Author Topic: Liquid meals - breaking the fast? (Read 3514 times)

Malleus · « **on:** February 09, 2015, 12:00:36 AM »

Lent is coming next week and I'm worried about this.

Would having liquid meals like smoothies, protein shakes, yogurts etc. break a fast?

Some of them are completely liquid, like milk, but some contain solids (fruits of course) which were made liquid like bananas and any kind of berry.

Nadir · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:10:32 AM »

Are they intended to replace a meal or are they an extra?

Stubborn · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:35:48 AM »

Yes, you wouldn't break a fast if you made them your meal, but would if you're taking them between meals.

Don't make it complicated - fasting is fasting - eat less and no eating between meals. I don't personally consider a glass of milk to be a meal, but I'd say that making a smoothie out of it is cheating. Beef or chicken broth is off limits too unless that is your meal with meat for the day.

Malleus · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2015, 09:20:35 AM »

Quote from: Nadir

Are they intended to replace a meal or are they an extra?

They would be taken between meals, since liquid isn't forbidden.

Malleus · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2015, 09:21:46 AM »

Quote from: Stubborn

Yes, you wouldn't break a fast if you made them your meal, but would if you're taking them between meals.

Don't make it complicated - fasting is fasting - eat less and no eating between meals. I don't personally consider a glass of milk to be a meal, but I'd say that making a smoothie out of it is cheating. Beef or chicken broth is off limits too unless that is your meal with meat for the day.

But milk is allowed at any time when fasting, so why would it be cheating?

Stubborn · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2015, 10:13:42 AM »

Quote from: Malleus

Quote from: Stubborn
Yes, you wouldn't break a fast if you made them your meal, but would if you're taking them between meals.

Don't make it complicated - fasting is fasting - eat less and no eating between meals. I don't personally consider a glass of milk to be a meal, but I'd say that making a smoothie out of it is cheating. Beef or chicken broth is off limits too unless that is your meal with meat for the day.

But milk is allowed at any time when fasting, so why would it be cheating?

Making a glass of milk into smoothie is making it into something filling, I do not think it's a good idea to do that if you are supposed to be fasting.

A liquid meal is still a meal - no?

Ladislaus · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2015, 10:23:00 AM »

There are lax theologians and strict theologians when treating of the subject. One of the most lax basically had it that "If you can get it through straw and it isn't meat, then it doesn't break your fast from solid foods." That's probably consistent with the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law.

Malleus · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2015, 11:03:04 AM »

Quote from: Stubborn

Quote from: Malleus
Quote from: Stubborn
Yes, you wouldn't break a fast if you made them your meal, but would if you're taking them between meals.

Don't make it complicated - fasting is fasting - eat less and no eating between meals. I don't personally consider a glass of milk to be a meal, but I'd say that making a smoothie out of it is cheating. Beef or chicken broth is off limits too unless that is your meal with meat for the day.

But milk is allowed at any time when fasting, so why would it be cheating?

Making a glass of milk into smoothie is making it into something filling, I do not think it's a good idea to do that if you are supposed to be fasting.

A liquid meal is still a meal - no?

It's just that sometimes when I fast I feel very bad and like I can't do much. I would have it only to regain some strength. I used to have milk before but quit recently because it's bad and gross, but I haven't quit yogurts and things like that.

Malleus · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2015, 11:04:28 AM »

Quote from: Ladislaus

There are lax theologians and strict theologians when treating of the subject. One of the most lax basically had it that "If you can get it through straw and it isn't meat, then it doesn't break your fast from solid foods." That's probably consistent with the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law.

I wouldn't be drinking these things all day long; at most I would have 2 I think. Like I said sometimes when I fast I feel very weak and don't feel like doing much.

PerEvangelicaDicta · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2015, 02:37:03 PM »

Quote from: Ladislaus

There are lax theologians and strict theologians when treating of the subject. One of the most lax basically had it that "If you can get it through straw and it isn't meat, then it doesn't break your fast from solid foods." That's probably consistent with the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law.

like ice cream? a trad priest used the argument that it's not a solid, and it's made from milk, so he indulged. I was new to tradition then but luckily did not buy it. Very NOT the spirit of the law.

Nadir · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2015, 03:06:29 PM »

Quote

But milk is allowed at any time when fasting, so why would it be cheating?

Where did that come from? I've never heard such a thing in my 68 years of Catholic faith.

Besides, you didn't specify milk, you asked about smoothies.

What work do you do? Are you a brickie's labourer or a pen pusher? Do you have a health problem? Maybe you are just used to eating frequently between meals.

The idea of fasting is to do penance, that is, to share in the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Malleus · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2015, 03:38:10 PM »

Quote from: Nadir

Quote
But milk is allowed at any time when fasting, so why would it be cheating?

Where did that come from? I've never heard such a thing in my 68 years of Catholic faith.

Besides, you didn't specify milk, you asked about smoothies.

What work do you do? Are you a brickie's labourer or a pen pusher? Do you have a health problem? Maybe you are just used to eating frequently between meals.

The idea of fasting is to do penance, that is, to share in the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Milk being allowed at any time on fast days is in the 1917 CIC and on every "fasting guidelines" I have seen.

Nadir · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2015, 03:45:52 PM »

Thank you for that.

But you didn't say milk you said smoothies.

What work do you do? Do you have a health problem? Maybe you are just used to eating frequently between meals.

The idea of fasting is to do penance, that is, to share in the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am telling this to myself as well, as I find it very hard to fast, though by the letter of the law I am not bound. The saints don't give up on attempts to live a holier life just because they reach a certain age or because they feel weak between meals.

Matthew · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:18:32 PM »

You can also fast intelligently. Be careful about what you eat for your meals.

Eating pancakes, cold cereal, potato chips, or any high-carb meal will "crash" you in a couple of hours. At least it does this to me a lot. I avoid these kinds of foods on fast days.

Bread messes with your blood sugar more than if you had a bowl of sugar. Seriously, the glycemic index of bread is ridiculous. That means it takes your blood sugar on a wild roller coaster ride. It's worse than a can of coca-cola.

Go with foods that have protein, so you won't (blood sugar) crash.

Along with protein, look for foods high in FAT. Fat doesn't make you fat; quite the opposite. Grains and sugars -- carbs -- make you fat.

You find yogurt (milk intentionally soured with a bacteria culture) to be A-OK, but fresh milk to be "bad and gross"? Sorry, but I'm calling "stupid" on this one. You are inconsistent at best.

But as for the amount of food you eat, etc. that is left to each person, because each person has different caloric needs based on metabolism, what work you do, etc.

Malleus · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:23:27 PM »

Quote from: Nadir

Thank you for that.

But you didn't say milk you said smoothies.

What work do you do? Do you have a health problem? Maybe you are just used to eating frequently between meals.

The idea of fasting is to do penance, that is, to share in the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am telling this to myself as well, as I find it very hard to fast, though by the letter of the law I am not bound. The saints don't give up on attempts to live a holier life just because they reach a certain age or because they feel weak between meals.

Well because smoothies usually have milk and I regard them as similar things.

I don't do any heavy work. I'm a male and 25. I don't have any health problems.

My only concern is that I do strength training at least 3 times a week and other exercises. You should know of course that if you exercise you need fuel before and after. I guess I could try to exercise after having the full meal, something that I don't think I did last lent.

If I didn't exercise I wouldnt mind not having liquid stuff. But it's not like I. Saying I'll be stuffing myself with liquid things all day, of course not.

And it's not like having liquid meals is like you're not even fasting. You're still eating meat only once during the day and only having 1 full meal a day and not eating anytime you feel hungry like in normal times.