You can post dark chocolate. What Chocolates Can You Eat During Lent?

How to fast according to the Rule and with relief, what is fasting with prayer? Find out what sweets to treat yourself to in fasting, is it possible to eat marshmallows in fasting

Lenten recipes: what sweets can you eat in fasting and why

Many traditions exist in the Orthodox Church, and the observance of fasting, fasting days is one of the most important. From year to year the custom of fasting finds new followers. People want to be cleansed both spiritually and physically. This is a wonderful desire, but the tradition of fasting has a number of nuances, as well as its own history.

Also, before fasting, you need to take a blessing from the priest and understand how much you are able to withstand the Charter of the Church regarding fasting - it has indulgences. How to fast correctly and what sweets to treat yourself to fasting, we will tell in our article.

What is a post

It is known that the fasts have a gospel institution. Already the Lord Jesus Christ, at the beginning of His earthly ministry, stayed in the wilderness for 40 days and fasted.

Long fasts are a tradition established in the first centuries of Christianity. They are established by the Church so that we can bright holidays came with a pure heart, a light soul and a renewed body. The Lord and His Mother need not expensive gifts but in our pure heart, good deeds and the fulfillment of the word of God given in the Gospel.

Note that fasting as such cannot be called a holiday - each fast is only a preparation for the celebration of Easter, Christmas, the Assumption, the memory of the holy apostles - however, symbolically, fasts are called a spiritual holiday.

Even Pope Saint Leo I the Great (led the Church from 440 to 461) marked the dates of the Dormition Fast and other three long Orthodox posts. The dates of fasting were finally set in 1166, at the Council of Constantinople, which took place after the Great Schism - the division of the Churches into Orthodox and Catholic. All Christians were supposed to keep a number of fasts, which have come down to our days:

• Great, - is calculated 47 days before Easter, which is a moving holiday, ends with the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. Throughout the next Holy Week, believers also strictly fast until Easter.


• Petrov - also considered 50 days after Easter, immediately following the Spiritual day (Monday after the feast of Pentecost) day. It ends on July 12, on the feast day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul (that is, July 11 is the last fast day).


• Assumption is the only post that is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It begins on August 14 - on the feast of the Origin (that is, the acquisition and honoring) of the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. It is also called Honey Savior(to this day honeycomb are filled with honey and its collection begins, for which they bless with a special prayer) and the Wet Savior (according to the peasant tradition, wells were cleaned on this day and water-blessed prayers were performed over them), ends on the feast of the Assumption


• The Advent fast begins on November 28 (15, according to the old style) and lasts until January 7 (December 25), lasts for forty days, and therefore is called the Fortecost in the Church Charter, just like great post. Since the conspiracy for fasting (the last non-fasting day) falls on the day of remembrance of St. Apostle Philip, then this post is popularly called Filippov, Filippovka.

Also on Wednesday and Friday every week, except for certain ones, Orthodox Christians fast in remembrance of the betrayal of the Lord Jesus by Judas (on Wednesday) and the Crucifixion of the Lord (on Friday).

Weeks (more precisely, in the church, a week in our understanding is called a week, and Sunday is a week) without Lenten Wednesday and Friday is

• Christmas time - from Christmas to Epiphany, January 7-18.


• The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee is the week on the eve of Great Lent.


• Maslenitsa (transient, the last week before Lent) - they no longer eat meat, but they eat all other fast foods.


• Bright week. the first week after Easter.

Bright Week and Christmas time mark our great joy from the great holidays of Easter and Christmas, and Maslenitsa and the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee remind us that one cannot be hypocrites, the main thing is not to be proud of fasting, to have time and have fun, to rejoice in the gifts of God, to prepare for a serious time of fasting.

What's in the post

Let's start with the full church charter. Perhaps only monks can keep it, but according to your diligence, you can also observe such a fast. On ordinary Lenten Wednesday and Friday is not allowed

• Meat,


• Dairy products,


• Eggs,


• Fish.

On long fasts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, fish, wine and oil are forbidden by the charter and it is allowed to eat food without food. vegetable oil(dry eating) only after the evening service.

On other days, you need to abstain only from meat, milk and eggs.

Wine is allowed in small quantities, but for those prone to weakness of alcoholism, it is better to abstain. People who are prone to the bad habit of smoking should try to give it up, or at least smoke less.

Fasting is the time to quit smoking. There are special prayer appeals by which we ask to deliver us from the passion of smoking the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Ambrose the Optical, who has a special grace to help in this.

How to start fasting, keep fasting

You can enter the post gradually, in stages, starting at least with abstaining from fast food on Wednesday and Friday. Those who thoughtlessly undertake the ascetic feats of fasting and begin to fast strictly, soon either upset their health, or become impatient and irritable from hunger. “It is better to eat meat than your neighbors,” such a saying exists.

Sweet in the post - recipes

Remember what needs to be replenished nutrients in organism. Fasting is limited to animal proteins, so replenish them with vegetable

• nuts,


• soy products,


• legumes.

Eat more vegetables- on cereals and potatoes quickly gain weight. Try eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, chickpeas; use more vegetable oil (olive, sunflower and others).

People often ask if sweets are allowed in fasting? In fact, it is better sometimes to refrain from chocolate, but to eat milk and fish, because we indulge ourselves with sweets. There are also lean sweets - they also need to be eaten in moderation, since you have decided on ascetic restrictions.

Each person can find sweetness in fasting according to their taste. The only question is to consume them in moderation:

• marmalade on pectin or agar-agar - natural gelatin;


• marshmallows, that is, marshmallows not on egg whites;


• jelly sweets, roasting and sweets in lean chocolate;


• caramel and lollipops of any taste;


• dark chocolate (without milk and milk powder, without egg powder);


• products from seeds and nuts: halva, gozinaki, nuts, can be in dark chocolate;


• dried fruits and candied fruits;


• nuts in multi-colored glaze (not in milk chocolate).

Do not fast to the point of extreme weakness, consult a priest about fasting, take communion more often.

Why you can’t have marshmallows in the post

If you fast completely, then marshmallows and milk chocolate are not allowed: they are prepared using, respectively, egg whites and milk.

Use more actively

• jams,


• Muesli,


• jam,


• Dried fruits.

All this will please you without breaking the fast.

diet in fasting

Without prayer and repentance, fasting becomes just a diet. Fasting bodily, without spiritual fasting - good deeds, correcting your heart, getting rid of bad habits in words and deeds, it brings little for the salvation of the soul, it can also be spiritually harmful if a person, abstaining from food, is imbued with the consciousness of his own superiority from the consciousness that he is fasting.
During pregnancy, in illness - peace of mind and tranquility, the health of mother and child, and fasting is secondary! All church life in this important time should bring you spiritual comfort and peace of mind, and not deprive you of strength through fasting and constant presence at divine services.

Holiday in post

It is better to reschedule the birthday for the next weekend, when fish is allowed. Many non-church people do this, because on Saturday and Sunday it is simply easier to gather relatives and friends for your holiday.

You can also use dairy products so as not to embarrass non-fasting friends and loved ones. The assortment of stores allows you to celebrate these days without breaking the fast and without falling into gluttony. Wine on Saturday and Sunday is allowed even according to the Charter.

In fasting, we should strive for a life pleasing to God, visit the temple, pray for worship, help people, forgive the sins and mistakes of our neighbors, and behave calmly in conflicts. Fasting was given to us as a spiritual school. When we restrict ourselves only in food, the soul will be of little use. Fasting is also abstinence from worldly fuss, sin.

Cake and sweets for the wedding in the post

Weddings are allowed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Do not get married on the following days:

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, because the wedding night will fall on a Lenten day (Wednesday, Friday) or a festive day (Sunday - Little Easter).




Before church holidays - the twelfth, great, as well as the patronal feast of the temple (the memory of that saint, feast or icon of the Mother of God, in whose honor the temple was consecrated). On the days of the holidays, getting married is also not recommended, but it is not forbidden either - you can ask the priest about it.




On church holidays, which are both days of sorrow and strict fast: The Beheading of the Prophet and Forerunner John (September 11) and the Exaltation of the Cross (September 27).




During fasts: Veliky, Petrov, Uspensky, Rozhdestvensky.




On Maslenitsa (Cheese) week, at Christmas time (on the week immediately after Christmas) and on Bright Week (on the week immediately after Easter)

Thus the question lean sweets there is no wedding, because they don’t get married in fasting, they don’t get married.
May the Lord keep you and help you in your fasting labors!

Lenten table is different from diet table also by the fact that even sweets and coffee cannot be consumed during this period. But is it possible to have chocolate on a diet if you have given up everything that brings gastronomic joy? As a product that entered our diet not so long ago, chocolate may not be mentioned in the list. lean foods approved by the Charter.

Is chocolate allowed during Lent?

Chocolate belongs to the list of foods that we do not eat to satisfy our hunger. This is a product that gives us the joy of eating, and therefore it is not allowed to use it in fasting. Each fast is a time of abstinence and spiritual cleansing. Therefore, willpower is brought up, and chocolate cannot be consumed during fasting, like many other sweets:

• chocolate candies;
• caramel;
• cakes;
• waffles;
• cookie;
• marmalade.

Store-bought sweets during fasting are prohibited, as products that in everyday life are not symbols of saturation, but additions.

In general, the question of whether chocolate can be in will not even be asked by a person who is constantly fasting. After all, it is known that in fasting it is impossible to eat products of animal origin and consume fats, except vegetable oil(on permitted days). If you know the composition of chocolate, then it contains the following products:

• milk;
• alcohol;
• sugar;

and other products are part of the chocolate. But during fasting it is forbidden to consume at least milk and fat. That is why the answer to the question, is it possible to have chocolate during Lent, the answer will be - no! After all, this product does not apply to lean, as it contains milk.

If there are still a number of permitted products regarding baking, they are sold and are called “lean”, they do not contain milk and eggs, then the situation is different with chocolate. It is not technically possible to produce chocolate that will be made without milk or sugar, as well as important condition structure of this product is fat. Milk can be replaced with milk powder, sugar with a substitute, and fat with butter. But then it will be a surrogate chocolate, but is it necessary to eat this?

On the other hand, many fasting people in our time can turn to the priest and find out what kind of chocolate can be consumed during fasting, without considering it a sin. There are special trade marks that produce chocolate without animal fats and proteins. Such chocolate in fasting can be eaten without restrictions, and only such a product is considered permitted for all fasting people.

If you absolutely cannot live without sweets, and be sure to eat chocolate with tea, you can replace chocolate with sweets allowed in fasting.

• bananas;
• candied fruit;
• cashew nuts;
• berries;

These products are sweet and can replace your favorite chocolate bar for tea.

According to the church charter, during the days of Great Lent, which in 2019 will last from March 11 to April 27, you can not eat products that contain ingredients of animal origin. Is bitter chocolate allowed? In different periods, it was either allowed or forbidden to use on such days.

It is worth recalling that the chocolates and bars we are used to began to be produced only at the end of the 19th century, and before that in Europe and other countries of the world they drank chocolate drink. Its name comes from the Atzek "chocolatl", which means "bitter water".

This drink was prepared from the ingredients plant origin. Although similar products can be included in the diet on fasting days, yet drinks that give pleasure are not recommended.

No wonder the question of chocolate for a long time remained controversial. The opinions of the clergy on this matter differed radically. Pope Pius V, who was once treated to a cup of hot unsweetened chocolate, decided that it was not forbidden to drink it during fasting: after all, “such disgusting things cannot please someone” ...

After much debate, in 1662 the Catholic Church allowed chocolate to be consumed during fasts, after which it became very popular in monasteries. However, not all priests shared this view.

So, the Viennese Bishop John, who considered chocolate a sinful drink inciting passions, forbade the Franciscan monks to drink it. And later, when milk and spirits (wine, liquor and even beer) were added to this product, it was no longer consumed everywhere on fasting days.

So can you still eat dark chocolate in fasting?

It is believed that sweets that do not include milk, cream, butter and eggs, at this time you can use. Consider what is better chocolate, the fewer components are contained in its composition.

Dark chocolate, which can be eaten in fasting, includes only three ingredients: cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar. And no cream and milk powder! Often added to chocolate soy lecithin, an ingredient of plant origin.

And some manufacturing companies produce chocolate that contains 99% cocoa and does not include sugar. However, in some types chocolate products add alcohol-containing liquids. In general, be careful when choosing such products, and be sure to read what is written on the labels.

Those who are interested in the question “Is it possible to use dark chocolate during Great Lent?” Should know that the varieties of this product are distinguished depending on the content of cocoa beans in it. If in dark chocolate there are more than 60% of cocoa products, in semi-bitter (dessert) about 50%, then in milk chocolate - only about 30%. The higher the content of cocoa beans, the higher the quality of the chocolate.

Therefore, dark chocolate - "real" - is considered the most respected in the world. It has a bitter taste and bright aroma than other types of chocolate, and costs an order of magnitude more expensive; it is also considered the most useful.

This should be told a little more. Dark chocolate contains iron, which is necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin in the blood. Tannin, which is part of chocolate, cleanses the body of toxins and regulates bowel function. Glucose increases the efficiency of the body.

Polyphenols prevent the formation of blood clots and improve blood flow. Antioxidants flavonoids, which are more in dark chocolate than in milk chocolate, reduce the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels, reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular and oncological diseases and successfully fight the aging of the body.

So, with the composition of dark chocolate, which includes only herbal ingredients, we figured it out. Are milk chocolate and chocolate paste allowed on fasting days? Alas, these products contain ingredients of animal origin.

Part milk chocolate dairy products are included: as a rule, this is not fresh, but powdered (whole or skimmed) milk, whey, dried cream or milk fat.

IN White chocolate also add powdered milk, which gives the products a peculiar tinge of taste. In addition, gelatin may be included in chocolate, and it is rare for a manufacturer to state whether it is of animal or vegetable origin.

It often turns out that this component is porcine in origin. (That's why, by the way, some Muslims don't buy chocolates and sweets without proof that they're halal-compliant.)

Among the required components chocolate paste includes whey, whole or skimmed milk powder. Of course, in fast days these products are not recommended.

However, the question of chocolate during Lent cannot be resolved by taking into account only the composition of this product. After all, one of the goals of fasting is the rejection of all kinds of temptations and pleasures in order to cleanse your body and soul.

The holy saints of God attached great importance to fasting. “It is necessary for a Christian to fast in order to clarify the mind and arouse and develop feelings, and inspire the will to good activity,” wrote John of Kronstadt.

By sacrificing our weaknesses, we gain true faith. And the struggle with one's passions and shortcomings is one of the goals of restrictions during this period.

And if you decide to fast properly, and not for show, then the answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat dark chocolate in fasting will be as follows: these days, any “goodies”, even lean, it is better to limit or completely exclude from the diet, if they are not vital to you, for example, if chocolate is not needed to maintain normal blood pressure, that is, it does not perform the function of a medicine.

At the same time, it is worth recalling that the purpose of fasting is primarily spiritual cleansing, and not the torture of the flesh. So the little chocolate bar you eat "to cheer up" will still not be a big sin - compared to the unkind thoughts and feelings that a believer should get rid of.

And what can be included in the diet instead of this product? It can be lean biscuits, cookies, lean pancakes from different types flour: wheat, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, barley (barley), pea.

If you like sweets, pancakes can be prepared with sweet fillings - with jam, marmalade, marmalade, honey, etc. You can prepare the filling from sweet pumpkin, lightly simmering it in a pan with sugar.

Apples, bananas, pears or other fruits in the form of mashed potatoes or lightly toasted with sugar or honey, crushed nuts with sugar are also suitable for making fillings. Allowed in fasting and dried fruits - steamed, ground and mixed with honey or sugar. They, like other sweets, can be included in the fasting menu in small quantities.

Can you eat chocolate in fasting? Then - a counter question: is it possible to eat peas and beans in fasting? No matter how rhetorical the answer may seem, there is something to speculate about here.

The main product in the composition of chocolate is cocoa, the fruits of which, due to their name, are often attributed to the legume family. The history of some ancient monasteries, for example, Studian, gives us the tradition of distributing beans at the meal to the brethren, and they were eaten both raw and in boiled. This tradition was reflected in the statute on fasting, which the Church uses to this day.

Life in the ancient monasteries was built in such a way that absolutely a small amount of time - exactly as much as is necessary to maintain strength. The rest of the time the monks spent in prayer, worship and work. Hence the peculiar diet. It was simple (what grew in the area), but at the same time allowed for physical labor. In our area, during fasting, dishes of beans and peas are often consumed. These foods are high in calories and contain great amount protein, which allows you to maintain normal physical strength without breaking the fast.

Cocoa is considered the birthplace South America. According to researchers, cocoa has been used there since the 18th century BC. The range of its use was quite wide. Acquaintance with "brown gold" on our mainland happened only in 1519. scientific name Theobroma (food of the gods) was given to him by the scientist Carl Linnaeus, while researching the culture of using cocoa in his historical homeland.

Cocoa was most often used to make hot drinks. It was only in 1828 that the technology of extracting cocoa butter and cocoa powder from cocoa beans was invented, from which hard chocolate could be prepared. The inhabitants of ancient monasteries simply did not know about cocoa or chocolate. However, it can be assumed that if they had such an opportunity, they would positively assess its benefits - and who knows, maybe the word “chocolate” would appear on the pages of the Charter.

Now a huge number of articles have been written about the benefits of chocolate and many reports have been read, so there is no point in dwelling on this in detail. Suffice it to say that the antioxidants and other antioxidants found in chocolate useful material reduce platelet adhesion by 70% and reduce the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, cancer and diabetes by almost 10%. In addition, chocolate is quite high-calorie and simply delicious.

With all the advantages of chocolate, a couple of dangerous points should be noted. First, it is our attitude towards it. The use of any food should never develop into an addiction to it. If a person is addicted to chocolate and cannot live a day without it, then chocolate for such a person is the first product that must be abandoned during fasting. A Christian should not become dependent on his desires and habits.

Secondly, food should not harm a person. Keep in mind that the chocolate we see on store shelves often contains unhealthy contaminants such as cocoa butter substitutes and sweeteners. There's nothing to be done: chemistry is the key to abundance. We need to check what we have in our hands: a bar of chocolate or a piece of plastic. This is inevitably reflected in the price. good chocolate cannot be cheap, which means that we will never have much of it on the table. And there's nothing you can do about it - a little bit of good.

In general, the aesthetic side should always be present in the food culture, which puts the emphasis, first of all, not on quantity, but on quality. If we learn to apply this rule, then even small piece real fragrant dark chocolate, eaten in fasting, will not only give strength and energy, but also give joy.

Archpriest Vladislav Shestakov

The question of whether Orthodox Christians can eat chocolate during fasting is of interest to all believers who are used to eating sweets often. In such a difficult period of purification of the spirit, it is important to choose a diet so competently in order to provide the body with energy and at the same time not direct all thoughts to food.

Fasting Restrictions

Fasting is primarily a spiritual cleansing and a sacrifice to God for the harvested fruits. It involves abstaining from food of animal origin, including dairy products, eggs, and meat. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, according to the church charter, dry eating is practiced. This means that you can eat food that has not been cooked, without oil. These days are considered one of the strictest, so it is advisable to limit the consumption of vegetables and fruits.

The question of whether it is possible to eat dark chocolate during fasting 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 solely from cocoa butter, cocoa beans, and sugar. If the package contains complete list various additives, consisting of incomprehensible names and many numbers and letters - it is better to refuse such a product.

Homemade chocolate toffee recipe

So, the use of dark chocolate in fasting is allowed, but it is not always possible to find the right product on the shelves. That is why it is better to cook a treat yourself at home. Such a dessert is not only tasty, but also hearty and healthy. Dried fruits are good for the heart (especially dried apricots), chocolate improves memory, concentration, activates the brain and improves mood.

To prepare treats, you will need the following products:

• 0.4 kg of dark chocolate;
• 250 g of granulated sugar;
• 250 g of rice;
• 2 glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice;
• 0.4 kg of dried fruits or nuts.

Let's bring step by step instructions making dessert at home.

1. Boil the rice until it becomes viscous, grind through a sieve.
2. IN Orange juice add sugar, bring liquid to a boil.
3. Add to hot syrup rice.
4. Boil again.
5. Cool to room temperature.
6. Put a thin layer on a plate or baking sheet, leave to harden for a day.
7. Dried fruits need to be poured with boiling water, then dried and sprinkled with chopped iris.
8. Boil water in a saucepan.
9. Put a bowl of chopped chocolate on it.
10. Stirring the chocolate, melt it until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
11. Dip pieces of toffee with fruit into melted chocolate, send to freeze in the refrigerator.

Such a healthy and satisfying chocolate in fasting will fill the body with energy, improve mood. You can experiment with proportions, add more ingredients or replace new ones with old ones, adjusting the sweetness to your taste. taste preferences. If you want the layer of chocolate on the toffees to be thicker, after the first layer has hardened, you can dip them in chocolate again.