5:2 Diet - Menu Options

I am thinking ahead to my next fast days on the 5:2 Diet*. I really need a stock of recipes that I can use, so I am not eating the same thing every week. I decided to have a look through my recipe archive first and use my calorie counter to help me decide which dishes are viable.

I have to say I am quite shocked at how calorific some of my salads are. Although saying that, they really are no worse than supermarket salads and much nicer. However, if I am doing a fast and eating under 500/600 calories, then a lot of them are out of the equation. I really think it is important to eat more than one meal a day on the fast.

So here are a few dishes that you and I might like to include in our fast days, along with the calories per portion:

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• Fig, Beetroot & Feta Salad  = 204 calories 

(with 17g feta cheese) or 234 calories (with 28g feta cheese). Extra calories if you add dressing (a squeeze of lemon or lime juice has virtually no calories, there is only 12 calories in a whole lemon)

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Fig, Beetroot & Feta Salad

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

October 18, 2011

A colourful salad full of lots of lovely textures and flavours. Easy to throw together in a few minutes.
For the 204 calories, use just 19g of feta cheese, 6 mangetout and 3 baby beets.

Ingredients

• 1 generous handful of rocket salad
• a few thin slices of onion
• 6 - 8 mangetout
• 2 fresh figs, quartered
• 3 - 4 baby beets (pickled), halved
• 1 cm slice of feta

Instructions

1. Pop the mangetout in a small bowl and add a splosh of water. Cover the bowl with clingfilm, prick the film with a fork and microwave for 1 minute. Refresh in cold water and pat dry.2. Start layering your salad in your lunch box. First pop in the salad leaves. Sprinkle on the onion rings. Throw in the mangetout. Next add the beetroot and figs, then crumble the feta cheese on top of the salad.3. Make a little of your favourite dressing and pop in a little dish to take with you. Add the dressing at the last moment, so the leaves don't go soggy.4. Enjoy during your lunch break. Prepare for envious looks!

Details

Total time: 5 mins Yield: Serves 1

• Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup = 123 calories for a large bowlful.

• Green Salad with Creamy Lemon, Cumin & Coriander Dressing = 110 calories

20g mixed salad leaves (3 calories), ½ courgette, grated (10 calories), 50g mangetout blanched (20 calories) & 1 portion of dressing (77 calories)

• 2 Crispbreads with Low Fat Cottage Cheese & Slices of Tomato & Cucumber, seasoned with Black Pepper = 160 calories

• Porridge with Raisins and Honey = 224 calories 

Made with water and finished with milk. ½ cup oats, 15 raisins, water, ¼ cup milk, cinnamon & 1 tsp honey

• 2 Crispbreads with 1 Dairylea Triangle = 113 calories  

• Kidney Bean, Sweetcorn & Potato Mash  = 231 calories

1 portion of recipe that serves 6. Calories can be cut by cutting down or missing out butter.

• 2 Tattie Scones & Beans = 152 calories

2 homemade tatties scones and ½ 200g tin of reduced sugar and salt Heinz baked beans. Tesco Potato scones, which are bigger are 95 calories each. If you want to have an egg with it, have a poached egg (71 calories = large egg)

• Santa Fe Veggie Burger & Beans = 158 calories

Make 6 burgers from my recipe and dry fry or bake them in the oven. Each burger is 88 calories and 1/2 tin reduced sugar and salt beans is 70 calories. Tesco's Meat Free BBQ burgers are 95 calories each.

• Spicy Butternut Squash Soup = 113 calories

Six servings of this delicious homemade soup come in at 113 calories, but if you want an extra big bowl, divide it into 4 large bowls for 169 calories.

• Coconut Fruit Salad  = 174 Calories

Now for a few easy options:

• Heinz Weight Watchers Tomato Soup = 76 Calories
• Heinz Weight Watchers Carrot & Lentil Soup = 87 Calories
• Tesco Light Choices Carrot & Coriander Soup in a Mug = 65 Calories
• 1 sachet Miso Soup = 14 Calories

• ½ pack of Tesco Light Fresh Mash = 140 Calories
• ½ tin Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans = 70 Calories
• 1 large Hard-Boiled Egg = 78 Calories

• 4 Asparagus = 11 Calories
• Bell Pepper = 30 Calories
• 1 medium Carrot = 25 Calories
• 87g Cauliflower = 23 Calories
• 1 medium Cucumber = 24 Calories
• 38g Peas = 38 Calories
• 1 Medium Potato = 161 Calories
• 30g Spinach = 7 Calories
• 1 cherry Tomato = 4 Calories
• 1 medium Tomato = 26 Calories

• 1 medium apple = 95 Calories
• 2 apricots = 38 Calories
• 1 medium Banana = 90 Calories
•  25 Blueberries = 20 Calories
• 1 Grape = 2 Calories
• 1 Kiwi = 46 Calories
• 1 Nectarine = 67 Calories
• 1 large Orange = 86 Calories
• 1 Peach = 42 Calories
• 1 Pear = 42 Calories
• 1 Plum = 36 Calories
• 10 Raspberries = 10 Calories
• 1 medium Strawberry = 4 Calories

• Crispbread = 35 Calories
• Oatcake = 46 Calories
• Rice Cake = 35 Calories

• Light Cottage Cheese = 70 Calories (100g) or 42 Calories (60g)
• Dairylea Triangle = 43 Calories
• 38g Feta Cheese = 100 Calories
• 1 tbsp Light Philadelphia Soft Cheese = 28 Calories

 

• Heinz Weight Watcher Vanilla & Fruit Fromage Frais = 48 Calories 
• 50g Total 0% Greek Yoghurt & 1 tsp honey = 48 Calories
• Weight Watchers & Cadbury Highlights Hot Chocolate = 40 Calories

Hopefully you now have some ideas for your fast days. Do let me know if you have any ideas to share with me and my readers.






*5:2 Diet: Eating normally five days a week and eating under 500/600 calories a day on two fast days. You may drink as much as you like on fast days, but watch those calories. Green Tea and water are recommended. Meals can be split up over the day as long as you are within your calorie allowance.

Two low calorie days a week like this help to lower you IGF-1, which helps to prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes as well as aiding weight loss. You can read more about it in my post about the 5:2 Diet.

Disclosure: I am not a Dietitian or an expert in this diet. After watching the BBC2 Horizon documentary called Eat, Fast and Live Longer, presented by Dr Michael Mosley, I decided to follow the plan for health and weight reasons. This plan should not be followed by pregnant women and if you have any health issues, then please talk to your doctor first.