How to Avoid Meat During Lent

During the season of Lent, Catholics traditionally give up all meat and poultry products as a religious act of fasting. Some Catholics choose to give up these food for the entire 40 days of Lent while others only fast on Fridays. If you're creative, you can make tasty meatless dishes that will not interfere with your observance of Lent.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Go vegetarian. Vegetarian recipes tend to be healthy, with low levels of cholesterol and saturated fat. They may also feature some new and exciting flavors that you do not experience in your regular diet. Grab a vegetarian cookbook and get inventive in the kitchen. Salads with different exotic ingredients, including veggies, tropical fruits and nuts, can be filling and satisfying to your palate. Concentrate on making delicious dressings. Also investigate vegetable replacements for meats and poultry. Some soy sausauges taste just like the real thing, especially the breakfast sausages.

2. When it doubt, choose fish. Fish tends to be a foundational ingredient of Catholic meals during Lent, so take advantage of the opportunity to try out some new recipes. Ask for recommendations at the fish department of your grocery store, especially for local varieties that are more likely to be fresh. Just because it's Lent, you don't have to be austere. Scallops and shrimp prepared in elegant nouvelle recipes can be pleasing to your eyes as well as your stomach.

3. Make pasta dishes with meatless sauces. Cooking pasta is a good way to provide a rich and filling meal for your family while avoiding meat. And the key to pasta is the sauce. Purchase a tomato, cream or some other vegetable-based pre-made jarred sauce, or make your own large batch of sauce at home and save the leftovers for another meal during Lent. Add exciting extras to the sauce in the form of black olives, wild mushrooms, green peas, capers or tuna fish.

4. Cook as many meatless dishes in advance as possible and refrigerate or freeze meal-size portions for later use. The more meatless options you have available in your home during Lent, the less likely you will be tempted to eat meat.

5. Be cheesy. Swiss, Brie, Rouquefort, Cheddar...you have so many options to create flavorful meals with the addition of cheeses. You can use cheeses as snacks, for meatless cheese melts and as the base for fantastic sauces. A slab of cheddar melted over a sliced open baked potato makes for tasty treat, especially when topped with garlic bits, onion or chives. Choose low-fat cheeses if you're watching calories or cholesterol.

6. Visit the health food store. You can keep up your energy during Lent and get the protein you need by drinking delicious protein drinks made with whey or soy. Protein bars serve the same purpose.

7. Eat simple yet nourishing meals to symbolize solidarity with the poor and less fortunate of the world, an important value to recognize during Lent. Less extravagant meals like rice and beans, a very popular meal throughout the world, may be more appropriate for the act of fasting to encourage humility and gratitude for what you have.

Tips & Warnings

• Decide what type of fasting you will observe during Lent. In most churches, eating fish and dairy products is still allowed, though you may want to consult with your priest to determine the appropriate practice for you.

• Sundays during Lent are not counted in the traditional 40 days of fasting, so regardless of the type of fasting you can eat meat on Sundays.