In addition, fasting helps the body get rid of accumulated toxins and extra pounds. Of course, not everyone can adhere to strict abstinence. It’s clear with protein products of animal origin - they can be replaced with legumes, mushrooms, beans, lentils, soy, etc. But what about sweets? Of course, you shouldn’t limit yourself to sweets, since our brain needs to receive glucose in order to function well, after all, we continue to go to work, study, and the gym...
During Lent you can enjoy dried fruits, honey, halva, nuts, marmalade, dark chocolate and Lenten cookies.
Dried fruits
Dried fruits can be included in your diet during fasting, and without exception, dates, dried apricots, figs, raisins, prunes, cherries, etc. Glucose, which is contained in dried fruits, improves brain function, increases concentration, and also relieves fatigue eye if your work involves documents, reporting and a computer. Eating dried fruits lifts your mood and helps fight depression, anemia and vitamin deficiency. Dried fruits also help prevent cancer. These products help to recover faster from illnesses by saturating the body with lost vitamins.
Lenten recipes for baking and desserts
It is absolutely not necessary to buy sweets and candies in the store during Lent, because the ingredients written on the package may not correspond to reality. It is much safer to prepare a sweet dessert during Lent yourself, ensuring that you use only approved products.
Lenten oatmeal cookies
Homemade oatmeal cookies, safe for Lent, are as easy as pie to make. You will need an extremely simple set of products:
- rolled oats (oatmeal) - 2 cups;
- ripe bananas - 2-3 pieces;
- nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.) – 100-150 g;
- vegetable oil - 25-30 g;
- cinnamon - 2-3 g (pinch).
First you need to peel the bananas and chop them until smooth (mash with a fork or blender). Then all ingredients are added to the banana puree and mixed thoroughly. To thicken the mixture a little, place it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then they take it out from there and, dividing the entire volume into several parts, make small flat cakes. Bake the sweets at a temperature of about + 180 °C for 25-30 minutes.
In Lenten cookies, instead of banana, you can add dried fruits or just sugar
Pear-honey Lenten pie
Particularly popular among housewives when planning menus during Lent is pear and honey pie, the dough for which is mixed from exclusively lean ingredients. For a large pie of 6 servings you will need:
- pears, ideally the Duchess variety, but any will do - 4 pieces;
- ground cinnamon - a pinch;
- white wheat flour - 2 cups;
- granulated sugar - 1 cup;
- boiled water - 1 glass (250 ml);
- finely chopped nuts (you can take peanuts, hazelnuts, etc.), preferably fried;
- vegetable oil - half a glass;
- baking soda - 1 tsp;
- liquid honey (not candied) - 2 tbsp. l.
Procedure:
- First, mix all the liquid ingredients (water and vegetable oil) in a bowl, then add sugar and honey. To make them dissolve better, heat the mixture a little.
- Add the remaining ingredients (nuts, baking soda, cinnamon and flour) and mix thoroughly. When finished, honey dough should resemble sour cream in consistency.
- Peel the pears, remove the center and cut into small cubes. Then put it in the dough.
- Mix everything again and pour it into the mold.
- Baking will take approximately half an hour at + 200 °C.
Important! When preparing this sweetness, you can use regular apples instead of pears.
Lenten pie turns out extremely tasty
Lenten honey muffins
Fragrant honey, sweet and airy, but at the same time completely safe Lenten muffins are prepared quickly and easily. Very often they are baked not only during Lent, but also at other times.
Product set:
- honey (any) - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
- granulated sugar - half a glass;
- refined vegetable oil (odorless) - half a glass;
- boiled, slightly warmed water - a glass (0.25 l);
- sifted wheat flour - a couple of glasses;
- salt - 1/6 tsp;
- baking soda (no need to extinguish it) - 1 tsp.
Recipe:
- Sugar, honey, and salt are dissolved in warm water poured into a bowl. Oil is poured there.
- Separately mix soda with flour, then pour into a bowl and mix vigorously until an even, homogeneous composition is obtained.
- If desired, candied fruits, zest, nuts, raisins, etc. can be added to the ready-made but raw dough.
- Pour the dough into the existing molds, not reaching the edge by about a third in height.
- After baking for 15-20 minutes (180-200 °C), the cupcakes are allowed to cool thoroughly.
Cupcakes are released from the mold only after they have cooled completely.
Honey
Honey is not included in the list of prohibited foods during Lent. Moreover, he is especially revered by the church. This product is considered one of the important foods during the fasting period. Some monasteries even have their own apiaries.
Honey compensates for the lack of nutrients usually obtained from animal products. The glucose and fructose contained in this product nourishes the brain. Tea, with 1 tbsp. l. honey in the morning will charge the body with energy for the whole day, increase vitality, and also protect against infections and colds, which is important in winter. In addition, honey can be added to lean porridges, thereby improving their taste and benefits.
Is it possible to eat sweets during Lent and what kind?
Before consuming any purchased sweets or candies, you must study their composition very carefully in order to exclude components prohibited during fasting.
Caramel and lollipops
Since lollipops are essentially just melted sugar with the addition of various coloring and aromatic substances, they are allowed during fasting in any quantity and without restrictions. But with caramel the situation is somewhat different, because there is also a filling, which may well contain something inappropriate. During Lent, any caramel candy is allowed, but only with fruit and berry filling: Cherry flavor, Strawberry, Pineapple, Apricot, Crow's Feet, Banana, Snowball, etc.
Butter pastries
Absolutely any baked goods are prohibited during Lent, since animal fats are always used in their production. Only lean baked goods are allowed, consisting only of yeast, vegetable (vegetable) oil, water and flour.
Marmalade
Most often, marmalade is made on the basis of gelatin, which in turn is obtained from animal bones. Therefore, such sweetness will have to be put aside until the end of the fast. However, you can find other marmalade candies on sale that do not contain gelling components of animal origin:
- Based on pectin (E440) - a complex polysaccharide obtained from apples, citrus fruits and some root vegetables. It is usually cloudy in appearance, more viscous and soft.
- On agar-agar (E406) - an extract from seaweed. Transparent, dense and elastic, which is similar to gelatin marmalade.
Correct marmalade is usually less attractive in appearance
Marshmallow
Typically, marshmallows are not suitable for a lean diet, since it contains not only gelatin, but also beaten egg white. Sometimes you can find products made with agar-agar and without protein. You can have this kind of sweetness during Lent.
Waffles
You will definitely have to abstain from any waffles during Lent, because the waffle dough contains protein (protein). In addition, they are sandwiched with various pralines (chocolate, milk), heavy with butter and milk.
Cookie
Almost all cookies are prohibited during Lent due to the content of butter, condensed milk, eggs and other unauthorized ingredients. Only some of its types, for example, oatmeal or biscuits, can be consumed during fasting without fear.
Halva and kozinaki
All kinds of oriental sweets, which are made from nuts, seeds, sugar or honey, as well as vegetable oils, seriously diversify the Lenten menu. Any type of food is allowed during fasting: Turkish delight, kozinaki, halva, etc.
Warning! It is better not to purchase candies filled with halva, as they may contain components prohibited during fasting.
Gingerbread
Traditional gingerbread dough is kneaded with honey, rye flour, milk and egg yolks with the addition of various flavoring and aromatic ingredients (candied fruits, ginger, zest, nuts, cloves, anise, cardamom, etc.). Such sweets are prohibited during Lent. However, they also make special Lenten gingerbreads (printed, Bogorodsky, etc.), in which there is nothing dangerous.
Marmalade
This delicacy contains gelling components. It can be gelatin, or agar-agar or pectin. Each of these substances benefits the body. Marmalade contains many microelements such as iron, magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium, as well as vitamin PP.
Eating marmalade improves gastric motility, normalizes liver function, and also promotes proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
Coconut candy
Very delicate candies with an amazing taste of coconut and almonds. If you are a fan of the well-known “Raffaello”, then you will really like our coconut sweets.
For preparation you will need: coconut flakes, almonds, condensed milk.
Preparing the dessert is as simple as the ingredients - just one or two and you're done! You can see how to make coconut candies here.
And here is a small modification of this recipe - also interesting, and look how beautiful it is.
Halva
Halva is most often made from sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts or almonds. Antioxidants found in nuts and seeds help prevent colon and breast cancer. Halva helps get rid of irritability, insomnia and strengthens the nervous system. In addition, the beneficial substances contained in this product prolong the youth of the skin, eliminate fine wrinkles, and make the hair thick and silky.
Marshmallow - an alternative replacement for protein marshmallows
The modern relative of marshmallows and marshmallows appeared on Russian markets relatively recently. Its components are somewhat different from the domestic product, since instead of proteins, water, corn starch and boiled grape juice are used. Such components give the same effect as the use of proteins, but make the sweetness accessible to the fasting person. It is not difficult to understand whether it is possible to eat marshmallows during Lent; you just need to read the composition of the product. You can eat marshmallows during Lent without fear of sinning if they are prepared using marshmallow technology.
Black chocolate
Dark chocolate improves brain function, satisfies hunger, lifts your mood and fights stress. Real dark chocolate contains no animal fats or dairy products. Therefore, when choosing sweets, do not deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying this dessert. Be guided by the fact that this sweetness will lift your spirits, because despondency is a sin.
Photo: shutterstock
Vegetable truffles
Have you ever known candy that you can eat without harm to your health? No? And they exist! And now we will reveal their recipe to you.
To prepare you need - walnuts, dates, almonds, cocoa. All! As you can see, there are not many ingredients, which means preparing them is not at all difficult. Moreover, you don’t have to fry or steam anything.
You can view a detailed step-by-step recipe with video at this link. Treat yourself to a pleasant dessert and a good mood!
The other side of fasting is spiritual abstinence.
Spiritual abstinence is even more important than food abstinence. After all, not everyone can keep a fast for medical reasons, but anyone can limit their viewing of entertainment programs or the number of quarrels and squabbles with other people.
Food is only one of the criteria for curbing your spirit.
Fasting is the best time for repentance, confession and communion, because at other times the temptation not to fast and to be like everyone else is even greater.
Fasting is the best time to prepare for confession and communion
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Apples in a feather bed
Craving something sweet during Lent? Prepare apple charlotte without eggs. Combine 200 g of applesauce, 150 ml of orange juice, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, a pinch of vanilla and salt. Pour in 200 g of flour and semolina, 100 g of sugar and beat the dough with a mixer. Place half in a baking dish, generously sprinkle with apple slices and cover with the other half of the dough. Bake the charlotte for 30 minutes at 180°C. This golden brown cake will bring immense joy to everyone.
Butter pastries
The butter dough contains eggs, butter, sour cream or milk. Without these components it is impossible to make pastry. Therefore, during Lent you will have to give up sweet pastries, buns, cinnamon rolls, all kinds of muffins and pies.
The exception would be cupcakes that were purposefully made as meatless ones. The rich ingredients in them were replaced with vegetable oil, nut milk and other similar ingredients. Pies made from lean dough are also often on sale; they can also be consumed.
Is it possible to eat bread during Lent and if so, what kind? More details
