They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that's especially true when you're on a Daniel Fast. Start off with wholesome, plant-based foods, and you'll be well-fueled to conquer your day. This blog will provide you with delicious and healthy breakfast ideas that follow the Daniel Fast guidelines.
Although it may seem challenging to come up with breakfast options other than oatmeal when you're fasting, we have compiled some easy ideas so you can mix things up.
Whether you are new to the Daniel Fast or need variety for your current meal plan, this blog is for you. Get ready to kick-start your day with these tasty and nourishing breakfast options!
New to the Daniel Fast?
If you're new to this type of fasting, here is a brief overview of what it's all about. The Daniel Fast is a type of Christian fasting that falls under the category of partial fasting. A partial fast can involve limiting your eating times or windows (as in intermittent fasting) or limiting the types of foods you consume.
The Daniel fast involves restricting certain types of foods, including all animal products, baked goods, processed & packaged foods, alcohol, and sweets.
This fast is based on the book of Daniel in the Bible. In the book, Daniel fasts on three different occasions. Read more about these three scripture passages and why Daniel abstained from certain foods by clicking here.
Fasting is a spiritual practice and will also benefit your physical health. A plant-based diet has been shown to have numerous positive health effects. By eliminating unhealthy processed foods and incorporating nutritious whole foods, the Daniel Fast could lead to weight loss, improved digestion, and overall better health.
However, the main purpose of the fast is to focus on spiritual health and growth and to deepen one's relationship with God. It’s not primarily a health plan. Yet altogether, the Daniel Fast is a wonderful way to detoxify both body and spirit, cultivate healthy habits, and draw closer to God.
What Can You Eat on the Daniel Fast?
The exact foods allowed during the Daniel Fast may vary slightly depending on interpretation. However, you should abstain from all alcohol, packaged foods, and animal products and focus on consuming primarily whole, unprocessed foods.
Foods to eat:
fruits
vegetables
nuts & seeds
beans & legumes
whole grains
While this still provides plenty of options, many breakfast options eaten in the standard American diet are off-limits on a Daniel Fast meal plan. That includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, donuts, bagels, and other white flour baked goods. You'll also want to avoid added sugars and stick to only water to drink.
This is where you can see that the Daniel Fast is more than just a vegan diet. Although vegans abstain from animal products, a range of baked and packaged goods are still available to them. You might be used to eating breakfast bars or energy bars, but you'll need to check your ingredient labels carefully to avoid added sugars and other off-limit ingredients.
On the Daniel Fast, you're restricted to whole, plant food items... so try to stay as close to nature as possible in all the recipes you use for your eating plan!
For a refresher on what groceries to stock up on for your fast, check out this post:
What to Eat on Your Daniel Fast
Frequent questions about foods for Daniel Fast breakfast recipes
The Daniel Fast has been subject to some modern interpretation, and there's no itemized food list for what to eat or avoid listed out in the Bible.
So let's cover some frequently asked questions regarding "Is it ok to eat..." on the Daniel Fast, specifically regarding things you might include in breakfast recipes.
Sweeteners
Honey (since it's made from bees) and all types of added sugar should be avoided. Since the intention behind fasting is to give up pleasant and tasty foods, I personally choose to avoid all sweeteners, including artificial sweeteners.
Some will choose to include a little maple syrup. Just make sure it's pure all-natural maple syrup and not corn syrup (which is what many breakfast syrups are actually made of). Remember that giving up sweets is part of the journey!
Milk Substitutes
Milk substitutes are plant-based alternatives and include options like:
almond milk
coconut milk
oat milk, etc.
While these kinds of milk are plant-based, they are often heavily processed and contain additional ingredients and preservatives. If you're being strict on your fast, you might decide to avoid these plant-based milks.
However, most people like to include unsweetened almond milk or a similar option in their oatmeal or breakfast smoothie.
Nut Butters
Nuts and seeds are allowed on the Daniel Fast, but what about nut butter options? These include:
almond butter
cashew butter
peanut butter, etc.
This is similar to the conversation about milk substitutes: although made from plants, you must check the ingredients list to see if other preservatives or questionable ingredients are included.
Natural grocery stores, and even most grocery stores these days, have a bulk healthy food section with a commercial nut grinder. These machines grind almonds or peanuts straight up to give you pure peanut butter without any additives. If you have this option, it’s the best choice for the Daniel Fast.
Oils
Pure, plant-based oils like avocado oil, olive oil, and coconut oil are permitted on the Daniel Fast. Avoid butter and lard. From a health perspective, you want to avoid sunflower, corn, cotton seed, or soybean oils because they contain more omega-6 fatty acids.
Flat Breads
When it comes to bread, added sugar and yeast need to be avoided. It doesn't matter if the bread is whole wheat or gluten-free; most of the time, those bread options still have yeast and are counted as baked goods.
Some people choose to make their own unleavened bread at home or include corn or whole wheat tortillas...but again, you'll usually find preservatives and other ingredients in packaged bread from the store.
Beverages
Water it is! Unfortunately, coffee is out on the Daniel Fast, and so are energy drinks and pretty much everything but water.
Herbal tea is another grey area. Some people avoid all teas, while others include decaffeinated herbal tea.
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7 Daniel Fast Breakfast Options
Let's dive into our seven breakfast options without further ado. Remember that these aren't just Daniel Fast recipes; the best part is you can eat them anytime for a healthy plant-based breakfast. Eating healthy and delicious food should be a priority all year round!
1. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is probably the most common food to eat for breakfast on the Daniel Fast. You can mix it up a bit by changing the type of oats you use, what toppings you put on, and your cooking method.
Steel-cut oatsare the least processed, followed by rolled oats, then quick oats. All are an easy and filling start to the day. Some different ways of cooking oatmeal include:
slow cooker
overnight oats
the usual microwave or stove top method!
Steel cut oats usually work the best for cooking ahead because they don't get as mushy. Try to vary your toppings with nuts, seeds, and dried or fresh fruit.
Read more about how to make your oatmeal in advance in this blog post: 3 Make Ahead Oatmeal Options
2. Fruit Salad or Fruit with Nut Butter
Another easy breakfast idea is a combination of fresh fruits. Eat a variety of fruits, ideally choosing those that are low in sugar and high in fiber.
If you are looking for fruits that are low in sugar, here are a few options to consider:
Berries - fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries, are all relatively low in sugar and high in fiber, making them a great option.
Avocado - while many think of it as a vegetable, it is a great low-sugar option high in healthy fats and fiber.
Tomatoes - another fruit known as a vegetable that is low in sugar. Tomatoes are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. Although it's not the most common of breakfast recipes, you could enjoy a cucumber, tomato, and avocado salad.
Grapefruit - grapefruit has a tart taste and is relatively low in sugar compared to other citrus fruits. Half a grapefruit has about 11 grams of sugar.
Nectarines and Peaches - nectarines have 11 grams of sugar and 8 grams of fiber, while peaches have 13 grams of sugar and 8 grams of fiber.
Melon - melon like cantaloupe and honeydew have similar sugar content; although watermelon is an exception, it has 20 grams of sugar in 2 cups diced.
Lemons and limes - while you may not want to eat them straight up, these citrus fruits are very low in sugar and can be used to add flavor to water while giving you a great source of vitamin C.
Remember, while these fruits are lower in sugar than others, they still contain natural sugars and should be eaten in moderation. You don't want to overdo it when it comes to fruit. It's recommended that adults eat 1.5-2 cup equivalents of fruit a day to avoid excess sugar consumption.
Adding a handful of nuts will ensure you have some protein and healthy fat. Or, you can top an apple or banana with 1-2 TBS of peanut, almond, or cashew butter.
3. Smoothies
It's easy to get creativewith smoothies – blend up your favorite combo of fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, and coconut water or milk substitute (like almond or coconut milk). Here's an example of what you could blend up for breakfast or snack:
Blueberry Banana Smoothie Combo
1 cup almond milk
1 TBS almond butter
1/2 cup mixed berries
1 small banana
1/4 avocado
1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach
You can mix up the fruits you include or add some kale, cucumbers, or carrots for more veggies. You can also enjoy a smoothie bowl with additional fresh fruit and toppings.
4. Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bowls
A Breakfast Bowl is simply a combo of fruit, nuts, and seeds with a variety of textures that will fuel you up for the day!
Another great thing about these is they're easy to make ahead and can also be eaten as a snack later in the day.
Here are three options to mix it up: 3 Daniel Fast Breakfast Bowls.
5. Hot Whole Grain Cereals
When it comes to breakfast whole grains, your mind probably goes to oatmeal, but you have a few other options. There are corn grits, which are made from ground white corn. (Sorry, you have to skip the butter.)
You can also find Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, or Bob's Red Mill Creamy Hot Cereal. This might take you back to childhood, even infancy, but it can be a nice change of pace. Some Cream of Wheat varieties have added flavor or sweeteners, but you want to stick to the plain option.
Finally, you can find some whole grain hot cereals or museli. However, a lot of packaged museli contains honey or sugar.
6. Savory Breakfast Bowls
Maybe you're tired of all the fruit and sweet stuff and ready for some savory Daniel Fast-approved breakfasts.
Remember, there are no rules that certain foods can only be eaten for dinner. You can create a whole grain breakfast bowl with rice, quinoa, etc and top it with savory vegetables like sautéed spinach and bell peppers. Just think about what you'd put in a veggie omelet but without the eggs!
Healthy savory whole-grain breakfast bowl options
Bell peppers
Onions
Spinach
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Asparagus
Potatoes
Avocados
Of course, you can also top your whole grains with sweeter options and go for fruits and nuts.
7.Breakfast Potatoes or Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
If you're looking for a hearty, savory dish, breakfast potatoes are a fantastic filling meal. You could use regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, or purple potatoes.
Peel and dice, then saute with diced bell pepper and onions. Or, you could try roasting the potatoes or cooking them in an air fryer.
If you like sweet potatoes, here's an easy recipe you might like to try:
Breakfast Sweet Potatoes Hash Recipe
Check Out More Daniel Fast Recipes
Hopefully, these Daniel Fast breakfast recipes have your creative wheels spinning. This is just a start, but these seven breakfast options will get you something new and fresh every morning of the week.
Without spending time on complicated recipes and meal prep, you can enjoy a smoothie, oatmeal, or one of the other options listed here.
If you're looking for Daniel Fast-approved options for lunch and dinner and more delicious recipes, be sure to check out our meals page and these other helpful posts. Also subscribe to our newsletter below to get on our email list for all the latest recipes and other posts and updates.
More Resources
Daniel Fast Recipes and Meals Page
7 Day Daniel Fast Meal Plan with PDF Shopping List (include downloadable shopping list)
7 Easy Dinner Substitutions for the Daniel Fast
We'd love to know what other dishes you enjoy for breakfast while you're on the Daniel Fast. Share a recipe, or let us know what you're eating in the comments below!
God Bless and thank you so much for reading!
