Daniel Fast

Hey Dolls,

A few months ago, I participated in the Daniel Fast with some members from my church.  Some of you may be familiar with it as it pertains to church, the book of Daniel, and the strengthening of self through spiritual discipline, prayer, and fasting.  As a part of this fast, you are not to consume any meat, animal products, or sugar.

“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

If this is something you aren’t use to, the task to find something tasty to eat can be pretty challenging.  Click here for a list of items allowed during the fast.  I wanted the food I consumed to still have flavor so tried to get a little creative and these are some of the things I came up with.

1.) Mixed Veggies & Brown Rice:  This was probably my favorite dish to eat.  I sauteed onions and garlic, added my mixed veggies, a little soy sauce and sriracha, and voila!  A yummy daniel fast approved meal over brown rice. 

2.) Sauteed Spinach over Brown Rice:  I love spinach so I enjoyed this meal as well.  

3.) Steel Cut Oatmeal:  Since this fast requires NO sugar, I added cinnamon, almonds, and fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas to my oatmeal to give it a little flavor.

4.) Baked Potato Fries:  This was a simple dish to make that followed the guidelines of the fast.  I peeled a Russet Potato, sliced it, drizzled a little EV olive oil all over the potatoes, added a little sea salt, fresh garlic, and parsley, baked for 15 minutes on 400, and enjoyed.

5.) Groceries:  I was pleased with how colorful my fridge was after grocery shopping for the fast.  As you can see, you’ll need a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole wheat products.

SNACKING WHILE ON THE DANIEL FAST.

1.)  Cinnamon and Pecan Chips:  Midway through the fast I was really wanting something sweet.  To conquer that, I cut a couple of whole wheat tortillas into triangle, placed them on a cookie sheet, drizzle a small amount of  EV olive oil  over each one, sprinkled cinnamon, chopped pecans, and Medjool dates on each chip, and baked for 4-5 minutes.  I ended up with a naturally sweet dessert that didn’t break my fast.

2.) Kale Chips:  I regularly enjoy my homemade kale chips, so this was a no brainer.  For my recipe for kale chips click here.

3.) Baked Potato:  I simply added chives, salt, pepper, and sriracha, and enjoyed.

4.) Vegetable soup:  One of the members from my church made a huge pot of veggie soup made with veggie broth and it also served as my meal for many of the days I spent on the fast.

5.) Fresh Fruit and Veggie Smoothie:  Of course, you can make your own healthy smoothies or if you’re on the go, stopping into a fresh market or health food store like Whole Foods and Native Sun to grab a healthy fruit and veggie ONLY smoothie will do the trick.

I didn’t know how I would feel before I started the fast and to tell you the truth I wasn’t sure that I would be able to complete the fast because your girl LOVES meat, but with prayer and determination, I made it through with no problem. To my surprise I actually lost 6 pounds while on the fast….gained them all back plus 4 after the fast though.  For all of you who are getting ready to do the Daniel Fast or are currently in the midst of it, be encouraged and may God bless you.  For those of you who just want to try a meat and sugar free way of eating, I hope some of my ideas inspire you.  As always, thanks for stopping by! 

I appreciate all of you!

~Trice