Here's a loaded question. Lent is upon us. In the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Faith you can eat no meat or dairy on certain days.

Then, what do you eat for breakfast if you can't eat meat or dairy products without getting into the carbs?????

I had a slice of lite bread with peanut butter. I hated to waste the carbs on a slice of bread!!! Know what I mean?

Mary L.

Hi Laczkoskie,

Wow! Eastern Rite of the Catholic Faith. I didn't know you existed outside Belarus. Are you allowed to eat fish - many Russian Orthodox Christians in this country do, although I'm not sure it's legal.

It might be an idea to experiment with TVP (textured vegetable protein) and also tofu. You could make quite a nice Greek style salad for breakfast using tofu instead of feta cheese.

A thick cabbage soup ( a la cabbage soup diet) might also be an idea. You could make a large pot and eat it as required. Many Belarusians have soup at beakfast time here.

Fried cauliflower or any other stir fried veggies would be an idea.

I am curious as to why you are keeping the new calender? I would have thought the old calender would have been more appropriate? I'm not sure which one the Eastern rite Catholics in this city keep.

Good luck on your fasts.

Robert

Hey Robert!

Duh!!!!I forgot all about the cabbage soup. I did that diet and that's what I loved the most was the cabbage soup! I even enjoyed it for breakfast. I've become so square in my "old age" that I only see meat and eggs for breakfast. It's a stomach thing! Not really though!

We follow the new calendar. I go the the Ukranian Byzantine Church. We don't keep the old Lenten Fast for the whole 40 days but there are certain days you are required to. One year I did the whole fast. It was very rewarding. I remember making pizzza with tofu "Cheese" I fooled everyone! I didn't do Atkins then though. It really stretched your imagination for meals.

Thanks for all the great ideas. Breakfast is the hardest. Im so partial to my eggs so I get hung up on "that's all I can eat" I'll have to experiment now. Maybe next year I can do the whole Lenten season. Mary Lacz.

Hi Mary,

Ahh, you are what people here call 'Greek Catholics'. Good luck with lent. I pray at both the Orthodox and Catholic cathedrals here as I am actually an Aglican and we don't have our own church in this city. I usually end up celebrating the Russian Orthodox Easter with my Belarusian friends.

Good luck with your Lenten breakfasts - if I have any more ideas I'll let you know.

Robert

I also recommend making some thick hearty vegetable dishes.

Can anyone share their cabbage soup recipe? I checked out the kitchen, but there is only beef cabbage soup. Thanks!

Get a fair sized white cabbage and chop it up. Keep the ribs and the central stalk. Also cut up any other low carb veggies you like - onion, garlic, root veggies, small amount of carrot etc.

Boil large kettle of water. Put water in a large sausepan and add vegitable stock cube(s) (bullion for the Americans) or any other flavourings you like. Put in all veggies, including stalks and boil for an hour or so until everything is soft.

Remove the central stalk and the cabbage ribs and some of the veggies. Cream these in a liquidiser and add back to soup.

You now have a thick, lowish carb vegan soup suitable for Lent or vegitarian friends.

If you keep it longer than a day it must be boiled at least once every 24 hours to stop it going off - and keep the lid on it.

Robert

If you are of Eastern Europian decent Mary, you must know lots of suitable soups! Borshch and shchee come to mind!

Robert

Thanks so much Robert, it sounds delicious! I will try it this weekend.

Would you be allowed to have Flax-O-Meal for breakfast? There are some recipes for homemade versions of this hot cereal in the recipes forum. Keto also makes a hot cereal that is very much like oatmeal, but only 3 grams effective carb per serving and very filling. I know that cream would be out, but are you allowed to have butter?

Hey Robert!

What's "schee"? Isn't borshch made with beets? It is the ONLY VEGETABLE I don't like. The ONLY one!!!! Yes to your question of soups - I love them! I have to put on my thinking cap and convert some of my favorites...it all boils down to breakfast though!!!!

Hi Wendy! You all have me drooling for cabbage soup. I usually freeze what I don't eat the first day in 2 cup containers. I'm the only one who eats it in my family and I lost the first batch I made- much to my dismay!

Hi Yvonne, Can you give me a few suggestions on hearty vegetable dishes. My imagination is a little thin on this one.

Lisa, On strict fast days we can eat no meat nor dairy including no cream or butter. We can eat fish, but that's about it. I never tried flax-o-meal but I assume it must be like cream of wheat. I like the flavor of those including oatmeal, but I could never swallow them. I would gag. Is flax-o-meal like ground flax seed? I really like that! Never thought to make a cereal out of it. I'll let you know how I liked it.

THANKS EVERYBODY for all your great ideas. Let me know if you come up with anything else!! Mary L.

P.S Check out my journal for my great news on my blood test results!!!

Dear Laczkoskie,

My flatmate tells me borshch is Belarusian and Ukrainian and shchee is Russian. Borshch usually does have beets in it but shcheee is a cabbage soup.

Other soups you could try are celery (make as cabbage soup and cream half the cooked celery), and fried onion soup.

How about stir fried veggies for breakfast. Fried cauliflower is delicious. I often have stir fried cauliflower with white fish - delicious.

I think you just have to get out of the frame of mind of breakfast being something different and eat the same types of meals you have at other times of the day.

Good luck
Robert

Thanks Mary, for the tip on freezing the soup! I was wondering if it was freezable or not. I don't see why it wouldn't be, I freeze plain boiled cabbage all the time. I'm the only one who would eat it in my house too. Thanks!

breakfast: how about full fat cottage cheese? Or a protein shake with a protein powder, cottage cheese, water and possible some berries.

Meg

You will always find it on an English good hotel breakfast.....

Kippers cooked in butter or

Finnan haddock(smoked haddock) and a poached egg

Or how about an omlette, or boiled eggs.



If you are really up for it, for just one day a week (Friday) have a cup of coffee and fast for breakfast.

Its only for Lent.