Eating Alongside the Poor for Lent

For me, Lent has long been an invitation to hunger and thirst for God’s kingdom to take deeper root in my life and in this world. It is a season that gives shape to longing, a hunger for Easter, for resurrection, and for the unfolding of God’s good-news-to-the-poor kingdom among us.

Many years ago, in 2009, I experimented with eating alongside those experiencing poverty as part of my Lenten journey. What I discovered then feels just as meaningful, and perhaps even more urgent, today.

Food is amazing. I love it. It engages nearly all five senses (perhaps even hearing — when something sizzles in the pan, crunches like celery, or is enjoyed in lively company).

Jesus shared countless meals in the Gospels. In fact, the word “worship” appears 254 times in the NIV Bible, while the word “eat” appears 623 times. Jesus did not leave the disciples with a creed to remember him by, but with a meal. There is something about eating that connects to our souls. We can go only a few waking hours before our minds drift back to food. Perhaps that is why fasting remains such a vital spiritual discipline.

Choosing to eat the simple fare of the poor during Lent is one way of seeking connection with the vast portion of humanity that lives with food insecurity, and with the frailty of our own humanity. The hungry poor may feel distant to many of us, but they are never distant to Jesus. “I was hungry,” Jesus says in Matthew 25, “and you gave me something to eat.” He also blesses those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Eating what the poor eat can draw us into a deeper sense of relationship with our neighbors and with Christ, whose kingdom consistently lifts up those at the margins.

Below is a simple framework inspired by meals common in six regions of the world, one for each week of Lent. Consider eating only two modest meals per day, without snacks, and repeating the same simple foods throughout the week. Let your hunger become prayer, and ask God to deepen your longing for justice and to provide for those who live with daily scarcity. Notice the beauty of simple spices. Even amid poverty, there is flavor, dignity, and creativity.

Most Americans spend at least $20 per day per person on food.

By eating more simply this Lent, you may find yourself saving money. Consider giving those savings to an organization committed to addressing hunger or poverty. If you prefer a more streamlined practice, you might choose simple rice or bean dishes for all six weeks. But if you wish to reflect on the realities faced by communities around the world, you may find meaning in following the weekly suggestions below.

When I first tried this practice in 2009, I happened to be traveling to Kolkata during the week I was eating what many of India’s poor might eat. The staff of the organization I was visiting lived within the slum communities of Kolkata. One evening, they arranged for me to share a meal in the home of a neighbor.

Shujeta worked for a small business created for young women facing difficult circumstances. She made sari blankets, helping her family survive on the added income. I joined Shujeta, her mother, brother, and baby sister in their tiny two-room brick home.

I was not prepared for what I experienced at that meal.

The hospitality was overwhelming. I had expected simplicity, perhaps even austerity. Instead, dish after dish appeared — served, enjoyed, cleared, and replaced by yet another course of extraordinary Bengali cuisine. Just when I thought the meal had ended, another plate would arrive. My heart — and stomach — felt as though they might burst.

That entire Lent, I lived with hunger — except for the evening I was lavishly fed by a poor Kolkata family. The irony left a deep impression on me. Those living with material scarcity often embody extraordinary generosity and hospitality.

May we learn to be as generous as those who appear to have so little.

Week 1 (Kolkata, India)

Prepare a generous batch of rice and dal (lentils) for the week. Take what you might normally consider a single serving of vegetables and stretch it across several meals. For a treat, have a small portion of fish once or twice, or perhaps a banana with rice and lentils. Try eating with your fingers. Reflect on communities of hope in Kolkata working for change amid deep poverty.

Week 2 (San Francisco, USA)

Eat only what your household leaves on their plates at the end of meals. If you live alone, consider volunteering at a food pantry or shelter and sharing a meal in that context. Take time to learn about the realities of homelessness and economic disparity.

Week 3 (Guatemala)

Nearly half of children under the age of 5 in Guatemala experience chronic undernourishment. For breakfast, try a modest bowl of watery oatmeal with a small portion of banana and a bit of sugar. For other meals, eat simple staples such as tortillas, rice, or potatoes. Once or twice, add a small portion of chicken or broth.

Week 4 (Nairobi, Kenya)

Meals often center on beans, grains, and simple breads. Eat red beans with corn, rice, or vegetables. If possible, visit an African grocery store and try chapati or similar staples. Reflect on urban poverty and resilience.

Week 5 (Cairo, Egypt)

Meals may revolve around bread and fuul (mashed fava beans). Eat simple flatbread, beans, a small chopped salad, and tea. Notice how deeply sustaining basic foods can be. Consider stories of communities living and working amid hardship.

Week 6 (Moscow, Russia)

Substitute rice or quinoa for buckwheat (kasha). Pair with cabbage, potatoes, and a simple vegetable broth. Reflect on economic inequality and the human experience of scarcity across cultures.