries and lean pancakes.

From the M.Vkus collection of recipes for Tuesdays and Thursdays of Great Lent, the following recipes are suitable:

Hot food with vegetable oil

Fasting days: Saturday, Sunday

This is a time of restraint in many things, one of which is food. In Christianity, fasting helps to purify the soul and body, improve oneself and the ability to focus on prayer and the problems of the universe. This year it starts on February 27th and ends on April 15th. And at this time, everyone begins to think about their spiritual world and, of course, about proper nutrition. Lent 2017 food calendar by day will help you properly balance your diet, as well as learn how to curb passions that can ruin your harmonious relationship with higher powers and the outside world. Of course, it is not necessary to eat during fasting every day according to the monastic rule, because for weakened people there are certain relaxations of fasting. Here is what you need to remember for those who begin fasting.

Who should not adhere to a strict fast

Lent is considered the strictest. Unlike the Advent fast, it is not even allowed to eat fish, except on certain days. There are also some rules that do not limit a person in other areas of life. For example, in married life or in entertainment. But there are also situations when a relaxation of fasting is given, which is necessary in order to improve the condition of a sick or weakened person. First of all, a strict fast according to the monastic charter should not be observed:

Sick people who are in a weakened state. For example, those who have undergone surgery suffer diabetes or just feel bad all the time. These people can eat everything in fasting, if possible limiting the consumption of only meat. And then this restriction is removed if a person is weak and he needs to restore strength;

People who are engaged in hard physical labor;

Pregnant women and nursing mothers. With it, any restrictions are removed in general;

Children up to 12 years old. At this time, at the request of the parents, you can limit the use of certain foods, but the growing body of the child may require a lot of protein. It is for this reason that children should not fast, but if they themselves wish it, then the rules of fasting can be observed. Again, if the child can endure such restrictions and wants to fast along with adults.

Also, fasting should not be imposed on unbelieving husbands and wives. For example, if a believing wife has an atheist husband and wants to eat meat or not abstain from marital intimacy at this time, then you should not limit him. In addition, some elders even forced to eat meat during fasting those who correctly observed all the Christian commandments and were proud of it. This was done so that a person would humble his pride and be more indulgent to the weaknesses of others.

Fasting is also divided into monastic and ordinary, worldly. Many differences can be clarified with your confessor. Monks keep a much stricter fast than ordinary people. However, there is nothing terrible if a person himself begins to eat and drink according to the monastic charter, living an ordinary worldly life. Here are the main canons of fasting, when and what you can eat.

General information about Lent

On all days of Great Lent, except for Palm Sunday and the Feast of the Annunciation, you can not eat food of animal origin - eggs, cottage cheese, milk, meat and sausages, fish. However, there are weeks when fasting is observed very strictly. This is the first week of Lent and the last.

In 2017, the first week of fasting falls on the dates from February 27 to March 5. In the first 3 days, many do not even eat ordinary food. However, this is the tradition of the monastic charter; ordinary people simply cannot bear such a restriction. Therefore, it is enough just not to eat meat, sausage, cheese, fish and milk at this time.

In the following weeks of fasting, these foods are also not eaten, except for Palm Sunday (April 9) and the Annunciation (April 7). These days it is allowed to eat not only seafood and fish, but even drink some wine. On the rest of the days, fasting is observed, in which you can not eat any products of animal origin.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, you can eat cold food, without even adding vegetable oil. On Tuesday you can eat hot meals. However, this is also a monastic rule that does not apply to family people. For example, if everyone has to cook and eat the same thing. Especially if during the cold weather, which is often observed in the middle and northern strip of Russia, you want to warm up with hot soup or borscht.

On Saturday and Sunday, you can drink grape wine, except for Holy Saturday. This year it falls on April 14th. Many Christians generally abstain from food at this time, as they do on Good Friday (April 13). And when the post ends, you can eat anything, except Wednesday and Friday, when it is desirable to limit yourself to the use of meat and dairy products.

What can you eat in Lent

- cereals, bread;
- jams, sweets without dairy additives;
- any fruits and vegetables in season;
- nuts, dried fruits and honey;
- salted and pickled vegetables, mushrooms.

You can eat dark chocolate, drink coffee, and also drink any drinks without alcohol and milk. You can also eat protein foods, such as seafood, if a person limits himself to meat. For example, mussels scallops and shrimp can be a great alternative to animal protein. However, fasting limits the consumption of food of animal origin in general. Therefore, replacing the usual cutlets with crayfish or shrimp is not worth it.

Great post by week

Week 1 At this time, on the first day, a very strict fast is observed if a person follows the monastic rules.

February 27, Monday - according to the monastery charter, you don’t need to eat anything at all. But, if a person fasts for the first time, on this day you can eat some black bread and coffee or green tea.

February 28, Tuesday - in moderation black bread, jam, cereals. The ideal option is buckwheat with apples, prunes and dried fruits and compote.

March 3, Friday - products without the addition of vegetable oil. You can eat nuts, honey, peanuts and cereals cooked in water;

March 4, Saturday - soups, lean puree, various dishes with the addition of vegetable oil, nuts, muesli, seeds, jam, salads;

Week 2 A less strict fast, however, is not recommended to eat vegetable oil on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

March 6, Monday - oatmeal on the water, a few apples or an orange. You can use tea or coffee on the menu;

March 7, Tuesday - mashed potatoes on the water, pickles and tomatoes. You can use vegetables as a condiment during the day, for example, Mexican mix, various salads and mixes of vegetables. It is very useful to eat broccoli fried in vegetable oil, as it not only removes toxins, but also gives a feeling of satiety. During the day, you can drink green tea with orange or compote from berries.

March 8, Wednesday - buckwheat with dried fruits or oriental sweets, sauerkraut, various fruit drinks. Various fruit drinks and juices, for example, from peaches, berries and sea buckthorn, will be very useful;

March 9, Thursday - delicious potato pancakes, potato pancakes. Sandwiches with eggplant caviar, dried fruits. Strong black tea or coffee.

March 10, Friday - buckwheat or oatmeal on water, black bread with honey and cereals, green tea or orange juice.

March 11, Saturday - lean soup with mushrooms, fried zucchini and eggplant with garlic. A little wine, grape or apricot juice.

Week 3 The menu is the same as in the second week. For variety, you can cook beets with nuts and lean mayonnaise, which can be added to the menu on Tuesday (March 14), Thursday (March 15), Saturday (March 17) and Sunday (March 18). It is allowed to add various products of plant origin to the menu, for example, olives, sauerkraut, beets and boiled carrots.

Week 4 The menu is the same as in the third week of Lent. You can not add any products. It is allowed to change places of products within one day. The same thing happens in 5 week .

Week 6 April 3rd to 8th. At this time, fasting is one of the strictest, except for April 7 - the day of the Annunciation, on which you can eat fish and drink wine.

Tuesday, April 4 - pumpkin cream soup, potato or nut cutlets, cranberry juice and green coffee or tea;

Wednesday, April 5 - buckwheat porridge, thawed raspberries or strawberries, strawberry drink with sugar, apples;

Thursday, April 6 - boiled rice with fried vegetables. Orange and peach juices, black tea. During the day, you can eat salads with the addition of vegetable oil;

Friday, April 7 - berry ice cream, any fish, shrimp and seafood dishes, mussels, some red wine. You can drink various grape juices, compotes, any sweet drinks;

Week 7 Same menu as in week 6 until Friday. You can eat all of these products, but without vegetable oil. On Friday and Saturday, many do not eat food at all. But on Sunday you can eat whatever your heart desires, as Easter is coming.

During any fast, you also want sweets, and therefore you can easily cook these.