- All meat & animal products - beef, buffalo, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork.
- All dairy products - butter, cheese, cream, eggs, and milk.
- All sweeteners - agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar.
- All leavened bread & yeast - baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey).
- All refined & processed food products - artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice.
- All deep-fried foods - corn chips, French fries, and potato chips.
- All solid fats - lard, margarine, and shortening.
- Beverages - alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, and tea.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Foods to Avoid on the Daniel Fast
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51 comments:
I'm wondering about the potato chips, when I read the ingredients, it all seems good (potatoes, sunflower oil and/or corn oil, salt). Can you eat them if they're baked, like the baked lay's?
Someone asked about Baked Tostitos, and I checked out the label: whole corn, vegetable oil, and salt. It doesn't have any sugar or preservatives, so it would be permissible on the fast.
Baked Lays, however, contain sugar and preservatives, so they are not allowed.
Thanks for your question!
I was wondering if Whole Wheat Pastas are allowed during the fast.
Yes, any whole grain is allowed on the fast. Good news, huh? ;)
i was wondering if sunflower oil could be used on the daniel fast?
Yes, it can. Good choice!
The new Natural Lays Potato Chips and Corn Chips are also 3 ingredients. What a treat to have one or two chips during the day!
That's great! Thanks for letting me know about the Lays. I hadn't checked out the labels for those chips yet. :)
I am a one cup of coffee in the morning drinker with hazelnut cream. Since the daniel's fast, I've drinked hot applecider in the morning, burnt out of it. Is there any thing else I can drink in the morning hot that taste good? Help!
I feel your pain. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy hot tea in the mornings. In fact, that was what I miss most when I'm on a Daniel Fast!
Here are some ideas:
1) hot water with lemon
2) hot almond milk with peppermint extract or alcohol-free vanilla extract
3) hot coconut milk with cinnamon
Perhaps this will give you some variety. I drank hot water with lemon throughout my Daniel Fast. Then, I started heating up about 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice to mix with my water instead of using lemon. It was nice to have a change! But, since you've been drinking apple cider, that probably doesn't appeal to you! :)
Thanks for your question. I pray that God will bless you and strengthen you as you seek Him during your fast.
thanks for posting your blog on the I Love To Cook group at MBC, this is an inspiring blog!
Molly, hi! Thanks for stopping by. I'm new to MBC, and I need to spend more time checking out other blogs. I'm glad you stopped by! :)
why is salt ok to eat during the fast and not sugar?
also, i'd like to know if there are scriptures in the Bible that tell about which food to eat or not to eat during the Daniel fast. I just know Daniel ate no meat and drank no wine. Just want to know some Biblical reference.
Your question about salt vs. sugar is a good one. First, let me refer you to the Scriptures that are used to support the guidelines of the Daniel Fast - Daniel 10:2-3. It says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips." The meaning of "choice food" is not clear; however, most commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message translation sums up Daniel's eating habits during that time: "I ate only plain and simple food."
The idea is to simplify the diet and to cut out those foods considered to be "choice," which would certainly include sugar.
Since the Bible does not address certain foods specifically, we can only do our best in determining which foods should not be allowed and which foods would be acceptable.
Salt is included because it is used as a flavor enhancer for the recipes. Sugar is addictive and causes a host of problems when consumed, especially in excess. The same could be said for salt. However, sugar is really more of a treat, a choice food, where salt does not seem to fall into that same category.
I hope that helps. Thanks for your question!
thanks for your reply. I'm getting a better understanding of it.
By the way, I enjoy reading all the devotionals you wrote. A week ago my pastor also talked about following and moving the clouds of the Lord. When I read what you wrote I was thinking 'hey! I just heard this message not too long ago!"
Keep up the good work.
opps..typo up there.i meant to write "moving with the clouds of the Lord"
is peanut butter on apples ok?
Peanut butter on apples is a great snack! Just make sure you have peanut butter that doesn't have sugar listed as an ingredient. Thanks for your question and for visitin the blog. :)
Just wanted you to know that this blog was a God send. I wanted to do the Daniel Fast as correctly as possible, but so confused on the differences in the "can vs. can't have foods". Your explanations, along with biblical references have made it so clear to me. Thank you very much! Am looking forward to more!
Thanks so much for your comment and encouragement. I always ask the Lord to bless people through this blog, so I'm glad to hear you have been blessed! Be sure to send me a testimony of what God does in your life through the Daniel Fast. :)
Hey there. First off, this blog is GREAT, and it's made me feel guilty because I've eaten eggs and milk while on the fast. I didn't know, but I do now. However, I do want detail on why dairy isn't allowed? Is it because it comes from Cows? Also, how are eggs considered dairy? Thanks SOO much, God bless. :)
Hi, Danté. Thanks for your comments. Don't allow the enemy to heap a load of guilt on you for the eggs and milk! Fasting is really a matter of the heart, and the guidelines are there simply to give us some boundaries and directions.
No animal products or any form of them are allowed on the fast. That's why cow's milk and eggs are restricted. The Daniel Fast is based upon passages in the Bible that refer to the prophet Daniel's fasting experience. On one occasion, Daniel was greatly concerned for his people and sought the Lord's wisdom during a 3-week time of prayer and fasting. Daniel 10:2-3 says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips." The meaning of "choice food" is not clear; however, most commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message translation sums up Daniel's eating habits during that time: "I ate only plain and simple food."
The idea is that you eat simply, focusing mainly on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and rice, nuts and seeds.
It's so easy to get caught up in what we should eat and what we shouldn't eat when really we need to focus on the Lord and spend time with Him in prayer. That's the real reason for the fast anyway.
I pray that the Lord will bless you and draw near to you as you seek Him during your fast!
I'm i aloud to eat all kinds of fruits during daniel fasting or just certain ones,please let me know.thank you so much.
Yes, you are allowed to have fruit on the Daniel Fast.
i would like to eat pop tarts is that allowed
Pop-Tarts? :) That's a good one. Definitely not allowed, but maybe I can come up with something similar that's Daniel Fast friendly! :)
Just fyi - the Message is not a translation, it is a paraphrase. A paraphrase doesn't go to the source material. Doesn't mean it is wrong, just that it is not as accurate as it could be if you went to the original language.
Thank you for the clarification, and yes, I messed up! Would you mind telling me where you saw it on the blog, so I can correct it? Thanks.
Oh, I just saw the reference to The Message in my reply above, so I can't really correct it. I thought maybe you found it on the blog somewhere else because I have quoted The Message in the past. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for all of your information. I understnad that the fast is about our spiritual relationship with God and not the restriction of food. With that said, way back in January there is a discussion about Natural Lays chips being only three ingredients and an o.k. snack. Those chips are fried and would definitely fall under the 'pleasant foods' we are to avoid. When a fast is done in the spirit of strengthening our relationship with God, we will not search for 'cheats' to make the 'fast guidline foods' like the foods that we are restricting. The purpose of the restriction is to eliminate 'pleasures' that turn our focus away from our worship of God.
May God bless you
Hi. Thanks for your comment. I looked back at January's discussion regarding Natural Lays chips. I'm pretty sure I didn't check out the meaning of "natural" when the question was asked. I probably assumed that "natural" meant baked and not fried. Apparently, the natural part is that the chips don't contain additives but are still fried.
You are exactly right in what you said about the fast being more about our spiritual growth than getting hung up on particular food choices. I also agree that while it can be tempting to find gray areas with the guidelines so that we can still partake of our favorite foods, we should consider the Daniel Fast a time to sacrifice our desires as an act of worship to the Lord.
Thanks for checking out the blog!
Thank you for this blog. I am blessed by you allowing yourself to be out on a limb with your comments and allowing people to comment on what you have said. Your love for God is apparent. Have a lovely day!
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your encouragement and am happy to hear that the blog has been a blessing to you! I pray that the Lord will bless you as you draw near to Him. :)
This blog is making my fast so much easier, thank you so much for giving up your precious time. I was just wondering why herbal teas are not allowed?
Thanks for your comment and question. The main reason teas (even herbal) are restricted is based upon Daniel's example in the Bible and the fact that he drank only water during his fasts (Daniel 1:12 and 10:3). Remember, the idea is to deny ourselves foods that we commonly enjoy as an act of sacrifice and worship as we seek the Lord during the fast. I am a tea drinker as well, and honestly, that is the hardest thing for me to give up during my Daniel Fasts. However, for that very reason I know that it is good for me to do so. :)
Ok thanks for the clarification, I hadn't even thought about giving up herbal teas, was too stressing over giving up coffee and black tea!!
Hello, Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. Do you think 10 days is a suitable time frame for the daniel fast.
Hi! Thank you for your comment and question. Anytime you set your heart and mind on the Lord through prayer and fasting is beneficial. For the Daniel Fast, I would recommend doing it at least 7 days. Ten days is good. Twenty-one days is better, simply because it's more time with the Lord! Plus, with an extended fast, you will usually experience a deeper dependence upon the Lord to persevere that you might not get with a shorter fast. Hope that helps! Thanks for visiting the blog. I pray that the Lord will richly bless you as you seek Him through the Daniel Fast, whether it's 10 days, 21, or more!
I have looked at all of the soy milk, almond milk, etc... in a variety of stores. All have some version of "cain juice" (which is on the "avoid" list) as an ingredient. Do you know of a specific brand/ flavor?
For almond milk, my favorite is the unsweetened origninal Almond Breeze. I believe Westsoy Original is Daniel Fast friendly for soy milk. Hope that helps! :) Thanks for your question and for visiting the blog!
Thank you. That helps.
Best Regards and God Bless.
Hi,
I'm actually in a Bible study doing the Beth Moore Daniel study. I've done it once before and just typed in Daniel's fast and to my surprise found there was actually a plan you could follow! I was wondering why you can have yeast? And also, I think you have to be careful not to get too legalistic about this. Other words I think you are putting to much emphasis on the food instead of the purpose of trading food for time with God. Unless, I guess, you are doing it more to lose weight... Even still, I don't think it's right for someone to feel guilty because they had milk in their cereal instead of almond milk, or soy milk. Just being open-minded :)
Can someone clarify the deal with herbal teas. In one place its said, included but not limited to. I have a herbal tea which is cafferine free. Can I drink it or not?
The main reason teas (even herbal) are restricted is based upon Daniel's example in the Bible and the fact that he drank only water during his fasts (Daniel 1:12 and 10:3). Remember, the idea is to deny ourselves foods that we commonly enjoy as an act of sacrifice and worship as we seek the Lord during the fast. I am a tea drinker as well, and honestly, that is the hardest thing for me to give up during my Daniel Fasts. However, for that very reason I know that it is good for me to do so. :) I hope that helps answer your question.
Gail, you are exactly right that the whole point is to draw near to God and to spend time in prayer, NOT to become focused on the food. The guidelines are given so that people have boundaries during the fast. That is the only way you can experience self-denial - by cutting out foods that you enjoy on a regular basis as an act of worship. We must remember not to get too legalistic because then the fast becomes more about what we're eating or not eating than about the Lord. Thanks for your comment!
Gail, in the Bible, yeast is often a symbol for sin. Also, God required that the Israelites give up bread with yeast during certain times as a way of setting them apart from neighboring peoples. Therefore, by not having yeast, we are making a statement against sin and keeping with Jewish tradition by refusing to eat leavened bread.
I gave up caffeinated coffee about 3 months ago and started drinking grain coffee. Would that be allowed on the Daniel fast? Also what about Agave instead of honey?
First, let me congratulate you for deciding to eliminate caffeinated coffee from your diet!
When it comes to the Daniel Fast guidelines, the idea is to restrict commonly enjoyed foods as a sacrifice to the Lord. We want to eat as simply as possible so that food becomes secondary to the spiritual focus. You will find some variation on what foods are allowed/not allowed. My personal opinion is that if we have any sort of "attachment" to a food, it should be restricted. For example, if you HAVE to have coffee in the morning (whether it's caff, decaff, or grain), then maybe that luxury should be denied as you seek the Lord through prayer and fasting. However, ultimately it is your choice in this situation because if a beverage is grain based and does not have any sweeteners or other restricted ingredients, it would technically be allowed.
To answer your second question, neither agave nectar or honey is allowed since they are both sweeteners.
Thanks for your questions!
Hi Kristen: I was wondering how you choose which canned food to use during the Daniel Fast. My husband, a woman in the small group I lead and I are getting ready to start this weekend and I was wondering if there is a particular brand or if you purchase all organic? Thank you for your help and I love your site!
Terry
Terry, thanks for your comment and question! No, I don't use a particular brand and don't only buy organic. Although it would be nice to do so, buying 100% organic is pretty expensive and most people aren't able to do it. I am just an avid label reader. I make sure that the ingredient list doesn't include a restricted food. So, the first time you go shopping, it might take you a bit longer to choose your foods. You'll be surprised at how many canned foods contain sugar. Let me know if you have any additional questions. I pray that the Lord will bless you as you seek Him! I'm glad to hear that you are doing the fast with a small group. Accountability always helps! :)
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