During Lent, Christians who observe traditional rules avoid flesh meat from land animals (like beef, pork, and chicken) on certain days, especially Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent, including Good Friday.

Quick Scoop: What Meat You Can’t Eat

On the key Lenten no‑meat days (Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent, including Good Friday for Catholics):

  • No beef, pork, lamb, goat, or venison (any mammal “red meat”).
  • No chicken, turkey, duck, or other poultry.
  • In general, no meat from warm‑blooded land animals (often called “flesh meat”).

These rules apply from age 14 and up in the Roman Catholic Church, with no upper age limit for abstaining from meat.

So What Is Allowed?

Even on no‑meat days, several foods are still allowed under Catholic norms:

  • Fish and other seafood (like shrimp, crab, and other cold‑blooded animals) are allowed.
  • Eggs and dairy (milk, cheese, butter, etc.) are allowed, since they are not considered “flesh meat.”
  • Plant‑based foods of all kinds (fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes) are fine.

An example: a tuna sandwich, cheese pizza, or shrimp pasta would be okay on a Friday in Lent, but a pepperoni pizza or chicken sandwich would not.

Do You Avoid Meat Every Day of Lent?

For most Roman Catholics today:

  • Required no‑meat days:
    • Ash Wednesday
    • Every Friday in Lent, including Good Friday
  • Optional sacrifice:
    • Some people choose to give up all meat (or go vegetarian/vegan) for the entire 40 days as a personal Lenten discipline, but that is not required by current Catholic rules.

Other Christian traditions (like Eastern Orthodox) may have much stricter fasting rules that forbid meat, dairy, and eggs for longer periods before Easter.

Mini FAQ

Does broth count as meat?
Strictly speaking, anything made from the flesh or juices of meat (like meat stock) can be considered part of meat; some Catholics try to avoid meat‑based broths on no‑meat days, while others focus on avoiding visible pieces of meat.

Why meat, specifically?
Abstaining from meat on specific days is an ancient Christian practice of penance and self‑denial, reminding believers of Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday.

TL;DR:
You can’t eat flesh meat from land animals and birds (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, etc.) on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent (including Good Friday), but fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, and plant‑based foods are allowed in the typical Roman Catholic practice today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.