How to Fast on Ash Wednesday for Catholics

Fish are a staple of fasting meals during Ash Wednesday and Lent.

Pope Paul VI reestablished the Catholic's Church rite of fasting in 1966 in the Apostolic Constitution on Penance. The pope revised the outline again in 1983. Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and every Friday in Lent through Good Friday, ending with the Easter celebration. Catholics of the age of 14 must fast all of these days as a part of the Catholic religion. Those excused from fasting if they wish are those over the age of 60, those whose medical conditions prohibit them from fasting and those who partake in extreme manual labor.

Things You'll Need

• Meals not containing meat
• Fish
• Smoothies

Instructions

1. Choose one meal a day as the main meal. This is typically dinner. Breakfast and lunch should be smaller meals than usually consumed. The combination of these two meals should be less than the one main meal.

2. Refrain from eating any meat, with the exception of fish. Fish is a different category of animal, and Catholics can eat it on Ash Wednesday and during Lent.

3. Include eggs and dairy in your fasting. Although you cannot eat meats such as beef and chicken, you can eat animal products produced from these animals.

4. Include chicken or beef broth to add flavor and seasoning to foods such as rice and pasta. These are not prohibited during fasting.

5. Make drinks such as smoothies and milkshakes that can appease hunger and supplement the smaller meals while not qualifying as meals themselves.

References

• American Catholic: Lent: Fasting and Abstinence
• American Catholic: More FAQs About Lent
• EWTN: Lent