More and more people are realizing the importance of Lent in achieving harmony with divine spirituality. Moreover, the meaning of this action is not so much in limiting the consumption of certain foods and cleansing the body, but in getting rid of bad habits and irritability, bad thoughts and anger, resentment and disappointments. Lent is observed over a long period. The human body has difficulty adjusting to the new menu. Should you limit yourself in consuming sweets and, in particular, chocolate?
Let's understand the composition of the treat
Good news for all fasting people - you can eat dark chocolate during fasting. Indeed, this is easy to understand once you understand the composition of the treat.
In fact, the product does not contain animal fats, which are prohibited at this time. The main component of the confectionery product can rightfully be called a product of plant origin - cocoa. It is cocoa derivatives: cocoa mass and cocoa butter that are part of dark chocolate. There is no milk or dairy products, eggs or butter. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it is possible to eat dark chocolate during Lent will be a resounding “yes” from clergy and nutritionists around the world.
A sharp restriction in the consumption of familiar foods is not always easily tolerated by people of different ages. The rapid onset of fatigue is inevitable, especially in the first and last days of fasting. A small piece of dark chocolate will help you quickly restore strength and energy balance, allowing you to live a full life and work productively. The high energy value of cocoa-based products is something that a body that does not receive animal fats and proteins may lack.
The vitamins and minerals contained in the product will come in handy during this difficult time - they will help the normal functioning of the brain and circulatory system.
How does the Christian religion view chocolate during Lent?
For a long time, there were debates and discussions on this topic, but the believers never came to a unanimous decision. The delicacy satisfies hunger, as it contains a lot of calories, which does not contradict the principles of tradition. On the other hand, it brings a certain pleasure, which should be avoided in every possible way by fasting people. Catholic priests at one time achieved permission to consume the delicacy, however, the attitude of the Christian Church still remained negative. The product was banned primarily because it contained cocoa beans, which are considered a natural aphrodisiac. However, due to the health benefits of this product, the Christian religion allowed its use during Lent.
Food culture, first of all, must include an aesthetic side. The main role should be played by the quality of food consumed, not quantity. By following this rule, the abstainer will not only enjoy a small piece of sweetness, but will also feel a surge of strength and energy for the whole day.
What kind of chocolate can you eat during Lent?
Some doubts arise from the consumption of other types of chocolate, such as milk chocolate, which contains milk and animal proteins. This product should definitely not be eaten during the fasting period. At the same time, many manufacturers began to produce delicacies designed specifically for those who are fasting. In such tiles, cow's milk is replaced with soy and lecithin. Therefore, when choosing a type of treat, carefully read the information about the ingredients included in its composition.
Particular attention should be paid to white chocolate. Eating such a confectionery product while fasting means violating all the canons of religious requirements. The product contains absolutely no cocoa liquor, it consists almost entirely of cocoa butter and milk, which was prohibited at this time. However, there are days on which a slight easing of restrictions is allowed.
If this also applies to the consumption of dairy products, you can allow yourself a small slice of the treat.
Lenten chocolate recipe
Lenten homemade chocolate is practically no different from store-bought. And it even surpasses it in quality due to the independent choice of ingredients used. Once you prepare a delicacy at home, its recipe will remain in the cookbook for a long time. You will need the following ingredients:
- cocoa mass (with 75% chocolate content) – 300 g;
- cocoa butter – 120 g;
- honey – 100 g.
Preparation:
- The grated cocoa is heated in a water bath, oil is added.
- After dissolving, remove from the stove, pour in honey, and mix the resulting mass.
- Pour into molds and keep in the refrigerator until hardened.
- Add nuts, chopped bananas and dried fruits to taste.
The bitter type of sweet is poured into ice trays during the cooking process.
Delicious and spiritual - there are no contradictions
This truth has been successfully proven by many chefs and culinary specialists who have been able to offer hundreds of delicious and high-calorie dishes for everyone who observes fasts. The same can be said for confectionery products with dark chocolate glaze. The possibility of consuming sweets and baked goods during Lent is determined only by the presence of the necessary components in them. Ideal for post:
- chocolate marmalade - it contains only a fruit base and natural pectin;
- glazed nuts - they contain fats and proteins of plant origin and can easily replace meat;
- chocolates with jam, which contains only fruit and sugar;
- chocolate covered cookies and dessert interspersed with cookies. One of the conditions: cookies must be lean and do not contain eggs or animal fats. The second mandatory condition is to use only dark chocolate as glaze.
It is better to buy sweet products for fasting people in specialized departments of supermarkets. If there are none in your city, control the ingredients yourself. It is not advisable to deny yourself the opportunity to enjoy sweets during Lent.
Restrictions for fasting people
Fasting is, first of all, spiritual cleansing and a sacrifice to God for the harvested fruits. It involves abstaining from animal foods, including dairy products, eggs and meat. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, according to church regulations, dry eating is practiced. This means that you can eat food that has not been heat-treated, always without oil. These days are considered some of the strictest, so it is advisable to limit your consumption of vegetables and fruits.
The question of whether it is possible to eat dark chocolate during Lent can be answered positively only if it does not contain dairy components: milk powder, cream, etc. Ideally, it should be a natural black bitter dessert that is made exclusively from cocoa butter, cocoa beans and sugar. If the packaging contains a complete list of various additives, consisting of unclear names and many numbers and letters, it is better to refuse such a product.
We cleanse ourselves of filth without restrictions on sweets
You can diversify your menu by including sweets even during Lent. Eating dark chocolate these days is especially beneficial, as it:
- acts on the brain as a tonic and improves mental abilities;
- helps keep blood vessels from narrowing and prevents the formation of sclerotic plaques;
- stimulates the production of hormones necessary to normalize blood circulation and cardiac activity;
- is a catalyst for the production of intestinal bacteria responsible for the functioning of the digestive system;
- has a positive effect on the pancreas, stabilizing the formation of the required amount of insulin. It has been proven that this is exactly what is necessary for mental clarity and positive behavior correction in senile dementia.
In addition to all that has been said, it is a known fact that the product promotes the production of the “happiness hormone” serotonin, which is so necessary for many people.
Even a small piece of delicacy, eaten during a period of strict restrictions, will bring gastronomic pleasure to gourmets and cause emotional pleasure for everyone.
The ways to consume this much-loved delicacy are not limited to tile products. You can easily prepare any culinary masterpiece with your own hands using natural dark chocolate as a glaze. It is wonderful both as a hot drink and as a dessert on its own. Even ordinary croutons made from lean bread, cooked in a toaster and covered with glaze, will become a real find for those with a sweet tooth in the days of forced menu reductions. There are also cookies baked with pieces of dessert, vegetable tofu in a sweet glaze made from it, and many other delicacies. Just give free rein to your culinary imagination and the days of fasting will become pleasant and easy for you.
Cleansing your soul from filth and learning to live in peace with yourself and others is one of the goals pursued by church fasts. Do this in harmony with your own body, diversify your taste sensations, and this will bring you much greater benefit than a strict taboo on all types of sweet dishes. Enjoy dark chocolate safely while fasting.
Fasting and favorite sweets
Fasting is a difficult test for every lay believer. In the modern rhythm of life, it is difficult to refuse pleasures, including gastronomic pleasures. As a rule, not everyone in the same family adheres to fasting, so those who follow this spiritual practice find it difficult to resist the temptation to indulge. The same applies to corporate parties, social celebrations and other events.
Most often, the fasting person leaves the race not because of a physical craving for the forbidden. Breakdown occurs on a psychological level. All thoughts are focused exclusively on food, and this is the first and most serious deviation from the rules of spiritual transformation during fasting.
How to resolve this confusing situation without deceiving yourself? It is necessary to choose a diet that will fully saturate the body with the necessary energy, and in addition, pamper the believer with something that will relieve psychological stress. That is why it is appropriate to consume real chocolate, which is not only tasty, but also beneficial for the human body.
Mayonnaise
More precisely, mayonnaise sauce. This is exactly what, according to the rules, manufacturers must call it since January 2009. Only a product with a classic recipe can be called mayonnaise. It contains vegetable oil, water, eggs and sometimes flavorings like mustard. Of course, you cannot eat it during fasting. But the sauce, by definition, is prepared without eggs, so it is considered acceptable for fasting people.
There's only one problem. Natural mayonnaise is given its special consistency by the egg yolk. Without it, a gentle emulsion cannot be obtained. The sauce becomes a completely inedible mixture of oil and water, which, according to the laws of physics, also separates. To compensate for this, the product uses chemically modified starch and thickeners. As a result, it becomes quite similar to the original.
There is another type of sauce that is suitable for fasting people. This is the so-called phytomayonnaise. Its base is soybeans, vegetable oil and water. In addition to them, you can find the already familiar starch and baking soda in the composition. And of course, vinegar, salt and sugar - for taste.
A comment:
— Mayonnaise, of course, is a tasty sauce, but it does practically nothing for the body. Its only value is in the egg yolk, which contains provitamin A and choline, which is beneficial for the nerves. The starch and thickeners that replaced it in the lean sauce are just extra empty calories.
If you absolutely cannot imagine life without mayonnaise, it is better to give preference to soy. Beans are at least a source of protein.
Such sauces are usually not made from genetically modified crops: vegetarians are not fans of GMOs at all. But still, be careful and carefully study the composition on the packaging.
Bread
The Lenten option takes its rightful place on supermarket shelves. Loaves with this marking are sold not only during Lent, but in the spring their number increases sharply.
According to manufacturers, this type of bread differs from regular bread by the absence of dairy products and eggs.
A comment:
— In Russia, traditionally only baked goods are baked with eggs and milk, which few people decide to eat during Lent. And for unsweetened loaves, yeast is mainly used. Lately, sourdough with hops has become popular. There is another option - lactic sourdough. You can't cook lean bread on the last one. But with hops or yeast it’s easy.
Which one is better is not easy to say. Hop bread is more flavorful. And in recent years, yeast has not been favored by fans of healthy eating. By the way, completely unfounded. This is a healthy product that contains many B vitamins and saturates well.
The main advice when buying such bread is to carefully study the composition. This will give you confidence that the product does not contain animal ingredients. And at the same time it will help you evaluate how natural the loaf in front of you is. If it is full of thickeners, preservatives, flour improvers and stabilizers, it can be considered lean. But it's better to look for another option.
