GreenSmoothieGirl Logo
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Minutes. Add 10 Years to your life.
Our beautiful template for infinite variety of greens and superfoods in your smoothies—print this and eliminate the need for recipes! Get it now for free!

3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan: Tips, Menu, Recipes, Shopping List


Robyn Openshaw - Updated: March 25, 2024 - - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links


Photo of purple berry smoothie in glass jar with paper straw and blueberries surrounding from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

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

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)!

Graphic of tip "Purchase Your Groceries Ahead Of Time" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

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

Mix ingredients and enjoy this hot beverage!

Total calories: 100

Graphic of tip "Use This Handy Shopping List" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

Mini-Meal 2: Vanilla Berry Smoothie

Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

Total calories: 180

Mini-Meal 3: Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie

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

Graphic of tip "Space Out Your Mini-Meals" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

Mini-Meal 5: Banana Cream Smoothie

Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

Total calories: 195

Daily Total Calories: 775

Graphic of tip "Make A Plan for Emotional Eating or Hunger Pains" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

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

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

Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

Total calories: 195

Graphic of tip "Stay Hydrated" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

Mini-Meal 3: Blueberry BonBon Smoothie

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

Graphic of tip "Keep Your Meals Simple" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

Mini-Meal 5: Cilantro and Parsley Green Smoothie

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”

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

Graphic of tip "Get Lots Of Rest" from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

Mini-Meal 2: Black Forest Smoothie

Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

Total calories: 200

Mini-Meal 3: Pumpkin Pie Spice Smoothie

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

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.

Read Next: 9 Tips For Sailing Through A 3-Day Modified Fast

Photograph of Robyn Openshaw, founder of Green Smoothie GirlRobyn 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.

Photo of purple berry smoothie in glass jar with paper straw and blueberries surrounding with post's title text overlay from "3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan and Sample 3-Day Menu" by Green Smoothie Girl

Posted in: Fasting, Recipes

7 thoughts on “3-Day Modified Fasting Eating Plan: Tips, Menu, Recipes, Shopping List”

Leave a Comment
  1. Ann says:

    I am ready to do this once per month BUT I do not have a sweet tooth. I will always go for savory over sweet. Why are all the bone broth options very sweet and sweet flavors? It seems a bit mentally unhealthy to feature three full days of an excellent modified fast all around sweet tasting drinks or blend bars. I know there is some steamed veg but the mini meal is that with a choc dipped sweet bar. It’s kind of a gross combination!

  2. KW says:

    I’m disappointed. I thought you were going to provide us with a modified fast plan using actual food, food I could buy locally, not your sweet protein drinks. This doesn’t seem significantly different from the modified fast that you sell and still requires us to buy your products. I should have known; you’re a business, so anything ‘free’ you offer is just another sales gimmick.

    1. Kristen Park says:

      The flash fast product has been discontinued. So this is good for those of us who want to do that program but can’t get the products any longer!

  3. Nonya says:

    I wish you would include some notes about how to come out of this fast. I did a 5-day liquids only fast and had no idea what to eat/how to break my fast. So while I tried to eat light and clean, my digestive system was pretty screwed up for 6 days after the fast.

    For a savory taste, just make some bone broth and sip on that. I also drink quite a bit of green tea while fasting and that seems to help. Robyn, do you have an opinion about using modified pectin powder, bone broth, and tea?

  4. Vicki Hamilton says:

    Hi Robyn, I live in AUSTRALIA & at the moment you do not ship here. How can I do the 3 day modified fast when I don’t have access to your products – any help with substitutes would be so great
    thank you
    Vicki

  5. Crystal P says:

    If I can only do 2 days here and there, is it still worth it? Or not really beneficial unless you can do 3 full days?

  6. Smoothies are my personal favorite. I can travel long distances to have a nice strawberry smoothie.

    I am trying to lose some kilos in this lockdown period as work from home can give you extra weight. I would most definitely try out this recipe and modify it according to my taste as that’s how you should also have fun with your smoothies.
    Thank You!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Skip to content