Why do we eat vegetable food during Lent? (Patriarch Daniel of Romania)

Patriarch Daniel of Romania talks about a spiritual meaning of vegetable food as it is the result of photosynthesis.

Patriarch Daniel:

Vegetable food has yet another meaning: All plants are the result of the photosynthesis process. So, plants grow because they accumulate sunlight. Fish also contains phosphorus, which in Greek means “light bearer” (Phosphorus)… So, these plants, which have assimilated sunlight and which we eat, vegetables and fruits, teach us that as we feed our body with light from the physical sun we must also feed our soul with the light of grace, unseen, but real, from Christ… So, we feed the body with products that are the result of sunlight and feed our soul with the light of Christ – the Light of the world. But what does this mean, concretely? We feed our souls with the light of the Holy Scriptures, Holy Services, Holy Prayers, of the Holy Communion, the good deeds… all these are spiritual lights…