Discover how medieval Christians embraced meatless meals during fasting seasons, why the Church emphasized abstinence, and how these traditions inspire today’s meatless recipes.
Why Medieval People Ate Meatless Meals
In medieval Europe, meatless meals were far more than a mere dietary choice—they constituted a profound manifestation of religious devotion, ethical discipline, and spiritual rigor. The Church mandated stringent abstinence from meat on Fridays, during Lent, and on other consecrated holy days, regarding the practice as a deliberate exercise in humility, penance, and self-mastery. This ascetic lifestyle was frequently characterized by ecclesiastical writers as “xerophagia et abstinentia”—literally, dry eating and abstinence. By intentionally eschewing rich and indulgent foods, Christians cultivated spiritual resilience while preparing their hearts and minds for contemplative worship and introspection.
As historian Caroline Walker Bynum observes in Holy Feast and Holy Fast (1987), fasting and abstinence were not merely personal acts of devotion—they played a pivotal role in shaping communal identity, reinforcing social cohesion, and fostering a shared sense of moral rectitude and spiritual purpose among members of medieval Christian society.
What They Ate Instead
Instead of beef, pork, or poultry, medieval cooks depended upon fish, grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables—a dietary regimen encapsulated by the phrase “fruges et legumina” (fruits and legumes). Fish became an indispensable staple in coastal regions, while inland communities subsisted primarily on beans, peas, and barley. Simple repasts of bread, lentils, and seasonal greens were both nutritive and salutary, never insipid, serving as a tangible manifestation of “cibus simplex, vita bona”—simple food, good life.
As historian Bridget Ann Henisch observes in Fast and Feast: Food in Medieval Society (1976), these meatless meals deliberately balanced corporeal sustenance with spiritual rigor, reflecting the Church’s enduring emphasis on temperance, moderation, and ethical propriety.
The Spiritual Purpose
The significance of meatless meals extended far beyond mere dietary choice—it was a deliberate form of spiritual cultivation and moral discipline. By voluntarily renouncing rich and indulgent foods, Christians sought heightened attentiveness to prayer, acts of charity, and contemplative worship, embracing the principle of “abstinentia et spiritus vigor”—abstinence and spiritual vigor. Fasting was viewed as a practical exercise in self-mastery, strengthening the will while aligning the body with spiritual intentions.
These practices shaped not only what believers consumed but also how they perceived and navigated daily life. Food became both a tangible source of nourishment and a symbolic instrument for ethical reflection, encouraging mindfulness, temperance, and moral discernment. In abstaining from excess, the faithful pursued a life oriented “ad meliora”—towards better things.
Modern Meatless Meals
Today, many people adopt meatless meals for a variety of reasons. For some, it continues as a devotional practice, linked to Christian fasting during Lent or on Fridays, focused on reflection, spiritual attentiveness, and ethical mindfulness. For others, the choice is conscientious, driven by health considerations, environmental stewardship, or concern for animals.