3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan: Tips, Menu, Recipes, Shopping List
Amped up about doing a 3-day modified fast? You should be! Fasting is one of the best things you can do for your health.
And if you’re looking for a complete three-day menu and daily tips for success, you’ve come to the right place.
For each day of your modified fast, I’ll briefly walk you through what to expect, share tips for success, and of course, list the ingredients and recipes for a complete day of mini-meals (you can also get a free printable shopping list).
Let’s dive in!
In this article:
- Modified Fasting: The Basics
- Day 1: You've Got This!
- Day 2: Keep Up the Great Work!
- Day 3: Almost There, See It Through!
- Ready, Set, Fast!
Modified Fasting: The Basics
Before we jump into day one of your modified fast, let’s review the basics.
During the three days of your modified fast, make sure you check these boxes! (Read my post “Modified Fasting 101” for a deeper dive into each of these parameters.)
- Keep your meals to an 8-12 hour eating window. (E.g., if your first meal is at 8:00 am, make sure you eat your last meal before 8:00 pm at the latest!)
- Keep your caloric intake between 600-800 calories per day.
- Drink at least 2 quarts of water throughout the day.
- Substitute mini-meals carefully! Not all mini-meals are created equal in caloric value. Make sure your daily total stays under 800 if you switch things up with recipes.
- Feel free to add a handful of leafy greens to any mini-meal. Leafy greens are so low in calories they won’t make a significant difference to your results, but they WILL add important micronutrients and fiber to your diet and help you feel satisfied.
- If you don't mind sacrificing variety for time, make it even easier on yourself by choosing just one recipe from the day, then quadruple it in your blender. Voila! You now have four mini-meals ready to go in the time you'd make one.
Day 1: You've Got This!
If you’ve never done a fast before, your first day can be a little intimidating. But I promise you that getting started is the hardest part!
Note: You’ll notice that I reference specific brands (mainly GreenSmoothieGirl products) in all of these recipes. I’ve done this intentionally, for a couple of important reasons.
One, calorie counts can vary significantly between similar products (e.g., protein powder), and calorie count is very important to the success of your fast.
Two, I can vouch for the purity and quality of my own products, whereas many brands have dubious quality.
If you choose to substitute different products in your own recipes, make sure to carefully verify calorie count (to keep your daily calories at 800 or lower) and look for quality (organic, plant-based, whole foods rather than isolates)!
What to Expect on Your First Day
A small percentage of people experience minor Herxheimer reactions (or cleansing reactions) as your body begins to flush waste and toxins, and enters autophagy (the cellular process of recycling and eliminating damaged and old cells).
Headaches, nausea, and some fatigue are most common in the minority who may feel any “cleansing crisis” reactions. As a general rule of thumb, the higher your toxic load, the more likely you are to experience Herxheimer reactions! Coffee/caffeine drinkers are most likely to have headaches and minor fatigue.
Don’t worry too much; the discomfort will pass, and there are lots of ways you can ease these cleansing symptoms. Drink plenty of water and other fast-friendly liquids, get a good amount of rest, and stay the course.
Mini-Meal 1: Mint Hot Cocoa Bone Broth
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Chocolate Bone Broth Protein
- 2 drops organic peppermint extract (or mint leaves)
- 8 oz hot water
Mix ingredients and enjoy this hot beverage!
Total calories: 100
Mini-Meal 2: Vanilla Berry Smoothie
- 8-10 ounces of filtered water
- 5 ice cubes
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Vanilla Bone Broth Protein
- 1 Tbsp. GreenSmoothieGirl Sprouted Flax Seed
- 1/2 C frozen mixed berries
- 1/2" organic ginger root (peeled or unpeeled)
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 180
Mini-Meal 3: Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
- 8-10 oz filtered water
- ⅓ C. organic frozen strawberries
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Chocolate Protein
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 115
Mini-Meal 4: Green Smoothie Bar and Broccoli
- 1 Green Smoothie BlendBar
- ½ C. steamed broccoli with lemon juice and a sprinkle of Himalayan salt
Total calories: 185
Mini-Meal 5: Banana Cream Smoothie
- 8-10 oz filtered water
- 6 ice cubes
- 1/2 organic ripe banana with peel (ends removed)
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Vanilla Kiss Protein
- 1 Tbsp. GreenSmoothieGirl Sprouted Flax Seed
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 195
Daily Total Calories: 775
Day 2: Keep Up the Great Work!
Congratulations! If you kept your caloric intake under 800 yesterday, your body should be solidly in recycling mode, using damaged cell components and proteins for fuel, cleaning out waste, and clearing out old cells to make way for new ones.
Stay the course through day two and three, and pay attention to any symptoms of inflammation, candida overgrowth, wound healing, and digestive issues (some of the very visible health improvements you may notice during your fast!). Many people notice Herxheimer cleansing reactions improving on day two as well.
Mini-Meal 1: Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Bone Broth
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Chocolate Bone Broth Protein
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 oz hot water.
Heat water to boiling point, add cinnamon stick, and steep for 2 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick, mix in protein powder, and enjoy this rich, hot morning beverage with notes of cinnamon!
Total calories: 100
Mini-Meal 2: Mango Surprise Smoothie
- 8-10 ounces of filtered water
- 5 ice cubes
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Vanilla Kiss Bone Protein
- 1 Tbsp. GreenSmoothieGirl Sprouted Flax Seed
- 1/2 C frozen or fresh mango pieces
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 195
Mini-Meal 3: Blueberry BonBon Smoothie
- 8-10 oz filtered water
- ⅓ C. organic frozen blueberries
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Chocolate Protein
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 118
Mini-Meal 4: Pink Smoothie Bar and Spicy Cucumber Salad
- 1 Pink Smoothie BlendBar
- ½ C. diced cucumbers sprinkled with vinegar, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a sprinkle of Himalayan salt
Total calories: 178
Mini-Meal 5: Cilantro and Parsley Green Smoothie
- 8-10 oz filtered water
- 6 ice cubes
- 1 C organic spring mix
- 1 large pinch fresh cilantro
- 1 large pinch fresh parsley
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Vanilla Kiss Protein
- 1 Tbsp. GreenSmoothieGirl Sprouted Flax Seed
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth.
Total calories: 155
Daily Total Calories: 746
Day 3: Almost There, See It Through!
By the end of today, you will have spent more consecutive time in autophagy than most modern Americans do in a lifetime. And your body will thank you for it! By day three, your energy should be high, inflammation should be low, and you may even want to continue your modified fast for another couple of days (if you do, that’s just fine!)
Because of how easy and beneficial it is to spend this amount of time in autophagy, I do a modified 3-day fast at least once per month, but I’ve done them as often as once per week.
Mini-Meal 1: Hot Vanilla “Latte”
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Vanilla Bone Broth Protein
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 oz hot water.
Heat water to boiling point, add cinnamon stick, and steep for 2 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick, mix in protein powder, and enjoy a “latte” this morning!
Total calories: 90
Mini-Meal 2: Black Forest Smoothie
- 8-10 ounces of filtered water
- 5 ice cubes
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Chocolate Bone Broth Protein
- 1 Tbsp. GreenSmoothieGirl Sprouted Flax Seed
- 1/2 C frozen dark cherries
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 200
Mini-Meal 3: Pumpkin Pie Spice Smoothie
- 8-10 oz filtered water
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 pinch each: nutmeg, cloves
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Vanilla Protein
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Total calories: 90
Mini-Meal 4: Chocolate Dipped Smoothie Bar and Steamed Cauliflower
- 1 Chocolate-Dipped Smoothie BlendBar
- 1 C. steamed cauliflower sprinkled with 1 tsp nutritional yeast
Total calories: 207
Mini-Meal 5: Mexican Hot Chocolate Smoothie
- 8-10 oz filtered water
- 6 ice cubes
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅓ ripe banana with peel
- 1 serving GreenSmoothieGirl Chocolate Protein
- 1 Tbsp. GreenSmoothieGirl Sprouted Flax Seed
- Optional: Stevia for added sweetness
Blend until smooth.
Total calories: 178
Daily Total Calories: 765
Ready, Set, Fast!
Now that you know what to expect and have your complete menu in hand, it’s go time! No need to wait for a long weekend or take time off work, though; one of the best parts of a modified fast is that you don’t have to feel hungry while you fast, but you still get to enjoy all the health benefits. So you can live your busy, full life as usual.
Remember, before you begin your modified fast, you can head to the grocery store with this handy Printable Shopping List for all three days’ worth of recipes in the blog post.
You can also join the Flash Fast Community to connect with other fasters, get support during your fast, ask questions about modified fasting, and share your story.
Robyn Openshaw, MSW, is the bestselling author of The Green Smoothies Diet, 12 Steps to Whole Foods, and 2017’s #1 Amazon Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller, Vibe. Learn more about how to make the journey painless, from the nutrient-scarce Standard American Diet, to a whole-foods diet, in her free video masterclass 12 Steps to Whole Foods.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that help support the GSG mission without costing you extra. I recommend only companies and products that I use myself.
