The Daniel Fast is a biblically inspired, partial fast focusing on a vegan diet of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, with water as the only allowed beverage. This spiritual discipline emphasizes minimally processed foods derived directly from the earth. The fast requires avoiding foods considered “rich” or “precious,” which translates into excluding most processed ingredients and all animal products. Compliance for corn tortillas depends on examining the fast’s strict rules and the typical ingredients found in commercial versions.
Foundational Dietary Guidelines of the Daniel Fast
The Daniel Fast mandates consuming foods derived purely from plants, including all fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Foods must be consumed in their most natural state; items like whole grain rice, oats, and barley are permitted. The only beverage allowed is water, though some interpretations allow for unsweetened plant-based milk or 100% fruit juice in moderation.
Foods are explicitly forbidden if they are animal-based or highly processed. All animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, are restricted. All forms of sweeteners, whether natural (honey, agave) or artificial, must be avoided. The guidelines also prohibit leavened bread, solid fats, deep-fried foods, and any product containing artificial flavorings, chemicals, or preservatives.
Ingredient Breakdown of Corn Tortillas
Traditional corn tortillas are made using only corn, water, and food-grade lime (calcium hydroxide). Corn is a whole grain and is fully permitted on the Daniel Fast. The corn is first treated through nixtamalization, where the kernels are soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution containing the food-grade lime.
This nixtamalization process is acceptable because the lime (calcium hydroxide) is considered a traditional processing aid, not a prohibited chemical additive or preservative. The resulting dough, known as masa, is pressed and cooked into flat, unleavened bread. Since the final product is unleavened and made from a whole grain, a pure, traditional corn tortilla base aligns with the core principles of the Daniel Fast.
Identifying Prohibited Additives and Processing Methods
Compliance shifts dramatically when moving from traditional to commercial, store-bought products. The primary challenge is the inclusion of non-compliant ingredients added for texture, pliability, and shelf stability. Many packaged corn tortillas contain preservatives such as propionic acid, benzoic acid, and methylparaben, which are artificial additives that must be avoided.
Commercial brands frequently incorporate gums like cellulose gum and guar gum as thickening or stabilizing agents. These non-whole food ingredients violate the fast’s emphasis on consuming only minimally processed, whole foods. The presence of these chemical additives or preservatives makes the final product unacceptable. Therefore, corn tortillas are only compliant if the ingredient label lists only corn, water, and food-grade lime.