Why I won’t give up chocolate for Lent

I’m giving up chocolate! I’ve done it for a few years and it works for me – when I pass on the indulgences I remember WHY and that’s the point, right? But obviously it wouldn’t work for everyone! Excited to see some non-chocolate recipes…and to make TONS on Easter!

Good morning!

Thank you for your post. This year I gave up chocolate, peanut butter, and eating out alone (I love going to a fun place with a good book).

We are only a few days in, but my initial thoughts. Peanut butter was a silly one. I won’t do this one again and I will be OK if I fail it. It is too much a part of my fat and calories. I thought it would be interesting to give up because it is something I eat SO much of. But in this case I agree with you – this doesn’t do much in the faith department.

Chocolate and eating out alone in theory generates more of the “extra money” for donation. We will see. I try really hard not to make Lent unpleasant but about faith and learning, and the sacrifices tend to do the least in that department…and yet most of us were taught it. This may be the last year I give something up. Each year I have shifted more and more to what do I give and how I feel during the Lent/Easter season.

My favorite stuff for Lent: Working on changing thoughts/the mental. I love your compliments one! One of mine this year is more active eye contact and smiling at a stranger. 🙂

And I love every Friday to find a new charity/organization/etc. to give too. This is the first year I will blog about them too to help draw attention.

I love your cards! Cute stuff.

Thank you for your thoughts. I will be interested in responses especially since more and more the sacrifice part is just not the part that does much for my spirituality or faith.

Have a wonderful day!

I like that you’re going to focus on doing more for others, that’s awesome!!

I hadn’t intended to give up anything for Lent, but yesterday I had a severe, possibly allergic reaction to some espresso I drank. I’m not a coffee drinker (and I’d only ever had decaf before) so I was definitely not expecting it! It was such a scary experience that I’m eliminating all caffeine for the next several weeks. Avoiding soda and coffee won’t be hard, but chocolate? Torture!

Great idea to do more for others. I think sometimes those goals are harder (at least for me) then the concrete things, because the definition is more vague. It’s definitely a great way to spend Lent!

I have decided to not give up anything for Lent but to focus on patience, time with the LORD, and writing encouraging notes to the mothers in my life. Patience has a lot to do with a certain child I’m parenting right now… I think I’ll memorize some verses with said child.

I’ve never given up chocolate, but one year my husband and I gave up ice cream {something we have every night, although I’ve since stopped because I’m too cold}. That was hard. Last year the thing I gave up I totally let go of and didn’t start up again. It was LOVELY and I’m so glad I listened to God’s prompting.

I hear ya about not giving stuff up for Lent! The year I gave up Diet Coke (which, ironically is not even a part of my life anymore!), Easter became more about that first sip than it did the resurrection of my Savior. SAD!!! Since then, I’ve decided to revel in my forgiven status and God’s grace and give up nothing! It’s not right for everybody, but it’s right for me!

Thanks for your recipes! =)

Tell your roommate lent was the kick start I needed to become a vegetarian 8 years ago! Although I’m more of a ‘flexitarian’ now (I had low protein levels in my blood and as a way to fix it my doctor told me I should started incorporating fish and poultry back into my diet) it led to 3 years of being completely vegetarian.

I really like your approach on Lent, though – I decided to do a similar thing this year. My ‘lent resolutions’ so to speak are to be less lazy, both physically and mentally/emotionally. I am planning on being more patient, with both others and myself, instead of always looking for instant gratification. I also spending more time with people in real time versus internet time, and not just spending my evenings vegging out in front of the TV (which has become a really bad habit in the last two months!). It is a nice little reminder of Lent every time I find myself not wanting to take my puppy for the longer route on our walks, or find myself mindlessly staring at the television instead of going to the gym or spending time with friends. To me, I may have less time to ‘relax’, but this is something that may improve my life and make me a better person compared to not consuming any sweets, and by having the working out option in there, may also help my waist line =)

I don’t think I could give up chocolate, to hard! It’s my guilty pleasure. As far as giving something up for lent, I’m not sure, I’m not Catholic, butlike your friend this would be a good time to do it.

I am going to TRY to give up gum. It’s really hard for me since I chew A LOT of gum! I think it’s really nice that you are going to pick something up this year for lent instead of give something up. I think that might actually be even more beneficial!

Hi Katie!
Personally, I don’t give up anything for Lent, but here in Ireland a lot of people follow a rule that lets you break it on Sunday and on St. Patrick’s Day. So hope is not lost for your yummy recipes!

Keep the sweets coming this Lent 🙂

Very cute cards! And an excellent idea for Lent. My coworkers and I have all decided to give up something…and mine is to stop complaining about my boss. Whoever messes up puts cash into the pot, and the “best behaved” winner takes all 🙂 its going to take some work for me to keep mine, but I think I can do it!! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

I’m not religious anymore, but last year I went vegan for lent. It was the only way my parents would accept it. And I am still vegan 🙂

I completely agree with you! For Lent, I always decide pick up a new thing or make a goal to work on something that betters my relationship with God. Giving up food or sweets doesn’t necessarily make you closer to God… but doing things for yourself, and for others, to glorify Him is a whole other thing!

Your cards (and savory dishes) look beautiful! I gave up added sugars because it really is difficult for me, but I’m adding in positive changes for Lent, too. I’m glad I have you sugar free recipes as resources! 🙂

My girlfriend and I are actually giving up unnecessary internet…Facebook, Tumblr, etc. Of course, food blogs don’t count…we still have to eat, right? ;D

Mostly, we’re hoping that giving up all those hours of surfing the web will help bring us closer together, and find more fun things to do instead of staring at a screen.

I gave up sugar… I know, I know sure isn’t BAD for you (in moderation) but recently I’ve been finding myself reaching for cookies and cakes every single day. That’s ridiculous! I was putting so much sugar in everything (oatmeal, coffee, tea) that I just needed a break. A “cleanse” if you will. So for forty days (I won’t even cheat on Sundays) I will be sugar-free.

I’m giving up soda! I only drank a sprite zero a day, but that’s 7 a week, and not a good/cheap habit. I’m with you on the whole how-does-this-make-me-closer-to-God thing, but I figure it won’t push me farther away! haha. And there’s a sense of community with my friends who are giving up other things. 🙂 Coffee is something I want to not be so dependent on, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. haha.

Yeah, I also prefer to do something more instead of giving up something- this year it’s writing more letters to older relatives that aren’t on the internet so they are more out of touch. But a friend told me last year the Lenten sacrifice thing is actually 3fold: prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. So I’m going to try to do some of each this year!

I’m giving up meat too! Like your roommate, I’m not doing it for religious reasons… I’d just been contemplating it, and it seemed like a good time to do it! Your blog helped inspire me to do that! 🙂

I gave up diet coke last year and since then I just don’t crave it anymore! I’ve had it maybe a dozen times since then.

This year I’m giving up meat too! I probably won’t become a vegetarian because of it but I hope that it’ll allow me to become more creative in the kitchen.

Completely agree on the whole giving up things when you don’t really follow through with the true intention! I didn’t give anything up either, just trying to improve things instead! I love your idea, I may have to incorporate that as well.
Love your spaghetti squash though!

I’ve always given up sweets during Lent…it is a true sacrifice for me. But I’ve decided this year to give up stress and anxiety. I think that will be a lot harder (and more beneficial!) than sweets. Not sure how I’ll do, but I’m giving it my best shot! 🙂

Love your site and all your recipes! Thank you!

I had decided to give up sweets, but after reading some of the comments and some of the things my friends have written on the topic, I need to rethink. I need to make better food choices, even as a vegan, but it’s hard for me to separate in my mind giving up sweets and weight reduction; I may be setting myself up for thinking more about food than God. Something to think through some more for sure. Love your site, the recipes. I am the lone vegan at my house. My family is used to it by know but a lot of people still look at me like I have two heads LOL
Lenten blessings!

Hello,

This is a little off topic but I’m hoping for some input. I loved your cookie dough dip, and the banana peanut butter oatmeal so I thought i’d try this recipe tonight. I’m not vegan but I am trying to eat healthy. Thus i’m unfamiliar with tofu but hoping to be converted. I couldn’t find any silken tofu, so I drove 25 min to the nearest whole foods (really wish one was closer) and couldn’t find any there either. So I got some Organic WestSoy soft Tofu (as everything else they had was firm). Went home and opened it and it had a bit of liquid in it, and the Tofu was harder then i thought it would be, I followed the directions and melted the chocolate and put everything in my food processor (liquid in the tofu and all), and blended it all up, and tasted it… it didn’t taste good to me at all, kind of chalky i guess almost medicinal for lack of a better term. I then realized the Tofu was 14 oz instead of 12.3 oz stated in the directions. I had only added 2 T of sugar (although in some of your recipes i add none and do fine), so I added two more Tspns of brown sugar and an additional 1/3 cup of chocolate chips(melted first), and a bit more almond milk. I just had regular Hershes chocolate chips on hand, and it still tasted, kind of chalky. I’m at a loss at what to do, Should I have tried for some higher caliber chocolate? was the extra 2 oz of tofu making that big of a difference? I put it all in a pie plate, and put it in the fridge and was hoping that maybe if it sat for a bit it would taste… welll more chocolaty. Any Ideas? What did I do wrong? Is there any other tofu chocolate type deserts i could try (maybe with smaller amounts) to see if we just don’t get along and I should stick to other types of recipes? Help!

Thank you,
Brenda

That’s such a good idea! I was never really a fan of giving things up for lent. The original idea was to get closer to God by using the time you’re getting to pray and give back!
That said, I gave up chocolate once too! I failed most of the way through…those darn eclairs 😉

Hi, I just found your site and was wondering if you have done a post about how to incorporate regular desserts into a balanced and healthy diet. It’s neat that you are into healthifying desserts, but going out for ice cream on a summer night, eating your grandma’s apple pie, or your mom’s chocolate chip cookies on occasion can be healthy too :).