Why No Herbal Tea or 100% Juice!

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive about the Daniel Fast concerns herbal tea. People have a hard time understanding why they can’t have it on the fast, especially if it’s caffeine-free and organic. The same question is asked about fruit and vegetable juice.

The answer is really quite simple and it’s found in Daniel 1:12 where the Prophet’s words are recorded:

“Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

This is the anchor text that says we drink only water on the Daniel Fast. Tea and juice aren’t off the list because they are bad for you. They are off the list because there is no room for juice or tea in “drink only water.”

I hope this helps solve some of the confusion as to why  no other beverages are allowed on the Daniel Fast. When you think “beverage” during the Daniel Fast, you think “water.”

Now, let’s move to a little bit of a complicated matter, and that has to do with “juiced fruit and vegetables” that are allowed on the Daniel Fast. The reason they are listed is because many people have meals of juiced produce. It’s not a beverage . . . it’s a meal. One woman wrote to me today and told me she uses juiced meals when she’s traveling and at work.  But she also accompanies the juiced meal with a beverage . . . which is filtered water. So if you are making meal replacements by juicing fruits and vegetables, then they would be acceptable. It’s a fine line. Juice as a beverage is not allowed . . . liquid meals like smoothies and other plant-based protein drinks are okay.

Water has many benefits . . . including thwarting hunger, helping with detox headaches and cleansing the body. The average adult should drink at least 1/2 gallon of filtered water every day. If this is a new practice for you, you will be very surprised by the benefits you experience.

Daniel Fast – it’s so much more than the food!

I am concerned about a trend that seems to be happening in the Daniel Fast genre. And it has to do with so much attention being put on recipes and cookbooks and what we can eat and what we can’t! The Daniel Fast is so much more than food! And when we keep our focus on the food, it seems it’s just another way to feed the flesh rather than denying it!

Don’t get me wrong, I know we need to have good recipes for the Daniel Fast. After all, this is a partial fast where some foods are restricted and other foods are allowed. But the Daniel Fast is not a plan to merely replace all the foods we enjoy eating all the time with a vegan variety!

With that said, I do believe God is using the Daniel Fast to bring more of His people into a healthy way of feeding the Temple of the Holy Spirit – a temple He has entrusted to our care. And with the health crisis in the United States and other countries in the world, it’s critical that we start eating good foods designed by the Creator for the bodies He created!

But I encourage all those who use the Daniel Fast as their method of fasting to examine your heart as you try to figure out ways to satisfy the flesh by going to great lengths to serve up some alternative.

Again, please don’t misunderstand me. I know we need good recipes. I know it’s okay for us to enjoy the food the Lord created for us. But I also know that we need to keep things in balance and not get our eyes so much on the food that we miss the purpose of fasting. It’s a spiritual experience where we put our whole beings under the submission of the Lord. And I do believe there is a danger in going too far in satisfying the flesh by focusing too much on food and missing out on the vital element of submission that a period of prayer and fasting employs.

Homemade Dijon Mustard for the Daniel Fast

As you probably have discovered, most prepared Dijon mustard includes sugar or another sweetener in its ingredients, deeming it unusable on the Daniel Fast. However, since most of us eat a lot more salads than usual, we want good flavors . . . and adding Dijon mustard to our salad dressing recipes provides a wonderful, full flavor. So here is a recipe for Homemade Dijon Mustard! You can make a batch of it and store it for use during the Daniel Fast. If you want, you can add a little honey to the recipe AFTER the fast, but meanwhile, be blessed with this modified recipe.

 

Ingredients:
2 cups dry white wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 ounces dry mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
Few drops Tabasco

Directions: Combine vinegar, onion and garlic. Heat to boiling and simmer for five minutes. Pour into medium bowl to cool. Add dry mustard and the oil into a small sauce pan. Now pour the vinegar mixture through a strainer into the saucepan, whisking until very smooth. Sir in the salt and Tabasco. Heat slowly, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Allow to cool and then pour into non-metallic covered container. For best results, chill at last two days before using. This mixture will stay fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Daniel Fast Breakfast Ideas

Daniel Fast Breakfast Ideas

I receive a lot of questions about the Daniel Fast and breakfast ideas! When we’re not fasting we’re so used to having dairy products (not allowed on the Daniel Fast), eggs and other animal proteins. So this is a good time to be creative!

Here are some of my favorites . . . you can find many recipes in the Daniel Fast books and cookbooks available at http://daniel-fast.com/store.html

Also, if you have Daniel Fast breakfast ideas . . . please post them here!

1. Muesli with unsweetened soy milk
2. Rice cakes (made with brown rice) with peanut butter and raisins
3. Fruit smoothies with unsweetened soy milk
4. Sautéed apples in coconut oil with brown rice
5. Oatmeal with dried fruit and unsweetened soy milk
6. Homemade tortillas with stir-fried veggies

These are just a few of my Daniel Fast Breakfast Ideas! Please add your favorites and be blessed on your fast!

New Daniel Fast Recipes

This is just a quick note to let you know you can find more free recipes for the Daniel Fast at www.Daniel-Fast.com. Just click on “recipes” and you will see where you can access the free Daniel Fast recipes.

Also, you can receive the Daniel Fast Guidelines in brochure form by requesting it at that site. When you join the Daniel Fast mailing list, you will receive several sets of Daniel Fast recipes along with ideas and tips for your successful Daniel Fast.

I hope you are experiencing a meaningful Daniel Fast. This is a powerful way to connect with God in a more intimate way.

Daniel’s Fast Recipes – Here’s one more to add to your collection

I had guests the other day and made this Mango and Black Bean Salad. Even though I am not fasting right now, I realized this would be a great recipe while on the Daniel Fast. The recipe was on a can of Bush’s Best Black Beans.

Mango and Black Bean Salad

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh mango, diced

1 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 seeded Jalapeno pepper, minced (or hot sauce to taste)

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Toss and serve.

Easy High-protein Breakfast Stir-fry for the Daniel Fast

Sometimes it can be hard coming up with good breakfasts on the Daniel Fast, especially if you are used to eggs. I made what I thought was a delicious breakfast and it was quick.

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 cup firm tofu, diced in bite-sized pieces

  garlic salt to taste

  Italian herbs to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat for a couple minutes. Add the onions and green peppers and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add tofu, garlic salt and Italian herbs. Continue to cook until vegetables are soft.

Makes two servings.

This was so tasty. The tofu is about the same consistency as egg whites and it soaks up the flavors of whatever it’s being cooked with. Very easy, tastes great, and lot of protein.

Daniel Fast Breakfast – Muesli

Originally developed in the late 1800’s by Swiss nutritionists, museli is a delightful cereal made of whole grains, dried fruits, nuts and seeds. It’s easy to make (1/2 cup museli with 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 2-5 minutes).

I use Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Museli which is an Oregon company, so I am not sure if it available all over the country (I live in Washington State). But there are other companies that make museli if you can’t find Bob’s.

Museli is also great as a cold cereal with soy milk or applesaucse. I like mine cooked and plain, somtimes with a little soy milk.

Zoom for Breakfast on the Daniel Fast

Zoom, zoom, zoom! It’s a great hot cereal that’s been around for decades! Made by Krusteaz (the pancake folks), the cereal is 100% whole wheat. It’s the only ingredient and cooks in less than 2 minutes after the water boils!

I actually like this very inexpensive cereal. The box I just opened cost me $1.68 and contains 14 servings! That’s a pretty good deal in my book. After the cereal is cooked, I just scoop it into a bowl, add some raisins and sometimes a little soy milk. That’s it!

You could also sweeten the Zoom with chopped up sweet apple or apple juice, apple sauce or some other fruit. You might also want to add some cinnamon.

A couple great tools for the Daniel Fast

There are two kitchen helps I find so very useful during the Daniel Fast.

• Rice Cooker – mine is small and makes a maximum of 6 cups of cooked rice, but that’s an okay amount for what I need to prepare. For every cup of dry rice, I add 2 cups of water. Toss in some sea salt, pop on the lid, and flip the switch. It turns off automatically when the rice is cooked and it takes about 40 minutes. It’s so easy!
• Salad Spinner – okay, here is my true confession: I hate making salads. I know I am not supposed to confess negative things over me (maybe I will try and declare that I love making salads during the fast 🙂 ) but for some reasons, making salads is not a thrilling experience for me. That’s why I like using the salad spinner. Easy to just wash, tear, spin and the lettuce is ready.

Just another word on salad making strategies. When I return home from grocery shopping, I cut up all the fresh ingredients for salads and store them in air-tight containers in the fridge. Then when it’s time to make a salad, I just add the amount of each ingredient I want to the bowl and it takes about 3 minutes to put together the medley. The good news is that for someone who has an aversion to making salads, this almost makes it a non-issue! Pray for me!

Brown Rice and Apple Breakfast

Hi, Susan:

I have been thoroughly enjoying the posts on your Daniel Fast website and am pleased to share with you a discovery I made just this morning for breakfast (this is for an individual serving):

1 cup cooked brown rice
fresh apple (cut up into bite size pieces – to taste)
raisins (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspooon 100% pure edible coconut oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl (except the oil), heat for 2 minutes. Add oil, stir and Eat! It is delicious!

You could probably add soy milk to this, but I don’t like soy milk so I didn’t and it was just as tasty (and filling! 🙂

Thank you for this opportunity to share and for your awesome ministry.

God Bless!

Renee Hastings
a.k.a. Daniel Fast Blog Friend

“Plus” Your Water

 When you “plus” something, you take a “good thing and make it better.” Daniel Fast Blog Friend Renee Hastings shared this great thought about “plussing” drinking water:

Some folks don’t like the “taste” of water, which is critical during the fast.  How about suggesting they add cucumber and lemon slices? The flavor combination is very refreshing!! 🙂

Thanks Renee for taking the time to share your great idea!

Daniel Fast Recipes

I know many of you are in the process of collecting recipes and making decisions about how you will prepare meals during the Daniel Fast. Actually, that’s why I wrote The Daniel Fast Cookbook.

But even with the cookbook, there will be times when you prepare other recipes. You will need to decide what it “okay” on the Daniel Fast and what isn’t. So I wanted to write a few keys to help you as you make your decisions.

1. You will probably need to cook a vast majority of your meals “from scratch.” That’s because so many of the prepared foods include sugar and chemicals, which are both no-no’s on the Daniel Fast.
2. READ THE LABELS. You will likely be amazed, and maybe even a bit discouraged, as you try to find prepared foods that are sugar-free and chemical-free. And this is why in point #1 I said you will likely prepare most of your meals from scratch. But make sure you read the labels.
3. Use frozen vegetables. Obviously, you will increase your use of vegetables on the Daniel Fast. The good news is that the vegetables found in the frozen food cases are usually totally free from any chemicals and they are more nutritious than most vegetables found in the produce section (that’s because fruits and vegetables lose their vitamins and minerals the longer they are separated from their vine or branch – wow, there’s a spiritual truth in that statement – and when the foods are flash frozen within only a few hours from harvesting, they retain more of their food value). Frozen fruits and vegetables are also “ready to go.” They are washed, trimmed, sliced and diced and ready for you to do your creative work on them to make them even better!
4. Generally, if a food is a fruit or vegetable and free from sugar or chemicals, it is okay for the Daniel Fast. Make sure you review the Daniel Fast Food List and then make a call.
5. Beans, rice and tofu are great sources of protein. The Daniel Fast is a great time to find new recipes that may become family favorites. There are millions of people in the world who eat foods consistent with the Daniel Fast as their core diet. Look for Asian, Latin, and East Indian recipes and you will find many are appropriate for the Daniel Fast with just a few variations.

Frozen Veggies for the Daniel Fast

You will most likely increase your vegetable intake during the Daniel Fast. Fresh is great for your salads, but for cooking you might want to turn to the frozen food section of the grocery store.

The truth is that frozen foods maintain more of their vitamin and mineral content because they are flash frozen within a much shorter period of time from harvesting than those in the fresh produce section of the grocery store.

There are great vegetable medleys perfect for stir fry plus some mixed vegetables that are great for rice dishes and soup. Plus, when you READ THE INGREDIENTS you will find only the list of frozen vegetables . . . no sugar, no chemicals . . . just food!

The other great benefit is that these vegetables are all ready to go! They’re cleaned, cored, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces. So the frozen vegetables come out on top in most cases when it comes to cooked dishes.

READ THE LABELS when selecting prepared foods

God bless you all. I am so blessed and honored to be in this position when I can hear from so many of you as you get ready for the Daniel Fast. Please know that God is doing a mighty work. We can all expect great things from our faithful Father. Prayer and fasting is so powerful and while I can’t explain the “why or how” I do know for sure that it moves heaven’s power!

 I receive many questions about prepared foods and so I wanted to write this post. READ THE LABELS of all prepared foods. Remember that the Daniel Fast is sugar-free and chemical-free. So if you use anything like canned fruits and vegetables, packaged foods, or prepared sauces you MUST, before you use them, READ THE LABELS.

Major food companies are “getting it” and now provide many chemical-free products. They’re not as good about sugar additives.  So READ THE LABELS and see if the product you are considering meets with the Daniel Fast Guidelines of no sugar and no chemicals.

Whole Wheat Tortillas for the Daniel Fast

You can buy 100% whole wheat tortillas, but these are so easy and fun to make. Use these tortillas for a veggie wrap or for chips with salsa.

Ingredients:

2     cups whole wheat flour

½     teaspoon salt

2     tablespoons olive oil

½     cup warm water

Preparation:

1. Mix flour and salt in bowl.
2. Add olive oil and stir until well combined.
3. Add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead dough on floured board for about 3 minutes (20 folds).
5. Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes (this is called resting)
6. Roll dough into sausage-shape and then cut into 12 equal parts (cut in half, then in half again, then each part into thirds) and shape into little ball
7. With a rolling pin, roll each little ball into a tortilla (for best results, roll out from the center and outward).
8. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Fry the tortillas  in a dry stick-free pan for about 30 seconds on each side for soft tortillas or longer for crisp tortillas.
9. Keep tortillas warm by placing in a tortilla holder or wrap in a kitchen towel

Yield: Makes 12 tortillas

Fried Foods on the Daniel Fast

I want to clarify some things about food preparation on the Daniel Fast. This post has to do with frying foods.

First of all, keep in mind the driving issues for the Daniel Fast, which is based on the Prophet Daniel and the records of his fasts in Daniel 1:12 and in Daniel 10:3. In Daniel 1 we learn that he asked to be fed only pulse (food grown from seed) and drink only water. In Daniel 10 we read that for three weeks Daniel ate no meat and no delicacies; and he drank no wine. It is from this example that the Daniel Fast of today was created.

The Daniel Fast is a healthy way of eating and doing without some foods. Deep fried foods are not healthy, however sauteing vegetables in a small amount of olive oil is not harmful. The same goes for using a small amount of vegetable oil in salad dressings or to lightly fry whole wheat tortillas.

On the other hand, potato chips or vegetable chips deep fried in oil would be coloring outside of the Daniel Fast lines, even though the ingredients are just the vegetables, the oil, and salt.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you as you make decisions about what is within the guidelines and want is not. You can hear Him saying, “No, put that bag of Natural Chips down!” Or He might say, “Yes, 100% whole wheat tortillas are healthy and within the guidelines. Go for it!”

Spicy Green Beans for the Daniel Fast

You will find that if you make your recipes more flavorful the servings will be more filling! This is not only a great strategy for the Daniel Fast, but also for anytime as it helps with portion control (a big issue in Super Size It America). I like this recipe for that very reason. A simple green bean and lots of flavor! Yumm!

 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound green beans, trimmed

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 – 1/2 teaspooon red pepper flakes

Heat oil in frying pan or wok over medium high heat. Add trimmed green beans and salt. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 more minute.

Daniel Fast Blog Friend Kimberly adds: “I make this recipe all year and my ten year old eats them as fast as I can make them. I have found though, that the secret ingredient that can make all the diference, is sesame oil! Just a couple of shakes about a minute before they come out of the pan. It’s wonderful!”

Serve as side dish.

Peanut Sauce and Vegetables

This peanut sauce is so delicious that you will want to keep it as part of your non-fasting meals! You can serve the vegetables hot or room temperature. The dish can be served as a side dish, with stir fried vegetables and rice for a main course, or for a snack.

First, steam whatever vegetables you want to serve including broccoli, green beans, carrots, cauliflower or potatoes.

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup hot water

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch cayenne pepper

Salt for taste

Whisk peanut butter and hot water in bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Season with salt. Serve in bowl for dipping or use as sauce with vegetables and rice.

This recipe is actually also good with a little sweetener like sugar or honey. However, after the fast, add about 2-3 tablespoons of honey when you whisk the peanut butter with the water.

Whole Grain Pasta on the Daniel Fast

I don’t know if you’ve noticed the pasta companies are heeding the desires of more and more people who are getting away from white processed flour and into whole grains. Consequently, they’ve created lines of whole grain pasta in just about every shape and size.

With all that said, you still need to read the labels. Golden Grain’s Multi-Grain Spaghetti has what they call “crystallized cane juice.” Sounds an awful like sugar to me! But I also buy a store brand that is 100% Durum Wheat (Fred Meyer stores are a Pacific Northwest chain, but part of the Kroger line). That’s totally within the Daniel Fast Guidelines.

If you haven’t eaten whole wheat pasta before, you’ll find that the flavor is indeed different. Not bad . . . just different! I actually prefer the flavor because it . . . well . . . it has more flavor! One of my favorite ways to prepare pasta is to saute vegetables in a little olive oil  or just braise them in water until tender. Mix them with cooked pasta and some olive oil. When not fasting I add Parmesan cheese, but I just leave that ingredient out during the fast.

You can also use prepared sauces (again, check the label for ingredients) along with sauteed or braised onions and garlic. Heat everything up and then just pour it over cooked pasta.

I think this is a really nice addition to the foods that are within the Daniel Fast Guidelines. These are not substitutes, but rather a different kind of food. Whole grain pasta is much better for you and offers 7 grams of protein per serving (3/4 cup of dried pasta).

So, enjoy this nice new product line! It’s not really an advancement, but rather choosing to go back to what is good, true and healthy!