The Daniel Fast: What? Why? How?

The Daniel Fast: What? Why? How? January 17, 2025

The Daniel Fast: image by maxfranke @ pixabay

The Daniel Fast: What? Why? How?

Many churches and families make it a January tradition to participate in the Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast based on Daniel 1:

Daniel’s Story

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

“Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.’

“Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

“At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

What is Allowed; What is Not

Because of this, what we refer to as the Daniel Fast involves eating vegetables and drinking water while avoiding meat, dairy, and alcohol. It is often followed for 21 days. 

To clarify, the fast allows fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and oil. It does not allow any animal products, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, refined carbs, sweeteners, leavened bread, refined and processed foods, deep-fried foods, and solid fats.

Although weight loss sometimes happens, this fast is not about weight loss. It is about prayer and sacrifice. After all, a fast without accompanying devotional activity is just a diet. 

Really, plenty of food is permissible. In planning Daniel fast friendly meals, one must be sure to include proteins, such as kidney beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, nuts, tofu, hummus, and sugar-free, natural  peanut butter. Tasty soups can be made with vegetable stock instead of beef or chicken stock. Fruit and vegetables are all good–even potatoes excluding the traditional “fixin’s” (you may be able to locate a non-diary butter). There is pasta made with cauliflower, chickpeas, or wheat flour available in most grocery stores, although you may need to peruse the “top of the shelf.” Most herbs and spices are permitted. If you follow the rules for a vegan diet, you are good to go!

This is really not as difficult as it seems. We probably all have our individual challenges. Mine wasn’t sugar. Mine was cheese. With some planning ahead, following the Daniel Fast is pretty do-able. Making a menu and grocery list ahead of time is almost essential. Honestly, it can be a little more expensive than shopping for “regular” groceries (whatever that means to you).

Somewhere along the way, just like with your non-fast menus, you will find items that appeal to you more and those that appeal to you less, and inevitably, some that you never really figure out. Eventually, salads lose their charm and you will want something else. Here are a few examples of menu items that we enjoy and that are very practical. 

RECIPES

Cabbage Soup

½ shredded cabbage

1 whole finely diced onion

3 large cut carrots

1 can tomatoes

3 large peeled and sliced carrots

3 large sliced celery sticks and celery leaves

1 large diced bell pepper

3 mashed and diced garlic cloves

2 cartons of organic vegetable stock (check carton to make sure it’s natural)

A little water (no more than 3 cups)

Parsley, salt, pepper (or red pepper flakes) basil, any other desired herb or seasoning.

Add all ingredients to a soup pot

Cover the cut vegetables with the stock and water

Bring everything to a boil, then lower heat

Simmer for about 2 hours

Black Bean Stew

 

1 tablespoon exta-virgin  olive oil

1 chopped onion

2 shredded carrots

2 sliced celery stalks

2 masked and minced garlic cloves

1 carton organic vegetable broth

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 cup green beans (fresh or canned)

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 cup spinach

1 tsp. Basil

½ tsp. Parsley

½ tsp. Salt

⅛ tsp. Pepper

Simmer all ingredients in a pot until crisp veggies are tender

Greek Vegetable Stew

2 tsp. olive oil

2 chopped onions

1 lb. fresh, cut green beans

1 package frozen spinach

4 cups water

6 zucchini, chunked

2 cups fresh celery leaves

4 tomatoes, quartered

1 tsp. Salt

8 lemon slices

1 tbsp. Oregano

3 tbsp. Basil

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp. Lemon juice

Brown onions in a hot, dry, deep skillet. Add oregano and garlic. Cook 1 minute.

Add 4 cups of water and tomatoes. Cook 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients (except lemon slices) and cover.

Simmer for 40 minutes.

Serve in bowl and garnish with lemon slice.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil

! tablespoon salt

1 ½ tsp. Black pepper

2 chopped yellow onions

6 minced garlic cloves

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes with juice

4 cups FRESH basil leaves (dry will not measure or taste the same)

1 tsp thyme

1 quart organic vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Slice the fresh tomatoes and toss with ¼ cup olive oil

Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Toss in 1 cup of basil leaves

Spread this mixture on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes

In the meantime, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a soup pot

Saute onions, garlic, red pepper flakes

Add canned tomatoes, the rest of the basil, and the broth

When the tomatoes come out of the oven, add them (including all liquid) to the pot

Simmer for 1 hour

Run through a food mill or blender on “course,” or strain through mesh strainer

Season to taste

Butternut Squash and Apples

1 medium butternut squash, cubed

2 tart apples, cubed

½ cup raisins

½ cup walnuts (optional)

4 tbsp olive oil or non-dairy butter (melted)

1 tbsp wheat flour

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Mix ingredients together and spoon into casserole dish

Bake on 350 degrees for 1 hour or until squash and apples are tender and top is golden brown

(This works for sweet potato as well as squash)

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Cut a spaghetti squash in half and take out the seeds and “guts”

Rub it inside and out with olive oil and place flesh side down onto a baking sheet

Bake on 400 degrees for an hour

While the squash bakes, empty a jar of Raos Tomato and Basil sauce into a pot with black bean meatballs, like Impossible Meatballs (from the frozen food vegetarian section of the grocery store) and heat it all up well

Take the squash from the oven and with a fork, remove the strands of squash to a bowl

Top with sauce and meatballs

 

See What God Will Do

“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and He listened to our entreaty” (Ezra 8:23)

As well as any other fast, the details are up to you and God. As with any other cooking, the details are up to you and your family. Give the Daniel fast a try along with prayer and Bible reading, and see what God will do!

God bless you and give you great promotion in His kingdom.

 


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