According to Orthodox Christianity, fasting is a path to God and help in building human salvation, which consists not only of abstaining from the intake of certain types of food, but also of abstaining from bad thoughts, bad deeds and desires, but also from increasing the number prayers, charities and human virtues.
The goal of fasting is certainly not only physical but also spiritual purification. Fasting helps us to strengthen the mind, ie to show that it is the mind that reigns over the stomach.
Therefore, we can freely talk about bodily fastingwhich implies the cessation of taking a certain type of food, but also spiritual fasting with which we reject every bad thought, envy, gossip and even an inappropriate joke.
Diet on fasting days
When it comes to the way of eating on fasting days, it is certainly different from the usual way of eating for most people. Although certain groups of foods are eliminated by this act, what we must take care of is to balance and distribute as correctly as possible the intake of foods that are allowed to us during fasting, especially if it concerns multi-day fasts such as the Christmas, Easter, Our Lady and Saint Peter’s Day fasts.
Even though we exclude milk, dairy products, meat and eggs from our diet, this does not mean that we are deprived of all the ingredients that our body needs, provided that we consume other diverse foods that we have properly distributed, i.e. if our menu during fasting is not monotonous .
First of all, fish, then legumes, dishes made from soybeans, rice, potatoes, as well as all kinds of fruits and vegetables can be eaten during fasting, and thus the body is provided with all the nutrients it needs, starting with proteins, plant fibers, vitamins and minerals, and complex carbohydrates. hydrates. In this way, in addition to abstaining from certain food groups, we also refrain from overeating, which according to the Bible is one of the main human sins.
So, we have already mentioned that legumes can be used in the diet during fasting, which can certainly be used to make numerous salads, soups, stews, pies and purees, and which will provide us with a healthy meal and a sufficient amount of energy for all daily activities.
Also, it is mandatory to consume large amounts of water or tea, squeezed juices or other healthy drinks during the fast.
However, the main role in fasting is occupied by essential fruits and vegetables, which are advised to be as fresh as possible, with as few additives as possible during cultivation, preferably organic. This will certainly lead to the cleansing of our organism to a large extent, that is, to detoxification from all kinds of poisons, toxins, excess water and other excesses that have befallen us.
Lean salads
Lenten salads have become an indispensable part of every meal during a one-day or multi-day fast, whether they are vegetable salads with additions such as various types of seeds, egg-free dough, tuna, or fruit salads enriched with honey or some kind of lean chocolate.
Lenten salads have definitely become indispensable during Lenten celebrations, when housewives compete with each other to host and treat their loved ones in the best possible way. Of course, various combinations of flavors come to the fore, but decoration must not be left out either.
Here are some recipes that you might want to try during your next big fast, or prepare them for glory and make your lovely guests happy.
Recipe 1 – indispensable Potato salad
A salad that is regularly found in every home during fasting, but also outside of it, is potato, onion and vinegar salad. For this salad we need the following:
- 6 large potatoes
- 2 heads of onion
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and oil
The salad is prepared by first boiling the potatoes. Then, when it has cooled down, cut it into rings (in a larger bowl) and add sliced onions to it, also in rings or smaller, as you like. Add salt, oil and apple cider vinegar to taste and leave the salad to stand so that the potatoes can absorb and combine with all the added ingredients. And in a simple way, we got a salad that no one will be able to resist.
Recipe 2 – Mustard salad
You can prepare this salad if you or your guests are fans of a slightly more spicy and sour taste, which will be given by a mixture of mustard, pickles and pepper. To make this salad prepare:
- 4 potatoes
- 3 carrots
- 10 pickles
- 1 spoon of mustard
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- Salt, a pinch of sugar and pepper
First, boil potatoes and carrots in salted water, and after they have cooled, cut them into smaller pieces, according to taste. Cut the pickles into smaller rings. Mix the mixture you prepared from mustard, vinegar, oil and a pinch of sugar into all that. Add salt and pepper to taste and then put it in the refrigerator to cool the salad well before consumption.
Recipe 3 – Salad with mushrooms
The ingredients needed for this more than simple Lenten mushroom salad are:
- 500 g of champignons
- 200 g lean mayonnaise
- 1 head of onion
- 1 bunch of parsley, preferably fresh, although dry leaves are fine
- Salt, pepper and vegetables
Preparation: first boil the champignons in salted water and then, when they have cooled, chop them into thin leaves. Add finely chopped onion to it, then lean mayonnaise and spices to taste. Cool the salad well before serving.
Recipe 4 – Tuna and leek salad
For one of the best and most beautiful Lenten salads, which can also serve as a spread for an appetizer, you need:
- 1 kg of potatoes
- 2 cans of tuna in pieces
- Leek waist
- 10 pickles
- 400 g lean mayonnaise
- So
As for any other salad that contains potatoes in its composition, and for this one as well, it is first necessary to wash the potatoes well and peel them. When it is cooked and cooled, it needs to be peeled and cut into cubes.
In another bowl, cut the leek into rings and add a little salt. Then let it stand for about 10 minutes so that the onion can release its juices, strain it and add the leek to the pot with the potatoes. Chop pickles into it, if desired, into rings or cubes. Then add mayonnaise and salt to taste. Mix everything well, combine the ingredients and leave in the fridge to cool. And your tuna and leek salad is ready.
With all these recipes and other food that you use during fasting, you will first of all get physical cleanliness. Try to get the spiritual one along with it, or rather to deserve it. Refrain from gluttony, selfishness, bad thoughts and actions, forgive and do good so that it will be returned to you in the same measure.
