MEAL PLANNING AND PREPARATION ARE ESSENTIAL FOR STAYING ON TRACK with the Daniel Fast and Daniel Cure plans, especially when facing temptations or cravings. Developing this habit of planning will serve you well after the fast, as you move into the next phase of your long-term healthy lifestyle.
FIVE STEPS FOR YOUR SUCCESS
Throughout our years of guiding men and women through their Daniel Fast experiences, we’ve identified five key steps that consistently help people to successfully keep their commitment — to the fast and to a long-term healthy lifestyle.
1. Make a Weekly Menu Plan
Planning a week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks will not only help you comply with a fast or your long-term eating plan, it will also organize your shopping list and save you time at the supermarket. For additional help with weekly meal planning, use “The Daniel Cure Meal-Planning Worksheet” (on page 273 or available for download at www.DanielCure.com).
Follow these guidelines as you plan your weekly meals:
• Set aside two to three hours each week for meal planning and shopping. Write it on your calendar.
• Review your calendar for the week ahead to determine how many meals you’ll need to prepare.
• Select the recipes you’ll prepare, keeping in mind that you might want to use dinner leftovers for lunch the next day or double a recipe and freeze a portion for later.
• Create a shopping list from the recipes, checking first for what you may already have on hand.
• Shop for your groceries on one day. Most large supermarkets will carry everything you need, though you may occasionally need to visit more than one store for a specialty item. You do not need to shop at a health-food store in order to consume healthy foods.
• Wash produce as soon as you return from the grocery store, and cut up vegetables and fruit so they’re ready to eat or use in recipes.
• Cook one or two large recipes that can be stored in containers and placed in the refrigerator or freezer for easy access during the week.
These steps of planning, shopping, and up-front food prep are invaluable time savers, especially for busy families and for those who work outside the home — particularly when children are involved who may not be eating the same foods you are.
2. Plan for the Unexpected
No matter how carefully you plan, something unexpected is sure to pose a challenge to your fast or your usual clean-eating plan. You might be following a Daniel Fast and need to attend a lunch or dinner meeting at a local restaurant. If you have time, check the restaurant’s website and review their menu to identify potential Daniel Fast — compliant foods. At the restaurant, talk with the server about your special dietary requirements. Most establishments are willing to prepare something on request if it is not on the menu.
There may also be times when an unplanned event disrupts your meal preparation. Or you might have an especially tiring day and don’t feel up for spending time in the kitchen. For times like these, I (Susan) keep cans of beans, vegetables, and tomato sauce in my pantry. I mix and heat everything in a large pot, toss in some dried herbs, and in minutes I have a nutritious and hearty soup. If I have greens in the fridge, I can easily add a salad. Preparing some meals in bulk is another great idea — and you can start this process during the weeks leading up to your fast. Simply choose a few meals that can be prepared in advance and then frozen. When needed, defrost and enjoy. Items that work well for advance preparation include soups, bean recipes, and vegetable stews.
It’s also good to plan for smaller meals or “snacks.” We recommend eating one or two healthy snacks or small meals as part of your daily meal plan. You may find yourself craving a “little something” between your main meals of the day or a couple hours after dinner. Plan for these times by keeping healthy snacks available — or consider the use of meal-replacement shakes, which can be made very simply and with few calories (see chapter 13).
Rick prefers shakes and I typically prefer whole foods. A favorite snack of mine is plain rice cakes with peanut butter. Add a few slices of banana on top for an even more tasty and nutritious snack. I also like carrot sticks with hummus. And I keep almonds and walnuts around as they are easily transportable and great for satisfying hunger. These and other nuts can be added to raisins and other dried fruit for a healthy snack. Consider keeping a few small snack-sized bags of almonds or walnuts in your car or in your office, as well as a few bottles of water. With a little advance planning, you will always be prepared when your body clock tells you it’s time for a small amount of nourishment.
3. Invest in Planning and Preparation
Decide now to invest time in meal planning and food preparation each week. Although food manufacturers are getting better about producing convenience foods that are healthy and may comply with the Daniel Fast, you’ll still find that preparing meals from scratch is necessary for most of your meals during the fast. (See “Are There Kitchen Gadgets That Will Aid with Fast Compliance?” below.)
Some people enjoy cooking and others dread the thought of preparing meals. Either way, you can maximize your meal prep and cooking time by using it for more than just cooking. For example, listen to biblical teaching or an audio book on CD or podcast while you chop vegetables. Play praise and worship music while cleaning up the kitchen. Invite children or your spouse to help in preparing meals and enjoy spending time together in a new way.
ARE THERE KITCHEN GADGETS THAT WILL AID WITH FAST COMPLIANCE?
When you have the right tools for a job, everything is a lot easier. This is certainly true when it comes to the Daniel Fast — especially when considering the abundance of vegetables and fruits you’ll prepare and eat while fasting. The following list has items you will be using regularly if you adopt the Daniel Cure plan as your new dietary lifestyle.
Cutting board Knife set
Blender (one with a large-capacity jar of approximately 60 ounces)
Immersion blender
Multi-level food steamer
Rice cooker (if you do not have the food steamer)
Food processor Food dicer
Crockpot
Hot air (or microwave) popcorn popper Airtight food storage containers
If you’re pressed for time, meal-replacement shakes — which will be covered in the next chapter — are a great option for mid-meal “snacks.” Meal-replacement shakes are especially helpful for nurses and other health-care professionals, teachers, real estate agents, college students, or others who are constantly on the go and who don’t have a lot of time to eat nutritious whole food meals during the day. The “fast food” alternatives available in most workplaces and schools really should not be options for you during the fast — or after the fast if you’re pursuing the Daniel Cure healthy lifestyle approach.
However you decide to do it, plan ahead and make a commitment to have the food you need when you need it. That means if you leave home each morning and won’t return until evening, you need to have all of your food with you when you leave for the day. Keep it in the refrigerator at work until it’s time to eat. If you don’t have a refrigerator or your vehicle is your workplace, carry your food inside a small cooler. Whatever it takes, do it. We cannot stress enough the importance of having your food with you throughout the day, during the Daniel Fast and afterward. Without it, you’re left to rely on meals prepared by restaurants or food manufacturers, which typically means expensive, non-compliant meals of poor nutritional quality.
4. Stock the Pantry
To help you maintain the fast, you’ll want to have a variety of shelf-stable foods on hand. The following list of Daniel Fast — friendly foods are at most supermarkets. You may need to visit a health-food store for some products. Read the labels of prepared foods to make sure the ingredients comply with the Daniel Fast guidelines.*
Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned)
Pasta sauce
Beans of any variety (dried or canned)
Unsweetened applesauce
Vegetable stock
Potatoes
Yams, sweet potatoes Squash
Brown rice
Pearl barley
Quinoa
Old-fashioned rolled oats
Whole-wheat durum pasta
Whole-wheat flour
Dried fruit
Nuts of any variety (raw preferred)
Nut butters (natural only with no additives except salt)
Rice cakes (plain, lightly salted)
Plant-based milks (unsweetened soy, coconut, almond, rice, hemp, oat, etc.)
Apple juice (unsweetened)
Orange juice (unsweetened)
Hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
Unsweetened vinegar
Olive oil
Protein powder (see chapter 11, page 123)
5. Identify Your Core Recipes
Studies show that families typically have a set of six or seven core recipes they repeat over a seven- to ten-day period. To help you be successful on your Daniel Fast and Daniel Cure plans, we encourage you to select a set of core recipes. Of course, this core may expand somewhat once you enter into the Daniel Cure stage and have increased options. Regardless of the plan you are following, be willing to experiment with a few different recipes, making adjustments to suit your taste or eliminating those you don’t like. Keep trying new recipes until you have your core set and then rotate them over time. If you are following a twenty-one-day Daniel Fast, it’s likely that you will want to retain these recipes after your fast is completed. You’ll come to enjoy them that much. Identify recipes for meals and snacks as follows:
Breakfast: three recipes
Lunch: three recipes
Dinner: six recipes
Snacks: three options
Your dinner and lunch options might be very similar. In fact, one thing we strongly recommend is to prepare extra food at dinnertime to allow for leftovers you can eat for lunch the next day. Simply package a portion in a container, refrigerate, and take it with you in the morning as you head out to work. This will greatly reduce your food preparation time and stress — and it’s a good plan whether you are following the Daniel Fast or not.
MEAL TIPS
For you to ensure success on the Daniel Cure plan, it’s important to have lots of options for meals and snacks. Equally important is making certain that many of these options are simple to prepare and could be easily packaged and transported if needed (if you spend a good deal of time away from home). Determine whether meals you enjoy comply with the program guidelines. If they do, consider adding these to your list. If not, either modify these meals so that they do fit into your plan or consider alternative meals and snacks. Planning ahead and making certain that you include in your overall plan meals that you truly enjoy is vital to your long-term success. In the following sections we provide ideas for meals and snacks for your consideration.
Breakfast
My favorite breakfast during the Daniel Fast is cooked muesli with unsweetened soy milk. I measure the muesli and water into a pan, cover it, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. I often warm the milk for about 20 seconds in the microwave while the muesli is cooking and use the time to empty the dishwasher or do some other kitchen task.
Rick uses a similar staple for his breakfast. He cooks old-fashioned rolled oats, a ripe banana, raisins, almonds, and cinnamon for about ten minutes. He then removes this mix from the pan and adds unsweetened applesauce and protein powder to make a tasty, and incredibly well-balanced, meal.
Eating whole grains such as muesli or oats for breakfast will keep you satisfied for many hours — possibly until lunch but preferably until you consume a mid-morning snack. As an alternative to a standard breakfast cereal, you might opt for a meal-replacement shake (see chapter 13). These work great for breakfast, especially if you are pressed for time and need to grab something and run out the door. Remember, skipping meals is an unhealthy choice.
Lunch
If you’re away from home each day for work or school, it’s important to prepare your lunch and take it with you. If you’re following the traditional Daniel Fast, finding compliant meals in restaurants can be difficult. As noted earlier, a simple option for lunch is to have leftovers from dinner the night before. Add a snack of fruit, vegetables, or nuts and you’re set.
You might also use very simple, easy-to-prepare meals. One of Rick’s staples is black beans, brown rice, sweet corn, and hot sauce. This can be made one to two days ahead. He steams the rice and rinses a can of cooked black beans and then portions them out in containers to which he adds frozen corn and hot sauce. The corn defrosts overnight in the refrigerator and the meal is easily reheated in the microwave when he’s ready to eat. It doesn’t get much easier than that! He also finds that a nutritious meal-replacement shake works well for an occasional lunch meal.
Dinner
Use your dinner preparation time to fix meals other than the one you are about to consume. For example, double or triple the recipe so you have food remaining to use for lunch or dinner over the next day or two. Or freeze a portion of the meal for next week or the week after. This is particularly important if you have a family and are preparing a separate meal for those not following the Daniel Fast (assuming you are). This can be one of the more frustrating experiences with fasting. (One option is to serve “meat on the side” for the others along with your Daniel Fast meal.) You feel as though you are doing more work now that you are on the fast. Having several days of prepared meals helps. Crockpot meals are also easy and minimize preparation time. A steamer for rice or vegetables is a great tool when following the Daniel Fast guidelines.
Snacks
Having snacks on hand is important to help maintain your fast. Make snack bags at the start of each week and pack them in the refrigerator. These bags might contain carrot sticks, sliced bell peppers, or edamame (soybeans). You could also make snack bags with mixed nuts or a homemade trail mix. Whatever you prefer, make sure you have something prepared. Then when it’s time to walk out of the house, just grab the pre-packed bags and go. Pre-packing your snacks is a good idea even if you don’t routinely leave the home during the day — the snacks are already portioned out and ready to eat. You don’t need to spend time thinking about what to eat or preparing anything. Just grab a snack bag and get back to what you’re doing.
As with breakfast and lunch, you can always consider a meal-replacement shake for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack/meal. Rick has been doing this for years, and it works incredibly well. Make a few of these ahead of time and just place them in shaker bottles in the refrigerator. When needed, remove the bottle from the fridge, shake it for a few seconds, and consume. No thinking and no waiting. Instant nutrition!
Whatever you choose, having snacks available can help you to keep on track, avoid the temptation to binge when you get to that next meal, and prevent you from stopping the fast. Remember, when you’re hungry, you are much more prone to be tempted by foods you should not be eating. Set yourself up for success by not getting to that point. Plan ahead and eat regular, nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day so you can maintain focus and stay on track.
GROCERY SHOPPING TIPS
When most people think about following a healthy eating plan, they focus their attention solely on the food. But before eating the food we have to shop for it — and it’s important to be as deliberate in our shopping strategy as we are in our food selection strategy.
• Do not shop hungry. Hungry shoppers are much more likely to buy foods that are not conducive to optimal health.
• Shop once a week for major items. Save time by making a weekly grocery list and purchasing everything you need in one trip to the store. You may need a second trip for perishable items such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Shop the perimeter of the store, with an occasional trip down the center aisles. Most quality foods are located in the outer aisles — fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and other dairy products (assuming you decide to include meat and dairy in your dietary plan). The center aisles do contain some quality foods, such as oats, beans, barley, and rice, but have mostly processed foods that are able to sit on supermarket shelves for weeks and months at a time. Let them remain there.
• Purchase certain foods in bulk quantities. These may include oatmeal, rice, potatoes, onions, meats (after the fast), frozen fruits and vegetables (which are close in taste and nutritional value to fresh varieties) to assure that quality food is always available. Warehouse stores sometimes offer large bags of whole grains and legumes at deep discounts, including brown rice, quinoa, dried beans, whole-wheat cereals, and oatmeal.
Although fresh foods are generally preferred over frozen or canned, the latter have a much longer shelf life, can be of excellent quality, and are often offered at a lower price than fresh varieties. Just be sure to read the list of ingredients on the labels of the frozen and canned goods to make sure they all comply with the Daniel Fast or Daniel Cure guidelines for healthy eating. With regard to canned varieties, more and more food companies are offering products that are free of added sugar, chemicals, and artificial flavorings. If you want to use canned fruit, consider the “lite” varieties as they are often free of added sugar and canned in natural fruit juices. Avoid products that are packed in heavy syrup. If using canned vegetables, look for options with no added sodium.
Although many packaged foods contain ingredients that are not allowed on the Daniel Fast, you may find some prepared foods that are acceptable. Since this is an ever-changing list, visit our website for regular updates (www.DanielCure.com). I keep bottles of pasta sauce in my cupboard to use when I need a quick meal. I like mixing the prepared sauce with brown rice and green olives for a quick lunch or dinner. I also use boxed vegetable broth for soups and stews. The broth keeps for a long time and is also great to braise vegetables so I can eliminate the need for oil and its calories. Rice cakes, crackers, nut butters, and soy products may also be acceptable prepared foods as you plan your weekly meals. Just read the labels to be certain that all ingredients are allowed.
TIME-SAVING TIPS
We already mentioned some time-saving tips such as washing, trimming, and cutting fruits and vegetables as soon as you return from the market. This enables you to quickly prepare a colorful and nutritious snack or salad in just a few minutes. This practice also makes it easy for family members to help you prepare salads or snacks, or for you to quickly put together a soup or stew for dinner. You will be amazed at the amount of time you can save during busy days by investing in a little up-front food preparation time. Here are a few other time savers:
Cook Ahead. For example, if you decide to include meat in your long-term plan, cook portions of fresh chicken, turkey, and other meats, slice into serving portions, and keep available in the refrigerator for easy access during the week. Note that a suggested serving size of meat is generally 3 to 4 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards). While this may be adequate for some individuals, if you are very active and/or have a large amount of muscle mass, you may require or desire a slightly larger portion.
Double Up. When preparing main dishes such as soup, chili, casseroles, etc., consider making a double or triple batch. Portion out leftovers into serving-size containers and freeze for later use. For example, let’s say you prepare a large recipe of dried beans or rice using your favorite method. When the food is cooled, spoon single-serve or recipe-sized portions into food storage bags and freeze. To use, merely run the bag under warm water and then transfer the food to a microwave-safe dish and reheat or add the food to your recipe. I like to freeze my rice in one-cup portions since that’s the amount called for in most of the recipes I prepare. Cooked beans can be frozen in larger amounts. I take out just the amount I need, reseal the bag, and return it to the freezer. Not only does this technique save time, but dried beans cost a fraction of what canned beans cost. So I cook a large pot of beans and then they are always available.
Cook Once and Eat Twice. I like to cook large batches of curried lentils, vegetable stews, and rice-and-bean dishes and then freeze them for later. I also do the same with thicker soups. A great way to save space in your freezer is to freeze the meals in gallon-sized food storage bags. Here’s how I do it:
1. Mark a gallon-sized storage bag with the name and date of the contents. Stand the open bag in a large bowl or a four-cup liquid measuring cup. Ladle the cooled food into the bag.
2. Carefully close the bag except for about one inch on one of the top corners.
3. Holding the top of the bag and using both hands, carefully lift the bag from the bowl and lay it on the counter, keeping the opening slightly upright so nothing spills out.
4. Expel as much of the air as possible from the bag as you lay it on the counter (or you can use a straw and suck the air from the bag). When all or most of the air is gone, seal the bag and lay it on a large piece of firm cardboard. Place it in the freezer and, when frozen, position the bag in the freezer in whatever spot is most efficient.
Mix It Up. Mix protein and carbohydrate foods in small easy-to-carry containers the night before you need them. For example, cut up 4 ounces of cooked, marinated chicken breast (assuming you are including meat in your plan) and add this to 1 cup of cooked corn and peas and 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Add seasoning and ½ tablespoon of olive oil to perfect the taste and meal balance. A nutritional powerhouse ready to be eaten for lunch the next day.
Blend or Shake It. If you’re pressed for time, consider using meal-replacement shakes during the day (see chapter 13). These work remarkably well for many people.
TIPS FOR EATING WHEN YOU’RE AWAY FROM HOME
If you spend several hours each day away from the home, it’s essential that you have food and water with you at all times. When you know you will be spending many hours in your car, working outdoors, or on a college campus — put a small icepack in a cooler or a backpack and carry all your meals and snacks. You’ll also want to include your water, utensils, and napkins. I sometimes make homemade granola bars and carry them with me if I know I’ll be away from home for a while. I also pack a small sharp knife in a sheath in case I want to cut a piece of fruit. I have smaller plastic bags to use for garbage so everything can be quickly disposed of when I return home or stop at a rest stop. Whatever you decide, plan ahead and make it a habit to always have healthy food available when you’re away from home.
When I travel out of town, the most difficult meal to have for the Daniel Fast is breakfast since most restaurant offerings include animal products. So I carry what I need with me. I have a small plastic bowl and a set of plastic utensils that I slip into my suitcase. I also use a large Ziploc bag to hold packets of oatmeal, small boxes of raisins, organic microwave popcorn, and snack bags filled with nuts. I can make the hot cereal in my room, heating the hot water in the coffeemaker. If I know the hotel doesn’t offer a coffee maker in the room, I bring my own one-quart electric water heater. I add the raisins to the oatmeal for a naturally sweetened breakfast that’s fast, easy, inexpensive, and nutritious. Rick actually does something very similar. He mixes vanilla protein powder in warm water, and then adds this to a bowl of dried oats and raisins — a quick and nutritious breakfast. If the room has a microwave, popcorn serves as a nice snack later in the day.
Restaurants are accustomed to special dietary requests from their guests. So when you eat other meals, ask your server to modify the menu items to meet your needs. For example, ask for oil and vinegar for the salad dressing or a baked potato topped with steamed vegetables and olive oil on the side for the main course. Doing so will allow you to remain on track with your dietary goals when following the Daniel Fast and beyond.
TURN YOUR THOUGHTS INTO ACTIONS
1Skim through the recipes in part 5 and identify three breakfast recipes, three lunch recipes, three snack recipes, and six dinner recipes to use during the first week of your fast. Write down a shopping list of ingredients you’ll need.
2Use your food preparation time to pray, listen to teachings or worship music, and to involve family members in meal preparation.
* If you have completed the Daniel Fast and have adopted a modified approach using the Daniel Cure as your model, feel free to add other items to your grocery list that might meet the criteria of the healthy plan that you have constructed for yourself — such as lean meats, fish, and low-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese).