We present a small collection of fasting recipes tried out and recommended by our parishioners. When posting these recipes we had in mind to give our readers healthy ideas on how to enhance their Lenten meals. However, we remind you that the best fasting foods are those prepared in a simple way, without extravagant preparation and lots of exotic ingredients, as this leads to self-gratification, which is what fasting is definitely not about.

 

You can read about the fasting typicon and find general articles on fasting, especially its very important spiritual aspect at:

 

General articles on fasting

 

Here we would just like to share a few practical tips from our own experience:

 

In order to avoid monotonous nutrition during the fast, which can lead to apathy or nervousness, one needs to plan ahead. Do your shopping well before the fast begins. Make a list of unperishable items that you will be able to use: have lots of rice, pasta, grains (wheat, buckwheat, flour – and it’s best to buy bulk), beans, dehydrated vegetables, nuts (watch out for allergies!), etc. There is nothing worse than opening your fridge or pantry the first day of the fast and finding nothing you could use. So – plan ahead.

 

When we are fasting, we tend to forget some very simple, yet wholesome and tasty foods, for which we don’t really need recipes. Allow us to remind you of the humble baked potato – it works great during the fast, topped with margarine, onions, sautéed mushrooms, or even with nothing but a pinch of salt. Likewise, don’t forget roasted peppers (recipe included in our collection, just because it’s an all-time Serbian favorite), roasted garlic as a spread, roasted mushrooms, you can roast practically any vegetable. Oh, yes, and did we mention baked apples, topped with honey and a few chopped nuts?

 

Use your imagination. Try combining beans with rice, pasta, or other types of beans, not to mention various vegetables. They all work well together. Incidentally, beans are an excellent source of protein. So are soya chunks and peanut butter, as well as all kinds of nuts (however, beware of snacking).

 

When buying canned foods, read the labels! Sometimes a certain type of can looks as though its contents are perfect for a fasting meal, but if you read the label, you find it contains all kinds of mysterious ingredients such as whey powder, milk solids, etc, etc, which are a lenten “no-no.”  Jello and other gelatin-based foods are NOT fasting, as they are made from animal bones.

 

On a no-oil day (in the Serbian Church this means no olive oil, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF OIL, including margarine), you can thicken a soup or vegetable dish by adding some cornmeal, bran flakes, or even instant mashed-potato flakes.

 

We are planning to add more recipes to our collection, so please visit us again and check for updates.