Healthy Recipes for Lent
I love that I have SISters from everywhere and we can connect every day in the Sisterhood on social media and in the app. Even though I’m down here in KC, I keep a strong connection to my Iowa hometown.
One thing that really brings the community together is the season of Lent. Some Christian traditions call for followers to make a sacrifice in the weeks leading up to Easter. My small town and the surrounding communities are predominately Catholic. Lots of people give up little vices like candy or soda, but as a whole, Catholics don’t eat meat (except for fish) on Lenten Fridays.
How does that bring people together? Fish frys! The churches in the area rotate who hosts a fish fry on Friday nights and it seems like the whole county attends.
With the exception of Lent, meatless meals don’t seem super common. The county is also known for beef and pork production, so most meals have red meat or chicken. Other than attending fish fries or ordering cheese pizza, this leaves a lot of people stumped for meal ideas.
Also worth noting, meal-prepped fish is NOT a popular choice for people with shared office microwaves! You don’t want to be THAT person reheating salmon in the break room!
Of COURSE I needed to put together a healthy recipe collection for Lent! Scroll to the bottom of the post to get your freebie sent to your email.
Here’s a recipe preview with some pointers on more meal ideas.
Breakfast for Dinner: Breakfast is a super easy meal to cut meat from. Consider serving “breakfast” foods as the main meal. I included a recipe for Banana Oatmeal Pancakes but cheese omelets, frittatas, or good ol’ eggs with hash browns are great ideas.
“Fried” fish: Have a fish “fry” at home with my Oven Baked Fish Sticks and Oven Baked Fries recipes. Every time I make this meal I ask myself why I don’t do baked fish more often. It is such a comfort food for me.
Don’t forget shrimp: Meal prepping and reheating seafood is never a good idea, but shrimp is SO quick to cook! I included recipes for Honey Garlic Shrimp, Shrimp Taco Bowls, and Pesto Shrimp Pasta.
Good ol’ tuna casserole: The ultimate comfort food with a healthy twist. My version skips the canned cream soup and incorporates lots of veggies. YUM!
Save your Lent sacrifice for a sweet tooth habit. You won’t suffer in the meatless meals department!
What are your favorite meatless meals? Share in the comments section below!