Good food for Lent

It's not often at a church fish fry you find choices, let alone good choices. But now in Ohio, a church is giving its parishioners, the RightSize of calories for Lent.

The AP reports that for years, Lent meant huge chunks of fried fish on Fridays at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Macedonia Ohio.

But the dinner plate was decidedly lighter at a recent Friday fish fry in the bustling parish hall: grilled salmon packed with omega-3, fiber-rich rice pilaf and green beans.

“I was happy when I found out they were offering this for the first time,” said George Ehrman, whose health requires him to eat a low-salt, low-fat diet. “It’s very tasty, too.”

Parishes have long used the Roman Catholic abstention from meat on Fridays during the Lenten season to hold fish fries that bring people together and raise money. Now with more people trying to eat healthier food, many churches are offering lighter fare, including grilled shrimp, baked fish, fresh tuna and crispy, raw vegetables.

There’s still plenty of battered cod, haddock and other types of seafood submerged in oil. And there still are servings of potato-stuffed pirogi, macaroni and cheese, french fries or other heavy side dishes on parish menus.

But reduced-fat Lenten menus are popping up across the nation.

Milwaukee’s St. Florian Church lists “heart-healthy baked fish” alongside its famous beer-battered fillets. St. Ferdinand’s in Florissant, Mo., near St. Louis offers baked cod and blackened Cajun-style fish. In Cincinnati, St. Paul’s offers sautéed vegetables and tomato soup.

At St. Irenaeus in Oakmont, Pa., near Pittsburgh, the parish has added baked fish, fresh tuna and a salad bar. Like many restaurants, it stopped using artery-closing trans fats for frying. Volunteers change the deep fryer’s oil after each batch and blot each piece of fried fish dry of extra grease.

Does the baked fish go over well?

“Oh gosh, yeah!” said Jeanne Kaus, who has volunteered for 25 years at the fry that draws 500 people a week. “It just melts in your mouth.”

Jananne Finck, who teaches nutrition and wellness at the University of Illinois Extension in Springfield Center, said that even with the healthier Lenten options many Catholics may feel married to tradition and opt for fried fish, particularly if they don’t eat many fried foods at home.

That’s OK, she said, as long as fried foods are a rare treat, diners skip fatty condiments such as tartar sauce, and portions are small.