The partial (or selective) fast is observed similarly to the above, with the exception of the intake. Some people choose an all-liquid diet during a partial fast. A 21-day fast is often associated with the type of fast that Daniel used, described in Daniel 10:3, “I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.” While no pleasant food can be subjective, many will participate in a Daniel fast by only eating fruits, vegetables, grains, and any other food that is grown and removing meat, sweets, and bread from your diet and consume water and juice for fluids and fruit and vegetables for food.

A partial fast is also sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Fast" and involves abstaining from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon. This can either correlate to specific times of the day, such as 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or from sun up to sun down.