Above is a cheat sheet for what you can eat, and below is a cheat sheet for what you cannot eat. However, you will find there are a lot of variations of the Daniel fast online. If we go back to the book of Daniel, you see in chapter 1 he asked the King’s servant in charge of his meals to only feed him vegetables and water, according to the new King James version, and to test his appearance which later appeared better then all the young men who ate the Kings delicacies. Then in chapter 10, he was doing a fast much later in life, for three whole weeks. In chapter 10 verse 3 it says 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. So we see here some spiritual and physical benefits from this type of diet or fast. Keep reading in chapter 10 you see how he was able to break through the heavenly principalities with persistent prayer and fasting to allow the Angel to visit him and bring him a message. It says the Prince of Persia held up Michael the Archangel for 21 days. Can you imagine if Daniel had stopped praying before the three weeks were finished? as someone who’s lived a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle for the last 20 years, I can attest that my health and flesh is better because of a Whole Foods diet. Anytime I go off track I start to feel the inflammation in my body and see the effects on my skin and feel the effects in my cognitive and sleep health.
Anytime you change up your diet and or lifestyle for the better, your body will release toxins. This is called detox. If you do not drink enough water to flush these toxins, they will circulate in your bloodstream and then resettle back into your body. This can also cause headaches and bodyaches. Lemon or keylime water is even better! So remember to drink LOTS of water to truly detox! 
Eating to live is very simple. Eat real food. Real food is straight from the earth or very minimally processed. People today spend a lot of time and money ingesting food products that serve close to zero benefit. Most food products do the opposite of what we are hoping, we are hoping for health and an energy boost but instead get disease.
I believe God created us to prosper in health: body, mind and spirit! In return we are to give all glory to Him! God has even given us many clues in his word on how best to care for our bodies which are His temple since His Spirit dwells within us. Hosea 4:6 He says My people perish for lack of knowledge. He wants us to have the knowledge, wisdom and skills to best care for our body, mind and spirit!
So think of this Daniel fast as a detox from the physical and spiritual toxins that have cluttered your body and keep you from prospering in spirit and in health! Use this as a launching pad for a whole new lifestyle! You can do a 7 day, 10 day, 3 week or 40 day fast whatever you feel ready to approach and commit to. Sometimes it’s good to start with a 7 day and then the next month do a 10 day and the next month do a three week and the next month do a 40 day to get used to the changes.
Some people think that Daniel fast is going to be very restrictive and lacking in flavor, but there are many ways to dress up your meals within the allowable plan. Now some people take it as far as nothing delightful, just plain unsalted vegetables with no spices. And you could certainly do that for spiritual purposes! But you can also do variations where you can flavor your food and salt, your food and cook your food into wonderful meals that just contain Nothing from the no no list above.
I have many recipes on my page that would fit these parameters! I’m also going to include a seven day sample meal plan below. Feel free to sub out any meals that are not your style and replace with something you would enjoy.
7 Day Daniel Fast Meal Plan
Day 1
Daniel 10.2-3 – When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole
weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.
Breakfast – assortment of fruit of choice until full. Examples include bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, berries, kiwi, pears, ect. Can be fruit salad topped with dollop of coconut cream.
Lunch – My delicious Detox Salad Recipe click for recipe. Eat your fill!
Dinner – 3 bean chili – use your favorite chili recipe and simply sub the meat for 3 cans of beans drained. You can do three different beans or choice or all one style of bean. I would do one canned kidney beans, one black beans, one navy beans. Can serve with brown rice or quinoa or just eat!
Day 2
Daniel 1:12 – Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Breakfast – apple or two sliced with unsweetened almond butter or other nut butter
Lunch – left over detox salad from day 1
Dinner – baked sweet potato dressed with olive oil and sea salt. Green beans sauted with garlic and served over quinoa. Tahini dressing on top optional. See bottom of page for tahini dressing recipe. And grain make ahead prep tips.
Day 3
Daniel 9:3 – So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Breakfast – mango, blueberry, banana, coconut milk smoothie. Optional add ins are any other fruits fresh or frozen, greens, hemp or chia seeds.
Lunch – left over chili from day 1
Dinner – my French Lentil with Carrot recipe. Click to see recipe. Can use instant pot or stove top. And also substitute lentils for brown lentils. Serve with quinoa or brown rice or eat alone.
Day 4
Joel 2:12 Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning
Breakfast – cubed sweet potato and red pepper hash with sliced avocado
Lunch – chickpea tuna with Mary’s Seed Crackers or in lettuce wrap. Partially mash drained chickpeas. Add salt, pepper, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice to taste and optional finely diced red onion and red pepper.
Dinner – my Butternut Soup recipe. Click to see recipe. Serve with baked potatoes drenched in olive oil and sea salt, quinoa or brown rice pilaf.
Day 5
Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Breakfast – baked oatmeal carrot cake leave out the sweetener.
Lunch – left over French Lentil with Carrot. If none left then do hummus (try my hummus recipe Pretty Pink Hummus) with cucumber slices and Mary’s Seed Crackers. Could also add some slices of tomato on the side with either dish.
Dinner – Black bean rice bowl – use canned or prepared black beans drained, chopped raw or sauted veggies (onions, peppers, corn, tomatoes) use your taste and add salsa for flavor and serve over brown rice or quinoa
Day 6
Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
Breakfast – cubed potato skillet hash topped with avocado and hot sauce optional
Lunch – salad with olives, chopped veggies, and vegan no sweetener dressing. Sea bottom of page for my easy dressing recipe.
Dinner – spaghetti squash topped with marinara or tahini with side of caramelized carrots. Top with my vegan Parmesan cheese topping. Click to see recipe.
Day 7
John 4:34 My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me to finish his work.”
Breakfast – repeat your favorite breakfast from the week or make a new flavor combo smoothie like frozen cherry and mango with banana, almond butter and coconut milk
Lunch – Jenni’s cold quinoa salad toss chopped avocado, cilantro, lime, cooked quinoa, and olive oil in bowl. Adjust to your liking. Add tahini dressing for more punch.
Dinner – Cajun red beans and rice. Cook red beans with bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir fry green peppers and onions with Cajun seasoning. Mix prepared beans and veggies and serve over brown rice or quinoa. Add enough Cajun seasoning or salt to liking.
Below are my tahini dressing recipes that really go with so many dishes!! Pour over salads, beans, veggies, grains, and potatoes!
Thin
1/4 water
1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup tahini
1 lime or lemon
Thick
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large lemon juiced
Tamari creamy
1/2 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large lemon juiced
Thai Curry
1-2 tablespoons Thai curry paste of choice
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large lime juiced
Dijon dressing
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (no added sugar)
Half cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup maple or honey (leave out for Daniel fast but can add more balsamic glaze)
One whole lemon
Health Coaching & Healthy Recipes 