Don't Know What to Give Up for Lent? Try Meat or Junk Food

Still haven't decided what to give up this Lent? A group of Anglican bishops in the UK suggest abstaining from meat for the 40-day Lenten period, says the Huffington Post. I agree that meat is the best thing to give up, but I'd also add sweets, junk food and fast food. Here's why. On Fat Tuesday, also called Shrove Tuesday, says the Christian Science Monitor, people traditionally purged their homes of sweets and meats to fast without temptation. Lent fasts are not just about avoiding temptation and "giving up things," however. We fast to be one with those who suffer, but fasting is about health, too. Read more at Don't Know What to Give Up for Lent? Try Meat or Junk Food

Vegetarian Tuna and Fish Recipes for Lent

This Lenten season, my husband and I are working toward a vegetarian diet. Some vegetarians do not eat fish; we are eating fish, but trying to avoid eggs and eat less dairy. Here are Lenten tuna recipes. Tuna is loaded with protein and Omega-3 oils and low-fat. Unfortunately, tuna also earns a great deal of frowns from fish haters. In these recipes, we concentrate on preparing delicious tuna recipes that will appeal to everyone. One of the biggest complaints leveled at tuna, is that it tastes and smells so 'fishy'. The best way to avoid the fishier smelling canned tuna is to choose 'solid white albacore' tuna packed in water. This style of tuna is slightly more expensive than chunk light, but it's nutritionally better and doesn't smell like cat food. Read more at The Lenten Kitchen: Vegetarian Tuna Recipes

The Lenten Kitchen: Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

During lent, much of the world practices fasting. Whether we choose a physical fast, such as food or drink or a spiritual fast, such as refraining from gossip or internet use, our goal is improved spiritual health and closeness with our Heavenly Father.

Most Catholic individuals and households observe some sort of Lenten food fast. In the old church, Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday was known as Shrove Tuesday. All sweeteners, dairy products, oil and eggs were used up and made into pancakes and during lent, not only was no meat eaten, but also no dairy products. The closest diet to this kind of fasting is a vegan diet, except that the vegan eats no fish. Read more at Vegan, Vegetarian Lent Recipes

Vegetarian Lenten Fast for Health, Weight Loss, Sustainability, Solidarity

For my Lent observances this year, I gave up eating meat. By the time Easter arrived, I was very comfortable with a meatless, vegetarian diet. I decided to become a vegetarian and here's why: health benefits, to fight corporate greed, environmental issues and solidarity with the poor. Health Benefits of Eating a Vegetarian Diet: Eating less meat and more grains and vegetables reduces LDL (low density lipid) cholesterol. Reducing meat, dairy and egg consumption lowers triglyceride levels and improves circulation. Eating a vegetarian diet helps with weight loss. Reducing meat, dairy, eggs and animal by-products in the diet reduces consumption of the steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics with which animals are treated. Eating a vegetarian diet helps prevent spread of blood born and feces transmitted pathogens and disease: trichinosis, e. coli, etc. Read more at Why Am I a Vegetarian? Health Benefits, Weight Loss, Consumerism, Solidarity with the Poor

Free Printable Stations of the Cross Lenten Coloring Pages and Devotional Booklet

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday of the Catholic liturgical calendar and continues for 40 days up to Easter. We try to imitate Jesus with prayer, fasting and alms-giving. Here are free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages to guide lent devotions. Each year during Lent when our family was homeschooling, we drew images, one for each of the Station of the Cross, to use as a guide for prayer and devotion. We hung them at different places in our home or yard. The children would begin each Friday in Lent by following the Stations of the Cross. The older children drew images for the each of the Stations of the Cross, but for younger children I used the Fr. Lovasik coloring book. Here is are several sets of free printable Stations of the Cross. Print a booklet for CCD and religious education classes, Catholic school, homeschooling and family devotions. Read more at Stations of the Cross Prayer Coloring Book Printables