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    Home » Blog » Catholic » Lent

    16 Simple Lent Lunch Ideas

    Published: Feb 15, 2023 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A photo collage with 4 easy meatless lunch ideas for Lent.

    Easy Lent lunch ideas the whole family can eat while observing the rules of Lenten fasting. Pack these healthy meals to take to school or work or enjoy at home.

    A photo collage shows a variety of meatless soups, sandwiches, and snacks for Lent.

    For our family, eating lunch on Fridays in Lent seems to be the biggest struggle.

    When we're at home for breakfast or dinner, I have a meatless meal ready to go.

    But out in the world at lunchtime? It is so much easier to forget that it is Friday, especially if you're dining with friends or co-workers who are not Catholic.

    If you're looking for clarification on what you're allowed to eat for lunch during Lent and want some fresh inspiration for Lent-friendly lunch recipes, I've gathered together everything you need.

    Jump to:
    • Lent Rules for Lunch
    • Fast or Eat a Very Simple Lunch
    • Lenten Snack Plates
    • Meatless Soups
    • Meatless Salads
    • Meatless Sandwiches
    • More Lent Tips for Families

    Lent Rules for Lunch

    On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, fasting rules allow Catholics to eat only one full meal and two smaller meals which, combined, would not equal a single normal meal.

    In practice, this generally looks like a normal evening dinner with your family but then breakfast and lunch should be very light and give you just enough fuel to get through your day.

    The fasting requirements apply to those ages 18 - 59 so your teens and kids do not need to follow the observance of those smaller meals.

    However, as a family we've decided that there's nothing wrong with our kids participating in abstaining from meat on Fridays right from the get go.

    There are so many fantastic dinner ideas for Lent your kid can still enjoy even without meat.

    Fast or Eat a Very Simple Lunch

    At my Catholic high school, we frequently were asked to eat a very basic lunch on Fridays in Lent even though we were not in the age range for required participation.

    The money we saved from the more expensive lunches was collected to donate to the food bank.

    This is the kind of Lenten sacrifice that truly makes a difference.

    Lunch was often just a small bowl of plain white rice with a little pat of butter. You could also try a simple protein smoothie with fruit and yogurt.

    • Instant Pot is filled with cooked white jasmine rice.
      Easiest Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • A bowl of fresh blueberries sits next to a bowl of cherries, a pile of red apples, fresh bananas, and a bowl of whole almonds.
      3 Protein Smoothie Recipes for Kids

    Lenten Snack Plates

    Another simple way to give your body some fuel while also trying to observe a Lenten fast would be to keep a batch of hard boiled eggs in the fridge or a batch of my peanut butter apple dip that you could make a small snack plate with some fresh fruit and a small serving of pretzels.

    • A basket of brown and blue eggs sit nexts to a towel.
      How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
    • A serving bowl has creamy peanut butter apple dip and is topped with salted peanuts. There are green apple slices in the dip and on the plate with pretzels.
      Creamy Peanut Butter Apple Dip

    Meatless Soups

    Soup is one of the easiest lunch ideas for Lent because so many recipes are naturally meat-free.

    Try a vegetarian soup like my tomato bisque or the light and healthy tortellini soup made with cheese tortellini.

    You could make a big batch of sweet and sour cabbage soup on a Sunday and heat it up for lunches all week long.

    The best news is that soups made from chicken broth or beef broth are not forbidden during Lent. You simply have to choose soups that don't have solid portions of meat in the mix like shredded chicken or ground meats.

    • A white soup bowl filled with tomato bisque has brown bread croutons floating on top.
      Tomato Bisque Soup
    • A light and healthy tortellini soup has spinach and carrots floating in the broth.
      Weight Watchers Tortellini Soup
    • A white bowl of cabbage soup with a spoon on the side.
      Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup {Stovetop or Crockpot}
    • A bowl of gnocchi soup has chunks of diced carrot and a clear broth. Slices of lemon are on the plate next to the bowl.
      Gnocchi Soup with Lemon and Dill

    Meatless Salads

    There are plenty of Lent-friendly meatless salads that have extra bulk from chopped nuts or crumbled cheese.

    My crispy wild rice salad uses leftover cooked rice and tasty sweet roasted carrots in the mix, too.

    If you make a batch of pasta salad like my lemony orzo pasta, you could also serve it with cooked shrimp or air-fryer salmon instead of chicken.

    • A platter of sliced oranges with crumbled cheese, chopped pistachios, and seasonings.
      Simple Citrus Salad
    • A serving of crispy rice salad shows green lettuce, roasted carrots, fried wild rice in a white bowl.
      Crispy Wild Rice Salad
    • A platter of prepared apple and pear salad.
      Festive Apple Pear Salad
    • A plate of orzo pasta with fresh tomatoes sprinkled with fresh dill has roasted shrimp and lemon slices in the back.
      Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad

    Meatless Sandwiches

    If you're in a deli meat sandwich rut, you may be feeling stumped on planning your Lent lunch selections.

    Egg salad sandwiches are a classic lunch during Lent, as are grilled cheese sandwiches.

    Not in the mood for a grilled cheese? A plain cheese quesadilla with salsa would be an excellent alternative.

    For a special lunch, you could also make my favorite cheesy crab melts and serve them with a light green salad on the side.

    • An egg salad sandwich sits on a blue plate.
      Deviled Egg Salad
    • A platter of cheesy crab melts have green onions sprinkled over the top.
      Easy Cheesy Crab Melts
    • A baking tray filled with baked quesadillas.
      How to Cook Quesadillas Family-Style

    More Lent Tips for Families

    • A photo collage shows some of the meatless recipes that are ok to eat for Lent.
      40 Meatless Meals for Lent Your Kids Will Actually Eat
    • A photo collage shows some of the easy shrimp recipes for dinner including a shrimp po'boy, shrimp rice bowl, and shrimp tacos.
      35 Easy Shrimp Recipes for Busy Nights
    • A serving of fish and chips has a lemon wedge on the side.
      Easy Fish Recipes for Kids
    • A photo collage shows several easy things to eat for breakfast.
      18 Easy Lent Breakfast Ideas
    A photo collage with 4 easy meatless lunch ideas for Lent.

    More Lent Activities for Families

    • A photo collage shows several easy Mardi Gras recipes for a busy night.
      20 Easy Mardi Gras Recipes for Family Dinner
    • A collage shows several picture book covers for Easter books for kids.
      Best Christian Easter Books for Kids
    • A platter of hot cross biscuits has a ceramic carrot accessory. Each biscuit has a cream cheese frosting cross on the top and currants inside.
      Make-Ahead Hot Cross Biscuits

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

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