Daniel Fast 2023 - Information & Tips
Happy New Year! I pray that you have a happy and healthy 2023.
This post is for those who are planning to start the Daniel Fast next Sunday, Jan 8th, 2023. There’s a ton of information that can be easily found online to explain the Daniel Fast and why people start and hopefully complete this 21-day fast.
I do not plan on exploring the spiritual side of this fast, you are probably going to do this with your church. The support of your faith community makes a difference and can help to keep you on track. While I may mention the impact the fast is having on me spiritually, my main focus will be to offer you recipes and tips to keep it interesting and help you reach the finish line.
Vegetable Soup
What Do You Eat on a 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 hurts), tea , any type of alcohol (wine, beer, etc…). Read Daniel 10:3 Do your own research as to why?
Decide what you are up to doing and remember it is a fast, they are not easy. Daniel also said he did not anoint himself at all for the 21 days, I personally do not plan on giving up lotion. I mention this because you need to decide for yourself how far you are going to take it, and what you are up for. Also, you will probably find advice about reaching out to your medical provider, this is a good idea. Fasting does have a positive effect on your health (keep in mind this is a spiritual fast, not a diet, although you will probably lose weight if you stick with it the full time), but it may have a negative effect depending on your health status.
Yes Foods - WHOLE GRAINS - brown rice, bulgur, oats, purple or black rice, quinoa, rye, whole grain pasta, whole wheat. BEANS & LEGUMES - black beans, black-eyed peas (hubby won’t touch these, lol) chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, pinto beans, and split peas. NUTS & SEEDS - almonds, brazil nuts, cashews (this one is going to be particularly helpful, get raw ones for recipes), pecans, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seeds. VEGETABLES - frozen, fresh, dried, juiced, and canned. Read the labels, and look for added sugar. FRUIT - fresh, frozen, dried juiced, and canned. Again read your labels, dried fruit often has added sugar. OILS - avocado, coconut, olive, etc. Fried foods fall into the pleasant food category, sauteing is fine, but deep-fat frying is to be avoided. OTHER - bread made with whole grains (without leavening, sugars, or preservatives), spices, herbal seasonings (read labels), salt and pepper. BEVERAGES - water (distilled, filtered, sparkling, spring, mineral, and tap), 100% juice on occasion.
Foods to Avoid - ANY ANIMAL PRODUCT - beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, bison, dairy (butter, cheese, cream milk, yogurt), fish/shellfish/seafood, eggs. ADDED SUGAR - agave, artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, brown rice syrup, cane juice, honey, corn syrup, molasses, malt syrup, raw sugar, LEAVENING - yeast, baking powder, baking soda, REFINED GRAINS - white flour, white rice, use only whole grains that contain the bran, germ, and endosperm, PROCESSED FOODS - artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives and/or preservatives, DEEP-FRIED FOODS - mentioned before, avoid corn chips, french fries, and potato chips if you can find baked chips with acceptable ingredients they are fine, you can also bake them yourself. SOLID FATS - butter, lard, margarine, shortening, CHOCOLATE - this is a really pleasant food, lol, CAFFEINATED AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES - alcohol, coffee, tea, and energy drinks.
This is not a comprehensive list. I will share ingredients, not on this list, that you may find helpful to have on hand. You will notice I made a special note about raw cashews, there are a few recipes I plan on making that utilize them for sauce making. There are other grains I plan on using that I haven’t noted yet as well.
Please email me if you have any questions - goodfoodlady@gmail.com. I pray you successfully fast and draw closer to the Lord.
