Meeting your Protein needs when fasting

A dish featuring a variety of flavourful snacks, including an assortment of nuts, seeds, leaves and legumes beautifully arranged in a circular compartmentalised tray.

By Amanda Harrison, PGD RN HWC — Mediterranean Diet Specialist

Fasting within the Orthodox Christian tradition can be a deeply spiritual and health promoting practice — but it can also raise practical questions about nourishment, when it comes to protein.

As a Mediterranean nutritionist, I’m often asked: How can I get complete protein during an Orthodox Christian fast?

What Is a “Complete” Protein?

A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. These are typically found in animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.

During an Orthodox Christian fast, such as Great Lent, these foods are often restricted. But that doesn’t mean your protein intake has to suffer.

The body doesn’t require every essential amino acid in one single food at one single meal. It simply needs a good balance across the day. When we understand this, fasting becomes much easier nutritionally.

The Mediterranean Way: Plant Diversity Is the Key

The traditional Mediterranean diet — especially in rural Greece and the Middle East — has long included extended plant based fasting periods. And historically, people thrived on beautifully simple combinations of:

• Legumes

• Wholegrains

• Nuts and seeds

• Seasonal vegetables

• Olive oil

When combined thoughtfully, these foods naturally provide all essential amino acids.

Best Plant Based Protein Combinations During a Fast

A delicious spread featuring crispy falafel balls on a bed of fresh lettuce, accompanied by creamy sauce and golden pita bread.

Here are practical, traditional, and balanced ways to build complete protein across your day:

1. Legumes + Grains

This is the classic pairing.

• Lentils + brown rice i.e. Mujadara, chilli or dahl

• Chickpeas + wholegrain pita i.e. fatteh, falafels, or chickpea shawarma

• Beans + barley i.e. soup, stew or barley risotto

• Fava beans + sourdough bread i.e. fava bean toast or crostini

  
  

Legumes are rich in lysine but lower in methionine. Grains are the opposite. Together, they complement one another perfectly.

A heart warming bowl of lentil soup with wholegrain bread is nutritionally complete, and entirely fasting compliant.

2. Hummus + Wholegrain Bread

Chickpeas + tahini (sesame seeds) + wholegrain bread is a powerful amino acid combination.

This is a beautiful example of traditional wisdom meeting modern nutrition science.

3. Nuts & Seeds Added to Meals

Seeds and nuts enhance protein quality and add healthy fats.

Add:

• Tahini to vegetables i.e. via roasting or using a dressing

• Sprinkle your favourite seeds on salads and soups

• Top grain dishes with almonds i.e couscous or pilaf

• Chia or flax seeds to porridge

  
  

They help round out amino acid profiles while supporting hormone balance and satiety.

4. Quinoa & Buckwheat

Though not traditionally Mediterranean staples, both are plant sources containing all essential amino

acids. They can be helpful additions if someone struggles with energy during longer fasting seasons. Buckwheat pasta and pancakes are delicious. Quinoa makes a great base to salad dishes.

5. Soya

Tofu, tempeh, and edamame beans are complete plant proteins. While not traditional in Orthodox cultures, some people choose to include them.

As a Mediterranean nutritionist, I encourage prioritising traditional whole foods first, but soy can be a practical support for some.

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

Most adults need roughly 0.8–1g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day — slightly more if healing, older, highly active, or under stress.

In practice, this might look like:

• Adding chia seeds for breakfast or lentils for lunch

• Nuts or hummus as a snack

• Beans or chickpeas at dinner

• Seeds and nuts sprinkled throughout the day

  
  

It adds up more easily than people think.

A Gentle Reminder About Fasting

Orthodox fasting is not intended to cause harm or malnourishment. It is a spiritual discipline rooted in prayer, humility, and compassion.

If someone is:

• Pregnant

• Recovering from illness

• Undergoing cancer treatment

• Elderly or frail

  
  

They should always seek appropriate medical and spiritual guidance before strict fasting.

Nourishment supports prayer. Weakness from undereating does not deepen faith, it strains the body.

A Sample Balanced Fasting Day

Breakfast: Oats and chia seeds topped with berries and almond butter

Lunch: Lentil, carrot and potato soup with wholegrain sourdough

Snack: Apple with peanut butter or tahini

Dinner: Revithada stew topped with olive oil and pumpkin seeds and served with a wholegrain roll

This provides balanced amino acids, fibre, minerals, and steady energy.

Final Thoughts

Orthodox fasting, when approached through a Mediterranean lens, is naturally abundant in plant diversity. You do not need meat or dairy to meet your protein needs — you simply need variety and balance.

The wisdom of traditional fasting tables — lentils, beans, bread, olives, greens, seeds — has sustained generations.