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Monday marks the beginning of this year’s Daniel Fast at our church. Are you familiar with it? 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 Daniel did, as mentioned in 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 and 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 preservatives, processed foods, deep fried foods, etc. Our diet will consist mostly of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and nuts. Our only beverage will be water.
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!
Daniel Fast Meal Plan
Here’s our menu for one week.
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
- 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)
Daniel Fast Snacks
- Fresh fruits
- Veggies and hummus
- Nuts
- Raisins
- Roasted sweet potato “fries”
- 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 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. As difficult as it is, I’m looking forward to this fast! We need it, both physically and spiritually!
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
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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?