What Is the Daniel Fast? (2024)

Learn what you can and can't eat on this Bible-based diet plan.

By

Melanie Fincher

Melanie Fincher is a Birmingham, Alabama–based food writer who covers everything from cooking techniques to gadget reviews. She has nearly 7 years experience writing news and lifestyle content.

Updated on June 20, 2023

Unlike other fasting methods, the Daniel Fast restricts what you can eat rather than when you eat. So what can you eat on the Daniel Fast? Here's what you need to know.

What Is the Daniel Fast?

The Daniel Fast is based on a passage in the Bible and is essentially a vegan diet without any sugars, refined carbs, caffeine, or alcohol. It is a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel's experience fasting according to the book of Daniel in the Bible. There are two passages specifically that the Daniel Fast is based on:

  1. "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables [pulses] to eat and water to drink." Daniel 1:12
  2. "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." Daniel 10: 2-3

From this experience, Daniel was said to gain knowledge, wisdom, spiritual understanding, favor, and even better, appearance (Daniel 1:15-20) in addition to answered prayer and spiritual insight (Daniel 10: 11-12).

So the idea behind the fast is that you would set aside other foods and focus on eating plant-based meals as an act of worship and sacrifice.

How Long Is the Daniel Fast?

While it might seem restrictive, the Daniel Fast is meant to be followed for just 21 days. This length of time is based off of Daniel's decision in chapter 10 to deprive himself of "pleasant food," meat, and wine for three weeks while he sought God in prayer.

Daniel Fast Food List

The only acceptable foods explicitly listed in the scripture are water and vegetables. However, the term "pulse" is used in the King James Version, which means "bean or seed grown for food." This gives permission to those on the Daniel Fast to eat whole grains, fruits, and other plant-based foods — everything else is off-limits.

Foods You Can Eat on the Daniel Fast

  • Whole grains: Barley, brown rice, buckwheat, farro, grits, millet, oats, popcorn, quinoa, rice cakes, rye, sorghum, spelt, whole wheat, whole-wheat pasta, and wild rice.
  • Beans and legumes: Black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, pinto beans, and split peas.
  • Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, natural nut butters (no additives), peanuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachios, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.
  • Vegetables: All vegetables whether fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.
  • Fruits: All fruit whether fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned (so long as it doesn't contain added sugar).
  • Oils: Oils can be used minimally, but not for deep-frying.
  • Herbs, spices, and seasonings: Includes salt and pepper.
  • Soy products: All soy products including tofu.
  • Unleavened bread: Whole grain breads made without yeast, sugars, or preservatives.
  • Water: Distilled, filtered, sparkling, spring, and mineral waters allowed.
  • 100-percent fruit juice: Natural, 100-percent fruit juice is allowed but should be had sparingly.

Foods You Can't Eat on the Daniel Fast

  • Animal products: All meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs.
  • Sweeteners: Agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, cane juice, corn syrup, honey, malt syrup, molasses, raw sugar, sugar, and other syrups.
  • Leavened bread: Bread made with yeast.
  • Refined and processed foods: Foods that contain artificial flavorings, artificial preservatives, food additives, white flour, and white rice.
  • Deep-fried foods: All fried foods.
  • Solid fats: Butter, lard, margarine, and shortening.
  • Chocolate: Milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate syrup, and cacao.
  • Some beverages: Alcohol, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages.

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What Is the Daniel Fast? (2024)

FAQs

What Is the Daniel Fast? ›

The Daniel Fast is based on a passage in the Bible and is essentially a vegan diet without any sugars, refined carbs, caffeine, or alcohol. It is a method of spiritual fasting based on the prophet Daniel's experience fasting according to the book of Daniel

book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a biblical apocalypse authored during the 2nd century BC, and set during the 6th century BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Book_of_Daniel
in the Bible.

What does the Daniel Fast consist of? ›

The Daniel Fast is a widely utilized fast based on the Biblical book of Daniel. It involves a 21 day ad libitum food intake period, devoid of animal products and preservatives, and inclusive of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

How to do the Daniel Fast correctly? ›

The Daniel Fast diet consists of non-energy-restricted choices of foods from plant sources, minimally processed and prepared in a healthy and simple way. The diet eliminates animal products, caffeine, and alcohol; and includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

What is the menu for the Daniel Fast? ›

Three key components to the Daniel Fast:

Only fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes & whole grains. 2. Only water or natural fruit juice for a beverage.

What can and can't you eat on the Daniel Fast? ›

The Daniel Fast is a partial fast based on a story from the biblical Book of Daniel. It's a strict vegan diet that prohibits animal products, leavened breads, processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol for 10–21 days. Some folks follow the diet as an act of spiritual devotion. It is not intended as a weight loss diet.

How many meals a day do you eat on a Daniel Fast? ›

Restricting yourself to one meal per day yields a smaller hunger. Types of food included in the Daniel fast: Whole grains: brown rice, oats, rolled oats, oatmeal, barley, corn, popcorn, wheat Legumes: dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black-eyed peas, green beans, green peas, peanuts, etc.

What do you drink during Daniel fasting? ›

Water: Distilled, filtered, sparkling, spring, and mineral waters allowed. 100-percent fruit juice: Natural, 100-percent fruit juice is allowed but should be had sparingly.

What happens to your body when you start a Daniel Fast? ›

Sometimes, though, people do experience unpleasant symptoms on the Daniel Fast, such as body aches, fatigue, nausea, headaches, and digestive distress. Such side effects usually occur within the first few days of the fast as the body adjusts to a different way of eating.

Can I eat eggs on Daniel Fast? ›

All animal products are restricted on the traditional Daniel Fast, including : Meat: Including poultry, fish and other seafood. Eggs: Including those cooked in any way, scrambled, fried, etc. Dairy: Including milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, etc.

What should I do on the first day of the Daniel Fast? ›

The best way to begin is to ask the Holy Spirit how to pray during your fast! Seriously, sit still, get in a quiet space and ask God to direct you in prayer. Another great way to pray during a fast is praying the “Disciples Prayer” in Matthew 6:9-15. According to Matthew 6:9 Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer!

Can I have peanut butter on Daniel Fast? ›

Nuts and seeds are all permitted on the Daniel Fast, including peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds and nut butter. Soy products with no preservatives or additives (like edamame) are also allowed.

What is the prayer for Daniel fasting? ›

Heavenly Father, I am beginning to reap in my life the fruit sown during years of neglect and abuse of my body. Like so many of my contemporaries, I would prefer to enjoy good health and a long life.

Can I eat rice on Daniel Fast? ›

Refined grains White flour and white rice. Only whole grains are allowed on the Daniel Fast.

What are the Daniel Fast 21 day instructions? ›

The prophet Daniel's personal three-week fast boiled down to four directives: Eat no bread, eat no meat, drink no wine and do not anoint yourself. Those who undertake the Daniel Fast today typically focus on its dietary aspects, but keep scrolling to explore all components of the original Daniel's fast.

Is popcorn allowed on Daniel Fast? ›

Yes! Popcorn is excellent as long as it doesn't have cheese or butter. You want the popcorn to be air or oil-popped. You can add seasoning to the popcorn for flavor.

Is baking soda allowed on Daniel Fast? ›

The guidance I am using for recipes is as follows - If it grows from the ground you may eat it except for foods that grow from the ground and fall into the “I ate no pleasant thing” category: sweets (white sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc..), leavening (yeast, baking powder and/or baking soda), coffee (this one ...

What should I abstain on during Daniel Fast? ›

All meat & animal products – beef, buffalo, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork. All dairy products – butter, cheese, cream, eggs, and milk. All sweeteners – agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar.

Can I eat Ritz crackers on a Daniel Fast? ›

Of course, some foods are not permitted when following the Daniel Fast. Animal products (including dairy), sugars and alcohol are all completely avoided when following this spiritual dietary pattern. Leavened bread, like sandwich bread, crackers and wraps, is not permitted on this diet either.

Is peanut butter allowed on Daniel Fast? ›

The following are protein- rich foods that are allowed on the Daniel Fast: almonds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, lentils, quinoa, brown rice, split peas, whole grains, and tofu.

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