Monday marks the beginning of this year’s Daniel Fast at our church. Are you familiar with it? It’s a partial fast, similar to a vegan diet. As long as we’ve served as pastor, we encouraged our church to do this fast together at the start of a new year.
It’s intended to simulate a fast that the Prophet Daniel did, where he avoided all indulgent foods, as mentioned in the book of Daniel, chapter 10: “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
What Can You Eat On The Daniel Fast?
As we described in our Daniel Fast Food List, we’ll be abstaining from all meats, dairy products, and any other animal products, as well as from sweeteners, baked goods, and leavened breads. Last year, my husband and I personally permitted a nominal amount of honey and pure maple syrup in our fast, but this year we will completely go without. There will be no artificial sweeteners or preservatives, processed foods, deep fried foods, white rice, etc.
Our diet will consist mostly of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, seeds (such as sunflower seeds), and nuts (including nut butters). Our only beverage will be water. I know, I know — Daniel Fast meals don’t sound very exciting, but after the first few days, our bodies and taste buds adjust!
We try to use easy recipes and big batches of soups for meals as often as possible.
You can enjoy:
All fruits. Fruits include, but are not limited to: apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon. You may eat them fresh, frozen, dried, canned; just be sure there is no added sugar.
All vegetables. You can consume your vegetables fresh, frozen, juiced or canned! Vegetables include, but are not limited to: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, greens, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini.
All whole grains. It is advisable to read the labels when it comes to grains, so you are not consuming added sugar on the fast. Whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn are all allowable foods.
All nuts and seeds. You can have sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame and any other member of the nut and seed family. Nut milk and nut butters are also allowed, including all natural peanut butter with no added sugar (you get used to it and it is really good!)
All legumes. Dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, navy beans and white beans, canned or dried.
All good quality oils such as canola, grape seed, olive, peanut, sesame and vegetable are acceptable.
Beverages. Water is the beverage of choice when fasting, including spring water or even distilled water if you like. You will likely make some smoothies but these will be meal replacements and using unsweetened almond, cashew or soy milk.
Other: All herbs and spices are allowed, as are soy products, vinegar and tofu. Be careful with the salt!
Optional: Using a Meal Planning Service
Planning out your meals for the Daniel Fast can be overwhelming, especially if this is your first time doing a Daniel Fast. If you feel overwhelmed, consider signing up for the “vegan” meal plan through emeals. It’s a great meal planning service to use, and while they don’t have a meal planning option for the Daniel Fast specifically, the vegan meal plan is quite similar. Plus, you can get two weeks free when you sign up here. That’s almost gets you through the entire Daniel Fast!
Another meal service we’ve used is MamaSezz. Most of their meals are Daniel Fast friendly and already prepared, so all you need to do is warm them up. They ship everything you need directly to your doorstep. You can read more about MamaSezz here.
Daniel Fast Meal Plan
Here’s our menu for one week. It’s a simple meal plan, but it works!
Daniel Fast Breakfasts
- Fresh fruits, natural peanut butter
- Daniel Fast granola bars, with an orange
- Homemade Cherry Oatmeal
- Creamy toasted rice porridge with coconut oil, raisins, and almonds
- Oats groats with raisins, nuts, and almond paste
Daniel Fast Lunches
- Leftovers
- Salads (be careful with salad dressings since many have sugars or other sweeteners added)
- Ezekiel tortillas or other yeast-free tortillas spread with avocado and mashed garbanzo beans
- Asian salad with peanut dressing
Daniel Fast Dinners
- Southwestern black bean tacos on toasted Ezekiel wraps
- Lentil soup (without the bacon or wine), whole wheat chapatis
- Greens and beans curry (served over brown rice or quinoa)
- White bean soup with greens, whole wheat chapatis
-
Curried vegetables over long grain brown rice
- Bean tostadas (minus the cheese, use mashed black beans or pinto beans)
Daniel Fast Snacks
- Fresh fruits
- Veggies and hummus
- Nuts
- Raisins
- Sweet potato “fries” roasted in olive oil
- Popcorn (this microwave popcorn is suitable if you don’t want to make your own)
- LARABAR
I’ve written whole post about Daniel Fast snacks, if you need more ideas.
The Daniel Fast (sometimes called the Daniel Diet, Daniel Fast Diet, or Daniel Plan) closely resembles a whole foods cellular cleanse we do each year for health purposes, and we’ve really needed to cleanse after all the holiday treats we’ve enjoyed the last six weeks or so. Weight loss isn’t the focus of the Daniel Fast, but we’re always pleased when it happens! The health benefits are an added bonus.
It’s a big year, there’s much to do, and grand plans are ahead of us. Through it all, I’ll be praying for you. Some of you really struggled through the past year, and I’m believing this new year will be a year of breakthroughs in your homes, marriages, and families. I want this site to be an oasis of hope, healing, and truth for you, a place where you can find inspiration and encouragement and feel Him stir your soul and tug at your heart.
My heart’s desire is to be in tune and connected with Him throughout this year and every year He graciously gives to me.
I’m so glad you join me here, and desire to be connected with Him, too.
Related: 21 Prayers For The Daniel Fast
Daniel Fast Meal Plan PDF Download
Grab the PDF download of our Daniel Fast meal plan! Simply enter your email address and we’ll send it to you. We’ll also send more recipes and freebies to help you get started on your fast, too! Click here.
More Daniel Fast Recipes
- 18 Daniel Fast Recipes For Dinner
- Daniel Fast Breakfasts
- Daniel Fast Desserts
- Daniel Fast Granola Bars
Hi, Jaime! I know God is going to do great things in your life as you seek Him during your fast.
Is there any certain reason that you do this fast? For religious reasons or just use it as a guide in fasting?
everything sounds so yummy. i was planning on eating apples and salad for 10 days 🙂
Kristen, thanks so much for the resources. I'll be sure to pop over!
Nabila, we personally do it for both spiritual and health purposes. There are several instances in the Bible were fasts were done either corporately or privately, see Matt. 6:16-18, Matt. 9:14-15, Esther 4:15-16, Isaiah 58:5-7. Those are just a few… and the book of Acts also outlines great moves of God that came about by a combination of prayer and fasting. Hope that helps answer your question!
Hello my friend, thank you so much for posting this! Brandon and I will be doing quite a bit of fasting the next two weeks and we have gone back and forth about what kind of fast to do. Neither of us have ever done the Daniel fast, although we have many friends who have.this seems like the perfect fast for mommies who need some energy! Ha 🙂 thanks for th info!
Ps this is the first time I've gone through my google reader in a whilemand oh wow, looks like I missed some good posts… But just to let you know my boy and girl are both crazy monkies! 🙂
Hi Jaime, new follower via MPM. Your recipes look yummy, thanks for posting!
Kristi @
Veggie Converter
Hi Jaime! Thanks so much for complimenting me on my family! I appreciate you stopping by my blog…and I hope to start posting again soon. 🙂 You also have such a beautiful family!!!
Hello, thank you for your timely post 🙂 My family (Hubby, me, 18 year old daughter and 16 year old son) and I have been considering a fast to start of the new year and this feels right. Do you have more information on the Daniel fast or is there a website you use for your information? If you wouldn't mind sending me some information, I would greatly appreciate it. God bless your precious family. My email is lve2shp@msn.com Thanks, Sharon
My family and I are doing this fast too and its so nice to know we aren't alone! Today, my husband and I didn't eat until we got hungry which was around 2 in the afternoon. We had rice with steamed vegetables. Tonight is the vegetarian chili, but I have to be honest, I am not hungry at all! But I have 4 children who might get a little grumpy if I didn't feed them:)
I think we need to look into doing this, to get ourselves back on track after the holidays. Too much white stuff in our diet recently, white flour and sugar.
Thank you for this post, it really is an encouragement, I know when we deny our flesh it is only for our good, physically and spiritually.
Really enjoying your music at the moment. So beautiful!
May the Lord bless you during this fast. I give you credit! Blessings!
This is such a great reminder to take care of our bodies. It reminds me a lot of my mom's concept of a healthy diet–it sounds just like our menus growing up! She did let us have honey and a little bit of sugar and meat, though. She based a lot of her ideas on scriptures, and I actually think it was really good for us. I have definitely let too much sugar creep into my diet! Fixing that is a great goal for 2011!
~Carla
Jaime, I enjoy fasting for physical as well as spiritual purposes.
May the Lord bless you and your husband as you seek more of Him.
Thanks for linking up today.
I'm so thankful to find this post via Raising Homemakers. This is the first time I'm participating in a Daniel Fast & it's very difficult. I'm very encouraged to read your menu ideas & to know so many others are participating.
My pastor called a 21-day fast to be completed in January, and many of us are doing the Daniel fast for it. Thanks for the meal suggestions for it!
You will be blessed!
Thank you for posting this. I'm trying to do the Daniel Plan via the internet, but we were not given the week 1 assignment. The only information I have is the workbook. I love your meal plan. I would also love to know how to make it! 🙂 Thanks for your blog! God bless, Jamie Altman, Calhoun, GA
Terrific post. I’ve heard of this fast, and I’ll be following you through it. There are many Biblical examples of healthy living and eating, and fasting. This is interesting. God bless you in this effort.
I’ve been following you for a couple of months! I’m starting my subsctiption to mvelopes in January and was already planning on doing a Daniel fast, but so happy you have information on it too! Thank you!
Hi Jaime,
Are you allowed to use Stevia and Butter spray?
Hi I am Yvonny from Papua New Guinea I have been trying to fast and was looking for a meal plan I am blessed to have read some of Daniels fasting meal plans .I pray God will continue to use you all mightily and his holy spirit will strengthen me too in my prayer life.
Hello Jaime..I followed the Daniel’s Fast years
ago with spiritual and physical benefits for my family and myself. Now I need new guidance to do it again.
Thank you so much for your help,I’ve been struggling to do fasting, knowing that I needed it soo much especially for spiritual growth and some generations curses breakthrough it seemed I couldve never find a relatively and modern for today’s foods accommodation fasting as the one from Daniel’s, I really appreciate your time and wisdom God given talent and furthermore the passion you have for others spiritual needs and desires, I’m about to embarked this new way of adaption because I want to see God’s power in my family and ministry more than ever,God bless and hope when you get to read this your in a much more higher level of joy and blessed.Glory to God,hallelujah!
Please send more recipes and meal plans as well as prayers. Thank you!
Glad to have found info regarding the 21 Day Daniel Fast. 🙂
The purpose of Daniel’s fast was to set his heart to understand and humble himself before God. When Daniel fasted, he did so eating very simple foods. Daniel 1:12 & 16 says he ate vegetables and drank water. Daniel 10:3 says he mourned and ate no pleasant food, i.e. no good tasting food. Every Daniel Fast website I go to emphasizes the “yummy food” choices. That is not the spiritual intent or way of the fast. If we are called to this fast, we are to humble ourselves. It’s a crucifying of the flesh.
The purpose of Daniel’s fast was to set his heart to understand and humble himself before God. When Daniel fasted, he did so eating very simple foods. Daniel 1:12 & 16 says he ate vegetables and drank water. Daniel 10:3 says he mourned and ate no pleasant food, i.e. no good tasting food. Every Daniel Fast website I go to emphasizes the “yummy food” choices. That is not the spiritual intent or way of the fast. If we are called to this fast, we are to humble ourselves. It’s a crucifying of the flesh.