5:2 Diet - Broccoli and Celery Soup = 111 Calories

Fast day soup equals happy tummy, in fact any day soup equals happy tummy, but knowing it is helping you lose weight makes it even more special.

A simple, fresh green soup that is frugal too. Broccoli, potato, celery and a bag of mixed leaves that needed used up were the base for this soup.

Oh yes and did I mention it is only 111 calories per portion? No! Silly me!

I thought is was slurpingly good and Cooper loved it. Graham was a bit more blasé about it, saying it wasn't one of his favourites. Honestly! Sometimes I despair!!

Here is Cooper enjoying his soup. I made it during the day for our evening meal, but Cooper couldn't wait and wanted a cup of yummy soup right away. It was a bit hot, so I put a splosh of milk in his.

I do hope you give it a go. It's super good and on feast days it would be nice with that splosh of milk I added for Cooper or even some brie or blue cheese added.

print recipe

Broccoli and Celery Soup

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

May 24, 2013

A super healthy and frugal green soup made from broccoli, celery and potato. Only 111 calories per portion.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped
• 160g bag watercress, spinach and rocket (or any mixed leaves)
• 4 pints vegetable stock
• a good grinding of black pepper

Instructions

1. Saute the onion, garlic and celery in the olive oil in a large pan until the onion is soft and translucent. 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.3. Whizz until nearly smooth. I like to leave some texture in my soup.4. Season. 5. Enjoy!

Details

Total time: 35 mins
Yield: Serves 6

I am entering my soup into Credit Crunch Munch hosted this month by my good friend Janice over at Farmersgirl Kitchen.

The event was set up by another two of my good friends, Helen from Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla from Fab Food 4 All.

I am also entering it into Ren's Simple and in Season, which has now been running for a year. Goodness knows where the time goes!

Happy Vegetarian Week!

National Vegetarian Week - The 5:2 Diet for Vegetarians

I started following the 5:2 Diet back in August last year after watching the Horizon documentary Eat, Fast and Live Longer.

In the documentary Dr Michael Mosley examined the science behind fasting and how it could help us all to lose weight and live longer.

There is science behind the diet and you can read about it my original 5:2 Diet post, but for this post I wanted to look at the 5:2 Diet for vegetarians.

Spinach Dal, my 5:2 dinner tonight. Small portion with 2 pittas

I suppose you would like to know how much I have lost? Not as much as some people have, that's for sure. At my best, I'd lost 1 stone and 4 lbs, which is the equivalent of 8.25 kilos. At the moment I have settled at around a stone. On my report card it will say could do better!

So what do you need to do? What have I learned?

Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Eat under 500 calories if you are a women or 600 calories if you are a man, twice a week.
2. The rest of the time you can eat what you want, but beware, if you go too crazy on feast days, you won't lose weight and all of that work with be in vain.
3. Approach the fast days with a positive mind.
4. Plan what you will eat on fast days, don't leave it to chance.
5. Don't let yourself go over the calorie limit, that is a slippery slope.
6. Drink lots of water. It is suggested that green tea is good for fast days too.
7. Fast on work days. You will be too busy to think too much about eating.
8. Talk to other people about your fast. It's great to have a bit of encouragement and you will probably find other people are doing the 5:2 Diet too.
9. Keep busy in the evenings as this can be a danger time as you wind down.
10. Go to bed early!

And now for my recipes. I hope they will inspire you to have a go, but remember do not attempt any diet if you are pregnant or have any health problems. Do consult your doctor if you are in any doubt.

Left:            Low Calorie Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup = 123 calories per portion
Centre:        Broccoli and Celery Soup = 111 calories per portion (come back for the recipe tomorrow)
Right:          Minestrone Soup = 198 calories per portion

Left:           Avocado, Apple & Hazelnut Salad = 227 calories per portion
Centre:       Savoury Cauliflower Rice = 137 calories per portion
Right:         Fridge Salad = 230 calories per portion

Left:         One-Pot Southern Style Rice = 232 calories per portion

Centre:     Simple Tomato Sauce = 63 calories per portion

Right:       Moroccan Style Potato Bake = 233 calories per portion

Left:         Garden Cottage Pie = 342 calories per portion

Right:       Vegetable and Lentil Stew = 242 calories per portion

Left:         Plum & Apple Smoothie with Fizz = 68 calories per glass

Centre:     Pink Mango Smoothie = 115 calories per glass

Right:       Swamp Juice = 115 calories per glass

Left:       Cinnamon Apple Crisps = 50 calories per portion

Right:     Coocnut Fruit Salad = 174 calories per portion

You can also follow my Pinterest board - 5:2 Diet for Vegetarians.

My National Vegetarian Week:

Monday: Weekly Meal Planning

Tuesday: My Top 7 Vegetarian Food Bloggers

Wednesday: My Top 3 Vegan Food Bloggers

Thursday: The 5:2 Diet for Vegetarians

Friday: Broccoli and Celery Soup

Saturday: The Mean Green Smoothie

Sunday: Spaghetti and Beanballs

Happy Vegetarian Week!

National Vegetarian Week - Vegan Food Bloggers

It's National Vegetarian Week here in the UK and what better time to celebrate the best vegetarian and vegan food bloggers.

Yesterday I talked about my Top 7 Vegetarian Food Bloggers and today I would like to introduce you to some of my favourite vegan food bloggers.

This post is dedicated to my lovely hubby (well lovely when he isn't being grumpy, especially in the mornings), who became vegan last year. 

I am so proud of him. He made the decision, stuck with it and never wavered. He doesn't ever try to make Cooper and I feel bad for still eating dairy either. For that I love him even more.

1. Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Zucchini Noodles with Sesame Peanut Sauce

I discovered Susan's blog way before I had any interest in vegan cooking, but I fell in love with it anyway!

I defy you to go there and not drool over the food. Forget it being vegan. Susan's food is what you will want to eat. Yes you! Just look at it!

Susan became a vegetarian in 1988, at about the same time as me, but 6 years later she decided to eliminate dairy from her diet too. She also made the decision to try and cook fat free too and the weight just dropped off her. She says some has piled back on, but I think she looks pretty gorgeous!

Susan lives in Mississippi with her husband and teenage daughter.

Featured recipe:

photo: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Savoury Lentil Mushroom Burgers 

 

2. Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Tex-Mex Black Bean Burgers

Ricki was one of my first blogger friends and she has remained a loyal friend ever since. As you can see as well as cooking and baking Ricki loves her does and they are sweethearts. She calls them The Girls! They have quite a lot to say about Ricki's cooking and baking.

Ricki is college teacher who also teaches cookery classes and writes cookbooks alongside her blog. Yes, I know, how does she fit it all in. She also always makes time for other bloggers too as well as her readers.

Ricki eats and cooks a vegan diet but she also cooks and bakes sugar-free, gluten-free, allergy-friendly. She is one top gal all around!

Featured recipe:

photo: Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Chocolate Caramel Slice

3. Andrea's Easy Vegan Cooking

Roasted Sweet Potato Pate

Andrea calls herself a reluctant cook, but I don't believe that for a minute.

After a shoulder injury made it too painful for Andrea to cook, her husband took over in the kitchen, but Andrea's interest never waned. She poured over cookbooks and magazines and eventually she got back into the kitchen.

Andrea cooks comfort food for her extended family and takes her grandchildren into the kitchen to cook and bake now too.

Somehow Andrea managed to delete all the photos on her blog, but she's a fighter and were the lesser among us would have given up in defeat, Andrea is working her way through and adding new photos. She has brought a good few years up to date now.

Featured recipe:

photo: Andrea's Easy Vegan Cooking

Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies

Well that's my top three. I only have another small selections of vegan blogs to visit, but I don't know them well enough to swipe photos to show you without causing offence.

Here are a few others to visit:

1. The Taste Space
2. Holy Cow!
3. Chocolate-Covered Katie
4. Oh She Glows
5. The Vegan Stoner
6. Chow Vegan
7. Urban Vegan

And here are a few of my vegan recipes:

Burgers

1. Cajun Spiced Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers
2. Easy Chickpea and Coriander Patties
3. Lentil, Courgette and Thyme Burgers

Curries

1. Aloo Gobhi
2. Roasted Veg Vindaloo
3. Spinach and Potato Curry

Pasta

1. Peanutty Vegetable Noodles
2. Penne Arrabiata
3. Roast Vegetable Sauce for Pasta
4. Bolognaise

Main Meals (Various)

1. Cottage Garden Pie 
2. Rich Mushroom and Neep Pie 
3. One-Pot Southern Style Rice
4. Richly Braised Lentils
5. Vegetabel and Lentil Stew

Sweet Treats

1. Carrot Cake
2. Vanilla Cake
3. Chocolate and Banana Flapjacks
4. Cinnamon Apple Crisps
5. Peanut Butter and Coconut Cookies
6. Sweet Basil and Lemon Shortbread

Happy Vegetarian Week!