How should the Ash Wednesday fast be accomplished?

[anodos]

Is spacing a meal throughout the day considered “snacking between meals”?

For Ash Wednesday I ate about 1.5 meals in little bits throughout the day. Later I read explanations that seemed to suggest that this amount of food should have been consumed in 2-3 sittings, with food-free gaps in between. Did I violate the fast?

 

[Vico]

Is spacing a meal throughout the day considered “snacking between meals”?

For Ash Wednesday I ate about 1.5 meals in little bits throughout the day. Later I read explanations that seemed to suggest that this amount of food should have been consumed in 2-3 sittings, with food-free gaps in between. Did I violate the fast?

So you must understand first, and then you will know what to do.

The letter of the law does not reveal the spirit of the law. It should not be merely an external act. The purpose of fast and abstinence is to have a change of heart, and do so in unity with other Christians on specific penitential days. We become “chained” by our senses so in offering this penance, we work to break that attachment and break our attachments. Pope Paul VI wrote:"… although the duty of doing penance is motivated above all by participation in the sufferings of Christ-the necessity of an asceticism which chastises the body and brings it into subjection is affirmed with special insistence by the example of Christ Himself. (53)"
vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html

FASTING: Catholics who are 18 year old and up, until their 59th birthday (when you begin your 60th year), are bound to fast (1 full meal and 2 “snacks” that don’t add up to a full meal) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

ABSTINENCE: Catholics who are 14 years old and older are abound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays of Lent.

 

[mburn16]

As far as I know, the minimum advised level for fasting is simply to eat the equivalent of 2 meals throughout the course of the day. Some people do this by skipping a meal, some people do it by eating smaller meals, some people do it by snacking on a regular basis. Others exceed the requirements to a much greater degree. It really depends on your personal decision, activity level, any medical needs, etc.

For example: I’m diabetic, and my lowest blood sugar point usually comes in the morning, as soon as I get up. I also work out in the evenings, so I need to have food after. Based on this, I eat breakfast and dinner, but skip lunch.

Its really up to you.