What Is The ‘Daniel Fast,’ And Is It Right For You?
Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt is guarding his waistline by doing the Daniel Fast. It’s a good thing Chris has experience playing a superhero because this diet is not easy.
The Daniel Fast is a 21-day diet based on the fasting experiences of the Old Testament prophet Daniel and involves prayer and limiting what you eat. Most of us can figure out how to pray, but the food part is a little trickier.
You can forget about cheeseburgers because meat and dairy are out. So are sweeteners and deep fried foods, so it’s probably best to avoid fairs and festivals during the three weeks of the fast.

Miguel Villagran/Getty Images
Here’s what the Daniel Fast allows: Water and foods grown from seeds. That can include most forms of vegetable, fruit, whole grains*, legumes, nuts, and oils like canola, olive, and peanut. (*Note: Unless made from sprouted ancient grains, bread, crackers, and pasta are on the do not eat list.)
It’s not the most exciting menu but if you’re curious about how the Daniel Fast might benefit you, click here to read more. Because food is included in the plan, the Daniel Fast is a partial fast. Other fasts are more restrictive:
- Absolute Fast (no water or food)
- Standard Fast (water only)
- Partial Fast (restrict certain food and drink categories)
- Intermittent Fast (only eating during a specific daily window of time)