What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting?

Depending on your goal with Intermittent Fasting, the following drinks are allowed:
- Only water with strict fasting
- Any non-caloric beverages with moderate fasting (most common and preferred!)
- Up to 20 kcal beverages with open fasting.

Getting used to Intermittent Fasting takes time and can get really confusing. After all, you want to do it right and ensure you’re not breaking the rules. So, what can you drink during intermittent fasting?

Given roughly 20% of our daily water intake comes from food, it is essential to stay hydrated during intermittent fasting, when your food intake is reduced. Therefore, it is important to drink more when you are fasting.

Also, by staying hydrated you reduce hunger and avoid many of possible intermittent fasting side effects like headache, constipation and dizziness.

But the question is…what can I drink during intermittent fasting in order to not break the fast? What are the best intermittent fasting drinks? And how to do it right?

The answer is – it depends on the type of fast you do. Technically anything you put in your mouth while fasting breaks the fast. But if fasting is a tool for you to restrict calories and help you to lose weight, it is okay to consume a small amount of calories if that helps you stick to your fasting schedule and fast longer.

To answer your questions, we’ve categorized fasts in three different categories based on the intensity and goals. Scroll down and you’ll find a list of beverages you can have while fasting.

In particular, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions such as:

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Fasting Categories And Intermittent Fasting Drinks

Strict Fasting

Allowing only pure water

Strict fasting refers to the purest way of fasting when you do not consume any food or its traces in any form. Simply speaking, you restrict everything except pure water. Strict fasting is usually done for medical reasons (before a test or operation), spiritual or religious reasons.

Good choice:

For medical reasons
For spiritual reasons
For religious reasons

Moderate Fasting

Allowing any non-caloric beverages

To get all the health benefits of intermittent fasting such as fat loss, increased metabolic rate, lower blood sugar levels, boost in the immune system and others, you have to restrict from consuming any caloric food.

But…good thing, you can still consume non-caloric beverages because they do not break the fast and allow you to get all the benefits of fasting. This is because non-caloric drinks do not cause the release of insulin and as a consequence, do not interfere with fat burning and autophagy (cellular cleanup).

Good choice:

For all the health reasons, such as increased metabolic rate, lower blood sugar levels, a boost in the immune system
For fat burning
For autophagy (cellular cleanup)

Open Fasting

Allowing up to 20 kcal beverages

Technically speaking, anything that has calories, even if it is a tiny amount break your fast. However, if your main goal is to lose weight, being in an overall caloric deficit is the main reason why you lose weight with intermittent fasting. Hence, if a tiny splash of cream in your coffee helps you to resist from food for a more extended period, or get into fasting (in particular in the beginning), then do it. Many experts, including M. Berkhan from Leangains, allow to consume up to 20 kcal during your entire fasting period.

It is important to mention that not all macronutrients affect fasting equally. Pure fat does not raise your insulin levels or interfere with fat burning, hence is a preferred version compared to protein and carbs.

Good if you are:

Starting with the fasting and need to “work up” your hunger tolerance
Doing fasting for weight loss reasons.

What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting?

The below list provides you answers to the most frequently questioned products and summarizes the effects they have on intermittent fasting.

Products are listed in the order from the most preferred to the least preferred during your fasting period if your main intermittent fasting goal is weight loss.

E.g., Mineral water, coffee and tea is the most preferred option for Intermittent Fasting drinks, while oils and butter are the least recommended.

what can you drink during intermittent fasting water

Mineral Water

Can you drink water while intermittent fasting?

Big YES. Mineral water and water, in general, are free of calories and are allowed during fasting.

It is actually a must to stay hydrated to substitute for the loss of water from food and avoid intermittent fasting side effects. Mineral water is full of minerals to help restore electrolyte and mineral imbalance that happens while fasting. For this reason, water and mineral water is the most advisable intermittent fasting drink.

Can you drink infused water while intermittent fasting

Fruit Infused Water

All fruit juices contain glucose and fructose. Infused water, even diluted, still contains the fruit juice. Therefore, it is not suggested if you are trying to stick to strict fasting.

However, if it helps you drink more water and stick to the fasting schedule better, it is okay to add some fruits to your water. Make sure to choose foods that are lower in sugar (e.g. lime, lemon, cucumber). Also, do not squeeze the juice of the fruit to avoid extra sugar and carbs.

does almond milk break a fast? Almond milk intermittent Fasting

Almond Milk & Other Milk Alternatives

Does almond milk break a fast?

Technically speaking, YES! However, if you absolutely must have something and are okay with “open fasting” - coffee with a splash of almond milk can be a good alternative.

Out of the most popular milk alternatives like soy, oat, rice and coconut milk, almond milk has the least calories and zero sugar (look for plain and unsweetened almond milk).

Almond milk is low in carbs and calories, hence up to 0.5 cup/100 ml of almond milk could be a good option for “open intermittent fasting”. When choosing almond milk, avoid the ones with added sugar or those fortified with extra protein.

Here’s a little breakdown for 1 cup of various types of milk (plain, unsweetened):

Whole milk: 150 kcal, 12 g sugar
Oat milk: 130 kcal, 19 g sugar
Rice milk: 90 kcal, 0 g sugar
Soy milk: 80 kcal, 1 g sugar
Coconut milk: 45 kcal, 0 g sugar
Almond milk: 30 kcal, 0 g sugar

As you can see out of all milk alternatives oat milk is the least preferred choice when fasting. If you must add a bit of milk, then intermittent fasting coffee with almond milk will be the best choice.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil, MCT oil and other oils contain pure fats. Technically speaking, anything that has calories, even if it is a tiny amount, breaks your fast. However, if you are on a keto diet with the main goal to reach and sustain ketosis (a.k.a fat burning phase), it can be considered as part of fasting as popularized by Bulletproof fasting.

If you prefer “clean” fasting though (something we recommend for our 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge), you should try to sustain from consuming any oils or butter. Which means, no Bulletproof coffee during your fasting hours. Also, note that fats are extremely high in calories; therefore you should keep this in mind if you are trying to lose weight.

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Learn More About Intermittent Fasting

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RESEARCH and TEXT BY:

Asnate Kaupe

Scared of mundane routines but enjoying the challenge of habit building, Asnate is on a constant habit improvement journey. Hacking the mind through meditation and books, unplugging to enjoy nature. Don't you agree that surfing, hiking or forest walks will cure anything? Asnate supports 21 Day Hero with all things digital marketing.

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What Can You Drink During Intermittent Fasting?

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