Lent: food and justice

Food is readily associated with Lent. The medieval practice, recovered in the Victorian era, of giving up certain foods in the pursuit of personal holiness, lasted far into the twentieth century, and although it is less prevalent now, people still often speak of giving up chocolate, or cakes, or alcohol for Lent. But our relationship to food raises questions not merely of temporary personal fasts, but of food justice, ethical farming, and the effects on our long-term health of the fast-food culture.

Food Justice 
Medieval Lenten practices were directly related to food justice. Entire communities would give up the same things – animal products and dairy foods – so that whether you were rich or poor, everyone found themselves more on a level than usual. Money saved in each household was given to the poor, so those who were genuinely hungry were offered some justice. A creative Lent can include some deliberate acts of food justice. If you are cutting back on your diet for Lent, giving what you save to a food bank or food pantry is one good idea. 

Ethical farming and shopping
We can also look at our habits of buying sustainably and ethically, and think about our relationship to food. Do you know where your food comes from, where it was grown, how far it has travelled to get to your table? 

You are what you eat? 
But we might also consider taking time during Lent to reconsider our relationship to food as nutrition. The Western obesity epidemic is now a problem on both sides of the Atlantic, and addressing it demands not merely a determination to eat less food, but to eat differently. A Lent discipline that would improve our whole lives would begin with an assessment of how much processed food we eat, and what additives we consume when eating something as innocent-looking as a piece of fish. Since moving to America I have been amazed to notice that even in a pack of butter, the ingredients list not only cream, but "natural flavorings". Why add flavouring to butter? Chocolate - well made, 72% cacao chocolate - may be one of the least problematic foods in your cupboard, nutritionally speaking.

Growing an awareness of what we eat, and what is in those packets we buy, might lead us to a more thoughtful practice of shopping and cooking. The effects would be more far reaching than a temporary abstinence: it could lead to a long term improvement in our health and happiness. 

Click here for ideas on how to connect food, justice, community and sustainability this Lent