Me comming from an Armenian Apostolic/orthodox family do lent the following way:
40 days before Easter, no animal products. that would include meat, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, etc
basically anything that comes from an animal, whether that animal had to be killed for it or not, is banned. for 40 days. and i just cant do that i mean i cant eat salads and fruits and vegeatvels for 40 days
The Orthodox include eggs, oil, butter, etc in the prohibited foods during lent. The Catholic Church included these in the prohibited food categories centuries ago, but has loosened the restricitions. That however does not exempt one from moderation at the table during lent, nor either giving something up, or doing some extra charitable acts during the season. Advent is also treated like a “Mini” Lent, and should be observed in the same basic manner in order to prepare our souls for the coming of our Lord.
Pope Paul VI relaxed the restrictions, he allowed Catholics of the Latin Rite to consume meat on Fridays (outside of Lent) if they did not find it spiritually helpful, however he did require that they substitute the abstaining from Meat on Friday be replaced by some other suitable act of penance and mortification, which would remind us of the passion and death of our Lord on the original Good Friday (or as the Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholics call it Great Friday)
By default anyone who does not participate in another form of mortification of their own choosing, is still bound to abstain from meat, as they have not substituted the abstinence with another act.