Dr. Atkins Would Not Approve Since it's Ash Wednesday, Catholics cannot eat meat today or Fridays for the entire season of Lent, which has nothing to do with that stuff that forms in your dryer and belly button. Usually fish is eaten, because someone decided a long time ago that fish don't count as meat (probably Red Lobster). I've got the mom that reminds me 5 times a Friday I can't have meat (though I have forgotten and heard the motherly shrill when she walked in the door as I finished a bucket of fried chicken). I can't even have the foods that touched meat. Pasta with tomato sauce but without any major traces of meat? Nope. Soup made with chicken broth? Negative. Beef with a side of bacon strips? No way. If you can't get a decent mouthful of meat from a food, you should be given the go ahead to chow down.