Whole30 & Lent

[Sarah Campbell]

I am currently in the process of my first Whole30 and I also happen to be Catholic and in the first week of Lent. For those of you who are unfamiliar, during Lent we are encouraged to abstain from meat on Fridays. I foresee a lot of Fridays filled with eggs, eggs, and more eggs (and maybe some fish?). I find both eggs and fish somewhat difficult to pack and carry to work with me.

• Does anyone have any suggestions/recipes for easy to transport Whole30 compliant meals that involve eggs or fish?
  
• Are there other types of protein I should be considering on Fridays?
  
• What are some good ways to spice up/mix up plain ol' eggs?
  

Thanks!

[Megan Claydon]

Sardines are the perfect fish on the go option!

homemade mayo and tuna or salmon is delicious on salad.

shrimp any way

eggs with salsa and avocado is my favorite.

hard boiled eggs with a mayo-based dip

[SpinSpin]

I found a really yummy egg salad on the paleo bread site--it was actually posted on FB--it is 3 hard boiled eggs mashed with 1/2 an avocado, some mustard, chopped olives, a green onion or 2, seasonings--I use a dash of chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt & pepper--and a spoonful of homemade mayo. soooo good! and i scoop it up on cucumber slices or celery sticks, although I bet you could wrap it up with butter leaf lettuce.

I also like to mix hard boiled eggs into my tuna salad mixture so that is another option for you as well!

[gattling]

Sarah -- I'm in the same Catholic boat with you. Tonight, I'm planning on making a sweet potato hash with a side of eggs. The website nomnompaleo.com has a great-looking recipe that I'm going to try: nomnompaleo.com/post/19886925277/sweet-potato-hash-with-fried-eggs

[Sarah Campbell]

thanks everyone! Why didn't I think of egg salad?!? Awesome ideas all around - looking forward to trying some new recipes

[kshacklett]

Check out the firecracker tuna salad from The Clothes Make the Girl. This is hands down my favorite recipe for a quick lunch. If you're having trouble finding compliant canned tuna, try either Wild Planet or Starkist Low Sodium (be sure to check - many brands contain soy). Growing up, I loved Lent Fridays because my brother was allergic to fish, so we were guaranteed pizza as our meat-free dinner

[earthangel077]

Hi Sarah, I'm in the same boat as you. My husband and I just started our Whole30 journey on wednesday. For lunch wednesday I made us ratatouille. It usually makes a lot so I put half of it in the freezer for another Friday. Today for lunch I made us asian fried cauliflower rice (without the bacon) http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3195098303/asian-cauliflower-fried-rice and sauteed some shrimp in olive oil and garlic and put it on top. For dinner I will either make baked fish with veges and a sweet potato or spaghetti squash with taomto sauce and a side salad.

[Welkelke]

If you can heat your food at work, I definitely recomment a veggie ratatouille, roasted veggies and cauliflower puree. Eggs & fish are not your only option

[Kirsteen]

If you can heat your food at work, I definitely recomment a veggie ratatouille, roasted veggies and cauliflower puree.

That sounds delicious but the meal template is 1 - 2 palm sizes of protein at least a thumbful of good fats and fill the plate with veg, so to be in line with the template it would ideally need some protein alongside it.

[Susan W]

That sounds delicious but the meal template is 1 - 2 palm sizes of protein at least a thumbful of good fats and fill the plate with veg, so to be in line with the template it would ideally need some protein alongside it.

Kirsteen, I think I remember that meat is out for lent.

[Derval]

Kirsteen, I think I remember that meat is out for lent.

Just on Fridays.

"Fish on Fridays" would still be a regular, all year around, for (partic. older) Catholics here in Ireland. Our local fishmongers always has a queue of old dears out the door on Fridays.

[Susan W]

Just on Fridays.

"Fish on Fridays" would still be a regular, all year around, for (partic. older) Catholics here in Ireland. Our local fishmongers always has a queue of old dears out the door on Fridays.

That's cute...old dears. My uber catholic friend Joseph eats no meat for the 40 days. He's almost a priest.

[Kirsteen]

Yep meat is out on Fridays and many catholics give up something for lent, some choose meat, some candy etc or concetrate on giving more to charity or whatever. When my son was 7, my neighbour asked him if he was giving up anything for lent and with a perfectly straight face he replied "cabbage". He'd never eaten cabbage in his life

[Susan W]

Yep meat is out on Fridays and many catholics give up something for lent, some choose meat, some candy etc or concetrate on giving more to charity or whatever. When my son was 7, my neighbour asked him if he was giving up anything for lent and with a perfectly straight face he replied "cabbage". He'd never eaten cabbage in his life

Kirsteen, that is hilarious. :0)

[Anham Mahna]

Ha. How funny, I almost posted about this on Ash Weds when I was trying to figuyre out what to eat.

FYI-- no meat on Fridays is actually a rule ALL YEAR LONG for Catholics. Sadly, most don't know that, and they only give it up, if then, during Lent.

Don't forget though--not to be preachy, but this is something I always struggle with --the abstaining on Friday is meant to be a penitential act. So going to, say, Red Lobster and having their all you can eat shrimp and crabs legs (not that I'd do this... LOL) goes against the penitential aspect of the act of not eating meat. Which is what Lent is all about anyway.

For those who are interested, I actually found the "rules", b/c I thought, "well, what the heck is MEAT?" LOL. Here are the Lenten rules regarding fast days (Ash Weds and Good Friday) and abstaining from meat (Fridays):

http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm

The Holy Season Of Lent

Fast and Abstinence.

It is a traditional doctrine of Christian spirituality that a constituent part of repentance, of turning away from sin and back to God, includes some form of penance, without which the Christian is unlikely to remain on the narrow path and be saved (Jer. 18:11, 25:5; Ez. 18:30, 33:11-15; Joel 2:12; Mt. 3:2; Mt. 4:17; Acts 2:38). Christ Himself said that His disciples would fast once He had departed (Lk. 5:35). The general law of penance, therefore, is part of the law of God for man.

The Church has specified certain forms of penance, both to ensure that the Catholic will do something, as required by divine law, while making it easy for Catholics to fulfill the obligation. Thus, the 1983

Code of Canon Law

specifies the obligations of Latin Rite Catholics [Eastern Rite Catholics have their own penitential practices as specified by the

Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches

].

Canon 1250 All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.

Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Canon 1252 All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors and parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.

Can. 1253 It is for the conference of bishops to determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

The Church, therefore, has two forms of official penitential practices - three if the Eucharistic fast before Communion is included.

Abstinence

The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Moral theologians have traditionally considered this also to forbid soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted, as are animal-derived products such as gelatin, butter, cheese and eggs, which do not have any meat taste.

On the Fridays

outside of Lent

the U.S. bishops conference obtained the permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential, or even a charitable, practice of their own choosing. Since this was not stated as binding under pain of sin, not to do so on a single occasion would not in itself be sinful. However, since penance is a divine command, the general refusal to do penance is certainly gravely sinful. For most people the easiest way to consistently fulfill this command is the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year which are not liturgical solemnities. When solemnities, such as the Annunciation, Assumption, All Saints etc. fall on a Friday, we neither abstain or fast.

During Lent

abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory in the United States as elsewhere, and it is sinful not to observe this discipline without a serious reason (physical labor, pregnancy, sickness etc.).

Fasting

The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday [Canon 97] to the 59th Birthday [i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday] to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Such fasting is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The fast is broken by eating between meals and by drinks which could be considered food (milk shakes, but not milk). Alcoholic beverages do not break the fast; however, they seem contrary to the spirit of doing penance.

Those who are excused from fast or abstinence

Besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment, manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.

Aside from these minimum penitential requirements Catholics are encouraged to impose some personal penance on themselves at other times. It could be modeled after abstinence and fasting. A person could, for example, multiply the number of days they abstain. Some people give up meat entirely for religious motives (as opposed to those who give it up for health or other motives). Some religious orders, as a penance, never eat meat. Similarly, one could multiply the number of days that one fasted. The early Church had a practice of a Wednesday and Saturday fast. This fast could be the same as the Church's law (one main meal and two smaller ones) or stricter, even bread and water. Such freely chosen fasting could also consist in giving up something one enjoys - candy, soft drinks, smoking, that cocktail before supper, and so on. This is left to the individual.

One final consideration. Before all else we are obliged to perform the duties of our state in life. When considering stricter practices than the norm, it is prudent to discuss the matter with one's confessor or director. Any deprivation that would

seriously

hinder us in carrying out our work, as students, employees or parents would be contrary to the will of God.

---- Colin B. Donovan, STL

[Welkelke]

That sounds delicious but the meal template is 1 - 2 palm sizes of protein at least a thumbful of good fats and fill the plate with veg, so to be in line with the template it would ideally need some protein alongside it.

Definitely true, I just wanted to say, it's more than eggs

[TracyP]

Some ideas: salmon cakes

Nom nom paleo has a tuna, sweet potato hash sort of thing that is baked in muffin tins that makes a great on the go meal

Frittata are great pack and go meals

Stuff I make my husband has a fish taco bowl that is out of this world and it is a great packed lunch. Does not need to be reheated.

I think poached or fried eggs on a green salad is phenomenal with a nice vinegrette. Either make it... Or whole foods has a Barcelona vinegrette that is compliant and tasty.

Shell fish like lobster, shrimp and crab are great cold or as a salad

Bivalves like mussels and clams are a great choice to keep the variety up. I love steamers!

Smoked salmon (sugar and chemical free of course! Read your labels) with capers, diced egg, diced red onion is yummy on a green salad.

Smoked fish like trout are great cold

[Nikol]

Saw a great recipe last night for a crustless quiche

[craftygrrl]

I too am Catholic and struggling with this, I REALLY don't like eggs. They are tolerable if I pour enough salsa over them, but I'm still not fond of them. and by Fridays, am just dreading any more eggs for breakfast. Especially since the Bishops have now asked all Catholics to abstain from meat on every Friday throughout the year, not just Lent. Lunch and dinner are do-able, its just breakfast I have a big problem with. Before W30, I had a lot of options. Fish for breakfast? fine, just make it smoked with cream cheese on some sort of bread product (that was one of my favorite breakfasts when I lived outside the US), but that is obviously a no-go on W30. Pancake suppers? easy-peasy. but all of my go-tos are not allowable. I've been eating the "super breakfast loaf" that someone posted the link to (sauteed shredded zucchini, onions, garlic, spices, homemade sausage cooked and crumbled and a dozen eggs with a little coconut milk beaten in, baked at 350 for 45 min-1 hour) with marinara sauce on it, but I can't eat that on Fridays. My other choice is my "pumpkin souffle" 2 cans pumpkin, 4 eggs, 1/4-1/2 can coconut milk, whipped in blender til doubled in size, then baked at 350 (greased casserole with lid) for 1 hour, served with blueberries, coconut milk and some sort of meat. It keeps for several days. by itself, not enough protein, but what to use for meat on Friday?

HELP

thanks

[Robin Strathdee]

What about a ceviche or an apple/tuna/mayo salad? Smoked salmon on top of greens?

[MissMamey]

I am so glad to find this thread! My family and I are also Catholic but we follow the old school rules. We are only allowed 3 meals a day (2 of them have to be smaller than the largest meal) no snacking in between, and we are only allowed meat once a day on Monday-Thrusday and Saturday, and then of course no meat on Fridays (but we don't eat meat any Friday). I am afraid that I am going to be egg and fished out! Since we only eat one meat meal a day, that means I can't just eat my left overs from dinner. What do you guys think?

[MidwestAttorney]

All,

 

I would like to note that broths and soups made from meat are permitted during Lenten Fridays (see, e.g., http://jimmyakin.com/2005/02/soups_redux.html, who is a pretty good interpreter if you want to read the letter of the law strictly).

 

However, as noted above, Lent is supposed to be penitential in nature, in which case, I would say that if you really need protein (as we do on the Whole9), try for fish, and if not available, use homemade bone broth in a vegetable soup or the like.

 

In regards to fasting, I think it is important to keep the spiritual side in focus. For this, Catholics are permitted two smaller meals in case of need. 

This is in accord with ancient commentators on fasting, such as St. John Cassian, whose principles are summarized here  - http://www.orthodoxcanada.org/philokalia/8chapters.htm (an Orthodox site, but in accord with our principles, I think) - as such:

 

Let us look at some aspects of the question:

 

Eating primarily for pleasure is destructive not only to our spiritual life, but to our physical health as well.

 

Fasting is intended to instil in us self-control and self-discipline, not to be a form of punishment or to break our bodily health.

 

Different people require different amounts and different types of lenten foods, depending on the type of work they do, the condition of their health, their body size, and even possible allergies.

 

Moderation is the key to profitable fasting. Excess can become an addiction, not a valid spiritual struggle.

 

Fasting can help with the struggle with sexual passions, but in excess, asceticism can become a perverse form of sexuality.

 

Excess is not a form of self-discipline and self-control, but loss of both.

 

The goal of fasting and contemplative prayer is focus. This focus arises primarily from self-control and from the prayer. Fasting liberates us from a certain heaviness and lethargy that inhibits prayer.

 

It requires more focus and self-discipline to be moderate than to be excessive.

 

 

Certainly, when we see contestants on weight loss programs immoderately lose so much weight that it becomes unhealthy, we can see a spiritual side to the struggle.

 

--MWA

[**Ann**]

I would say crab or shrimp salad, crab cakes, fish cakes for travel to work.  Maybe a seafood gumbo?

[OrganicMom]

I found a great salmon cake recipe.... at  http://balancedbites.com/2010/12/easy-recipe-grain-free-salmon-cakes.html