It's Lent. The main prohibition during this period is the consumption of animal products. But on some days it is forbidden to eat little vegetable food.
Strict restrictions on the list of permitted foods during Lent require certain knowledge regarding the rules of abstaining from food. At the same time, if the basic requirements of any fast regarding the abstinence of animal food are known to everyone, then questions arise regarding a number of products of plant origin. In particular, one of these questions is whether it is possible to consume sunflower oil during fasting.
Types of fasting
There are several types of fasting:
- Very strict. During this period, fasting people are prescribed dry eating. It is prohibited to eat foods seasoned with vegetable oil or subjected to heat treatment.
- Strict. Boiled and steamed dishes are added to the fasting menu. When cooking or as a dressing for a dish, it is allowed to use sunflower, olive, mustard and other vegetable oils.
- Simple. It is allowed to include fish in the diet.
General rules for observing Peter's Fast
A righteous Christian needs fasting in order to undergo a ritual of self-improvement and gain spiritual purity. The general rules for this period are:
- eat only food allowed on a certain day;
- pray daily, morning and evening;
- repent of sins;
- visit the temple of God;
- feel sorry for your neighbors and help them.
Our distant ancestors began to hold Peter's Fast at the very beginning of the prosperity of Christianity. It was originally intended to compensate for Lent. At this time, strict rules were observed by those who, for various reasons, did not fast before Easter. Later, with the advent of Christianity in all countries, in every remote corner, they began to build churches in honor of Peter and Paul. Then everyone learned that fast and began to observe it everywhere. Moreover, the Orthodox Church officially approved it only at the beginning of the 5th century.
KAMAZ and alternative energy sources: development of hydrogen vehicles is underway
In Antarctica, the snow changed color and turned into green and crimson
For inflammation and a few more reasons to include spicy foods in your diet
Benefits of oil for fasting people
Sunflower oil contains vitamins A, E, D. Its regular consumption helps strengthen the immune system.
Olive oil is a source of monounsaturated acids. These substances lower cholesterol levels, prevent the development of atherosclerosis, and have a beneficial effect on the condition of the nail plates, skin, and hair.
Beneficial properties of vegetable oils.
Coconut has antibacterial properties. Destroys pathogenic microorganisms, improves the taste of dishes.
Sesame contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and organic acids.
Walnut oil contains antioxidants, vitamin E. Helps maintain youth, removes free radicals from the body. Reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart attack, stroke. Normalizes the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
What is the point of restrictions?
The tradition of giving up animal food and entertainment several times a year arose in honor of the 40-day stay of Jesus Christ in the desert, where He spent time without food or water in constant prayer and fighting temptations. Following the example of the Son of God, every Orthodox Christian tries to annually reproduce this spiritual experience for himself.
Of course, the main meaning of the act lies not in formally crossing out certain products from the menu, but in painstaking work on oneself, eradicating weaknesses and moral growth. However, often it is precisely the refusal of habitual delicacies that can help a person curb his weak bodily “I”, subordinate his spiritual “I” and adequately prepare for the coming joy - the Bright Resurrection of Christ. It is no coincidence that Jesus himself spoke about demons (read, destructive passions): “This kind is driven out by fasting and prayer.”
Is it possible to have sunflower oil during fasting?
During a very strict fast, you will have to stop adding oil to food or cooking with vegetable fats. On the first day you can’t eat anything, you can only drink clean water without gas.
During other periods, it is allowed to add a small amount of unrefined oil to dishes or cook with refined oil.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 18 years of age, people traveling long distances, people with chronic pathologies do not need to abstain from vegetable fat. For them, strict restrictions can be dangerous and harmful.
Restrictions
Priests and monks who have dedicated themselves to serving God are instructed to strictly observe all fasts and exclude any foods with high energy value from the diet. For other believers, the rules are not so strict. Vegetable fats should not be used for cooking in the first and last weeks from Monday to Friday. The exception is Maundy Thursday.
Rules for using oil on fasting days.
Lent 2021 menu by day: When can you eat butter and fish?
Lent before Easter is considered the most important and strict in the Orthodox year. At this time there are many prohibitions and fewer concessions than during ordinary Christian abstinence.
You should know on which days you can eat butter or fish, and on which you definitely cannot and you should restrain yourself
The most nourishing and cheerful Maslenitsa is over, which means that all Christians are leaving for the Great Forty Day Lent. It includes 40 days dedicated to the Fast of Christ, two holidays: Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, resulting in 48 days of fasting, which will end immediately with the arrival of Easter.
Lent before Easter is considered the most important and strict in the Orthodox year. At this time there are many prohibitions and fewer concessions than during ordinary Christian abstinence.
Therefore, you should know on which days you can eat butter or fish, and on which you definitely cannot and you should restrain yourself.
Prohibited foods include meat, milk, and eggs. Fish is allowed on special holidays. There are food calendars that help you find out what food you are allowed to eat and on what day.
Based on this calendar, the first and last weeks of fasting are considered the strictest. At this time, any meat, dairy, and fish foods, as well as eggs and vegetable oil, are prohibited.
Fish and seafood can only be eaten twice during Lent: on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which falls on April 7 in 2021, and also on Palm Sunday, April 25. On Lazarus Saturday, which comes on the eve of Palm Sunday, you can treat yourself to caviar and eggs. As for alcohol, it is prohibited throughout Lent, but on Sundays, as well as Lazarus Saturday and Thursday of Holy Week, only a glass of red wine is allowed.
People who fast especially strictly compose their diet in this way: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on the table - only raw food without vegetable oil, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays - hot dishes, but also without vegetable oil. On weekends, you can prepare boiled dishes with the addition of vegetable oil.
Thus, a typical fast week consists of the following schedule:
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday - we prepare dishes only with water, it can be porridge with the addition of berries, nuts, fruits or honey, various vegetable soups or puree of mushrooms, cabbage and potatoes with croutons. You can diversify with lean pilaf with mushrooms and carrots and dry buns.
Tuesday and Thursday - food with butter. Potato pies, potato pancakes and fried vegetables, pancakes with jam, and salads dressed with butter. You can prepare sweaty cabbage soup and borscht, porridge with the addition of butter, nuts and dried fruits.
Saturday and Sunday - various soups and smoothies prepared with plant-based milk, risotto with vegetables, potato pancakes with mushrooms, and homemade noodles with the addition of fried vegetables.
It should be noted that concessions are made for small children, pregnant women, and those who have diseases that do not allow them to abstain from fasting. At the same time, the church recommends giving up certain foods, such as favorite treats, that are not beneficial at normal times, and also convincing young children that they will have to eat less sweets than usual.
Tips and tricks
A fasting person may develop a fat deficiency, leading to a deterioration in health and appearance. To avoid this complication, use an omega-3 dietary supplement. You can purchase the product at a pharmacy or a number of health food stores.
If the oil was eaten accidentally (for example, it was contained in a store-bought sauce, salad or porridge), there is no need to blame yourself. It is better to inform the priest about this, repent of violating the prohibition, and ask for forgiveness of sin.
If during fasting your health begins to deteriorate, weakness, apathy, memory or attention problems, or digestive problems occur, stop following the rules. It is better to consult a doctor to prevent the development of undesirable consequences.
What date will Petrov's fast begin in 2021?
This is a unique post, the only one whose duration varies from year to year. Usually the remaining posts have an exact number of days in advance. The fact is that Peter's fast should always end on July 11 - before the Holy Day of Peter and Paul, and begin exactly a week after Trinity. But since these dates - Trinity, Easter, Radunitsa - always fall on different days, then Peter's Fast also has a different number of days.
Lent begins on the 57th day after Easter, which is exactly a week after Trinity. It happens that it lasts only 8 days, but there were years when the duration of Petrov's fast reached 42 days. The start always falls on Monday. Any believer, knowing in advance the date of Easter or Trinity, will calculate the beginning of Peter's Fast and its duration.
“I’m not afraid to burn in hell”: Ivlev’s wife responded to criticism of the age difference
An Italian social worker portrays society truthfully in her illustrations
To escape from irritants, the predatory flycatcher creates a magnetic field around itself
In 2021, Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter on May 2. Trinity Sunday will be this Sunday - June 20, that is, Peter's fast will begin exactly 7 days later, on Monday, June 28. This year it will last 2 weeks. This will be a preparation for all believers to celebrate the Day of Peter and Paul. This is a holy day for all Orthodox Christians, a day of remembrance of the devoted apostles of Christ, who fasted at this time before preaching the Gospel.
Post: What is it and what is it for?
Fasting is a time when Orthodox Christians especially honor the Lord God - Jesus Christ and remember those sacred deeds that they performed.
You should pray as much as possible during Lent, because in prayer your soul is filled with light and holy purity, and you begin to look at familiar things with completely different eyes. You will be drawn to great things by an irresistible force and will want to do only good to people and nothing else. During Lent, the sacred diet is strictly observed. It is aimed at cleansing the body of all kinds of unnecessary reserves, dirty from unhealthy and excessively fatty and sweet foods. Such a restriction in food also helps to cleanse the brain of bad thoughts, lust, debauchery and sinful desires. Thus, by observing fasting, both your soul and body will be cleansed.
It should be noted that adults can fast without fear for their health, but for a small growing body, as well as for a fragile body during adolescence, it is not at all necessary to fast; the Church cannot and does not want to accept such sacrifices from children. Therefore, do not force your children to fast; they must eat properly and eat everything they need for health, normal growth and well-being.
What can you eat during Lent?
As I have already said, during Lent there is a strict restriction on food and Lent is the most difficult in this sense, because it lasts for 47 days. Moreover, on the first day and on the last you cannot eat anything at all, and you are only allowed to drink ordinary water in any quantity. Therefore, during fasting, I advise you to avoid serious stress on your body, this applies to both mental and physical hard work.
During Lent you can afford the following products:
- absolutely all cereals;
- all vegetables;
- fruits;
- juices, jelly and compotes;
- dried fruits;
- candied fruit;
- mushrooms;
- nuts;
- seeds;
- vegetable oil.
The list, as you have already noticed, contains the answer to your question regarding vegetable oil.
It can be added to salads, fried vegetables and mushrooms, or simply dipped into it, for example, boiled hot potatoes with a bite of garlic - it’s very tasty, be sure to try it! It won’t be so difficult to observe fasting if you try to prepare as many different dishes as possible from the proposed list, so that the food does not seem boring and monotonous to you. By the way, you can also drink tea and coffee. And instead of your favorite sweets, you can take dried apricots and prunes and drink hot, invigorating drinks with them.
In addition, on Palm Sunday and the Annunciation, the Church allows you to eat a little fish, but not a lot, you shouldn’t overeat it! Prepare baked fish, for example, with potatoes. Or just boil it and eat it with a vegetable salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, dressed with vegetable oil.
All animal products are prohibited during Lent. These include:
- fish;
- meat;
- eggs;
- milk and everything that is made from it.
You need to eat only plant foods and not fatty foods.
But you should also forget about your favorite candies and cookies, by the way, since they contain milk and eggs. You should also not drink alcoholic beverages or smoke. So if you have bad habits, then it will, of course, be difficult for you to survive fasting. But what to do, it was even harder for Jesus Christ, because he spent 40 days and 40 nights in the dry desert without food or drink, but survived. So I answered your question about whether you can use vegetable oil during Lent. Whether to fast or not is up to you and no one but you to decide.
Today, among the types of oil you can find quite a lot of its types, say, butter, sunflower (vegetable), rapeseed, etc. Let's try to see what oil can be used during fasting, and whether it is possible at all. To do this, you should turn to some canons and rules of the Church in terms of fasting.
Varieties of vegetable oils can be consumed according to the Church Charter
The Church Charter allows you to use not only traditional vegetable oil during Lent. There are many more options:
- sesame;
- peanut;
- olive;
- mustard;
- nutty.
All these types of oils can be eaten during Lent. Moreover, by combining any of these oils with a teaspoon of lemon juice and soy sauce, you can prepare a dressing for various salads.
It should be noted that butter is strictly prohibited during Lent, as it is a product of animal origin.
Do not forget that the essence of fasting itself is not in diet, but in spiritual terms. While observing strict rules in food, you need to remember your soul. You should not fast for the sake of fashion or to become thinner. The main goal is spiritual cleansing.
If you are looking for an answer to the question - is it possible to use vegetable oil during Lent, then this article is just for you and I advise you to read it to the end to find out all the details about fasting. I will tell you how fasting affects the human body and what you can eat during it, and what is strictly prohibited. You will also learn how to behave during this holy period of time.
