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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:



 
(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)






print recipe

Fig, Beetroot & Feta Salad
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: Yield: Serves 1




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  


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

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)


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.


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.




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.

98 comments

  1. Love all these ideas Jacqueline!

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  2. Beautiful healthful meal planning!!

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  3. Really enjoy your blog and it is a good source of inspiration, as a fellow veggie who is guilty of eating the same things week in and out! Good luck with your plan, it is very interesting. Also something that makes you think more creatively and in my mind maybe enjoy food more? Have you ever tried Ainsley Harriot's meal packs. The dahl one is especially nice, low calorie and tasty. Usually have mine with mixed leaves, wedge of lemon and some pitta/flat bread/ryvita. Can add garlic and spices to make dahl have more flavour.

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    1. I'll look out for that Shon, thanks for the idea : )

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  4. I didn't realize how few calories there are in a bowl of oats!

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    1. I know, low calorie and good for you.

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    2. I too am doing the 5:2 diet & I simply use all water with a sweetner tablet dropped in to the bowl of porridge oats before cooking in the microwave for 2 minutes. This drastically cuts the calorie intake & tastes surprisingly good. You could also add a pinch of cinnamon too.

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  5. I'm interested in this diet now! Lopks like you have lots of options.

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    1. I had to get thinking quickly or it would be crisp breads every week. Not that I'd mind that too much, but variety is better :)

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  6. Some really good idea there, I must start thinking about my next two days they'll be upon me before I know it!

    I'm definitely pinching your soup recipe.

    Sue xx

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    1. Hope you enjoy it Sue. I am just home late, but will have to plan tomorrow's fast.

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  7. So delighted you are doing this Jacq, I started last week after seeing the programme - but in a much less organised way!

    These posts are really helpful (except for the update saying that women could only have 500 calories a day - didn't like that one!!!!!)

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    1. I didn't like that one either. I am going to stick to the 600 for the moment, then once I get the hang of it, I will try to reduce it.

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  8. I feel guilty. I stopped counting calories after having children. I like to forget about it. Good to be reminded. Fig, Beetroot & Feta Salad (the main picture)sounds good to me, but I cannot stop adding ex virgin olive oil.....

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    1. That salad is so good Rita, it is one of my all time favourites.

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  9. This got me reallly intrigued to look into the 5:2 diet... (Though that will have to wait after my trip to France!!) And diet or no diet, love hte idea of the beet, fig, feta salad, I will have to try that.

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    1. It is really good Helene. Have a lovely time in France :)

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  10. Great list of foods/recipes there. I'm going to bookmark this.

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    1. Thanks Janice :)

      It was lovely seeing you on Saturday. Much fun!

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  11. Interesting - have you also come across this? Japanese low-calorie recipes http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-08-13/tv-dinners-eat-along-with-britain-and-irelands-next-top-model

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  13. Hi, I'm on day 3 of fasting, and have lost 3 pounds after first week, finding it pretty easy, and the result is that my appetite is reduced on the other days too. i had a really delicious New York soup company chicken jambalaya soup last week, only 258 cals for the whole 600g pot of soup, so very tasty and filling for those of us who don't make the time for always cooking from scratch.I also had a tesco finest oriental stir fry, which I served with half a portion of tesco light choices chicken in tomato and basil sauce. usually eggs and ryvita or crackers for my first meal of the day, plenty of black or green tea and water.
    good luck everyone

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    1. I am on day 3 as well, but I haven't weighed myself, will probably leave it for a few weeks and if I lose anything, it will be a bonus.

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  14. wow Jac great ideas and I shal lbe looking into this too. What a response you have had too! fab recipes. Thanks

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  15. Just started 5:2 diet this week, not been as imaginative as you though! Had cold sliced ham, lots of salad and drizzle of balsamic for tea tonight- filled a gap. Extra recipes will def make it more achieveable cheers! Started following you on Pinterest- will look out for recipes fpr non-fasting days too!

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    1. I will get new recipes up, as you say in between my other recipe and well done on your fast :)

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  16. Great ideas, will save us living on soup for the 2 days!

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  17. Hi Jacqueline,
    many, many thanks for your summary of the 5:2 diet and the recipes - I saw the programme and am determined to give the diet a go (for basic health reasons as well as to lose weight) and Tinned Tomatoes is proving to be a great help. Just starting week 3 and would be lost without you...hope it is going well for you. Could a recipe book be in the offing???

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    1. Hi Aileen, Thanks for your kind words. I think we are all doing this together. As to a cookbook, what with having a toddler, working, writing Tinned Tomatoes and writing for Baby Centre, I barely have a minute, so no, not anytime soon :)

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  18. me and my wife are doing this diet and we are on the 3rd week now and we have both lost some weight, and find it easier as the weeks go on, we do it on a Monday and Tuesday and really look forward to Wed !!!!

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    1. Oh gee, two days in a row. You are brave. I spread mine out, but I agree, it does get easier. I am fasting today and wish my husband would stop nibbling food around me.

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    2. Hi there, I think you will find that you should be doing alternate days of fasting so maybe monday & wednesday. Just re read Dr. Mosley's article which definitely states alternate. Well done anyway!

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  19. Hi Jacqueline
    Thanks for those wonderful ideas. My husband and I 've just started 5:2, your blog 's really helpful!
    Cheers, Kristina

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  20. Just watched the horizon programme. Am going to give this ago... Starting monday.... Honest!
    Thank you for taking the time to suggest some recipes and calorie count information. Very handy. Good luck everybody.

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  21. I'm so glad I found your blog. I've started the 5:2 plan today. I'm excited to try your recipes! Thank you for all this wonderful helpfulness! Jo x

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    1. Thanks Jo, I hope you find it as easy to do as I have :)

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  22. Just having my first go at a fast day today. Made an apple and oat breakfast last night and thought I'd share as it was delicious.

    Total kcals 515 for 3 servings = approx 210 kcal per serving (but think will use for 4 servings in future bringing kcals down to about 130.

    Half cup of porridge oats
    1 beaten egg
    50ml Skimmed milk
    2 Apples chopped (I left the skin on for fibre)
    Half cup light cottage cheese
    Half cup granulated sweetener
    Low cal oil spray
    Half a teaspoon of cinnamon

    Mix it all together and spread mix out in a non-stick pan.
    Spray with a little low kcal oil spray
    Bake in a medium hot oven for about half hour (or until it's lovely and brown.

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    1. I thought I knew the kind of recipe you were going to share, but I was surprised by the cottage cheese in it.

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  23. Dear tinned tomatoes. Thank you for posting all this info. Am hoping to start this next week and this has helped me plan. ( I have to build up to starting a diet lol)
    Have a fair amount o shift so starting at 600 an then if I plateau I can drop to 500 later.
    Am weirdly looking coward to this a it seems like a plan you could could follow for life! I have type 1 diabetes so will have to split into 3 -maybe a belvita biscuit in the morning to have my insulin with and then a miso at lunch and then the rest for dinner. Will be interesting to see any affect on my bloods.
    Thanks again!
    Lou

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    1. I Lou, it may be advisable to go over the plan with your doctor before you start.

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  24. So helpful! Thank you!

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  25. Thanks for so much info..

    i did my first Fast day (535 kcal)...this is what I did

    8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
    3 hard Boiled Egg White 80 kcal
    Skimmed milk tea 100ml no sugar 40 kcal

    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 1 Carrot 30 kcal
    16:00 - 17:00 Pear 100 kcal
    5:30 PM Skimmed milk tea 100ml 40 kcal

    8:00 PM Egg Bhurji 245 kcal - made from 3 Egg White (75), 1/2 Onion (35), 1/2 Tomato (20), 1.25 Oatmeal Bread 140




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  26. Dear Jacqueline,

    I have just started the 5:2 diet (day 1 of fast today) and stumbled on your website by accident. I wish I had found it ages ago - as a vegetarian I tend to eat the same things time and time again but all of your recipes look inspiring and delicious. Are you still doing the 5:2 diet? If so I hope it is going well.

    Thank you for all your recipes,
    Kate

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    1. Hi Kate, yes I am still doing the diet. Have had a break while on holiday for a couple of weeks, so that lost me some progress, but I have lost 9 lbs now and I am very pleased with how it is going. I am finding it quite easy. I have a low calorie lunch and save all my calories for evening.

      Good luck :)

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  27. I've been doing the 5:2 diet for 3 months now. I've lost 13lbs although last week I didn't do anything different yet didn't lose any weight? It's a slow weight loss but that's ok as I think it's easier than normal dieting with calorie counting and sticking to a "diet" everyday.

    On fast days I eat only one meal in the evening when I make dinner for my husband. One of my favourites is making a huge pot of chicken and vegetable soup (no added fat at all) which I freeze in portions. I have a large bowl of this which is very filling and warming now that winter is here. I hope to lose another 10lbs. I plan to fast one day a week to maintain and if I gain then I will go back to the 2 days, I definitely feel so much better and love seeing the results so far on my waistline.

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  28. Hi,

    I have found that mini babybel lights are great for the 5:2 diets.. not sure if they're veggie or not though?

    I too am blogging about the 5:2 diet - I'm only in the early stages. I'm finding the diet much easier than many I have done - I have lost 10lb so far, which is far more than I would have lost on Weight Watchers. The only downside I have found is that on my 5 'off' days, I am still eating what I would consider to be normal portions. Because my stomach has shrunk on my fast days, I end up feeling bloated and nauseous after half a plate of food! My body has retrained itself, but my brain (and my greedy gut!) have not. I need to them to align themselves I think!

    I enjoy reading your blog - have a look at mine! Would be great to continue sharing tips!

    http://grewitateit.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/grew-it-didnt-really-eat-much-of-it-at-all/

    Cass x

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    1. Hi Cass, thanks for stopping by. You are doing well and the babybels are a good tip. Just 50 calories each and they are suitable for vegetarians.

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  29. hi this page is really helpful! suprisingly i'm finding it quite hard to find ideas for the fast days, i'm starting it this week! hope yours is going well
    Tess

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  30. Great ideas for this diet coming out - I've been doing it for about ten weeks and lost 20lbs although put a few back on over Christmas. Have started again today though and the new recipe ideas are an inspiration

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    1. You have done really well and yes I am the same. I stopped for a couple of weeks, now I have to get going again and lose the Christmas weight. At least I know it is easy to do.

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  31. On the BBC food website there is a wonderful smoked paprika mixed bean goulash. Omit the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and use water to cook the onions in and it makes a wonderful fast day feast with about 200 calories a portion.

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    1. That sounds lovely,I will have to give it a go :)

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  32. What about drinks - is it okay to drink diet coke or ??

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    1. Well Michael Moseley lists the calories in his book 'The Fast Diet'. Basically, they are good for low cals, if you are doing this for weight loss, but if you are doing this for health, then you are obviously better with water or herbal teas. You can flavour water with a slice of lemon,lime or orange. I don't worry too much and have the odd 40 cal hot chocolate or 4 calorie diet ginger beer. It keeps me going and i am still giving my system a good rest.

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    2. I tried the 5:2 diet back in September and like many others found it really workable and I would like to return to it.However My BMI is only 18-how feasible is it to maintain this diet long term for the health benefits without losing weight?

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    3. You could do what Michael did when he felt he was losing too much weight and reduce to one day a week. This will still give your body a chance to rest and repair.

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  33. Testing... posted twice and they are not showing up...

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  34. Tried to post twice yesterday but nothing happened... my test has just worked though, so I'll continue! Firstly, thanks a million, Jacqueline for your site and for all the 5:2 info. I live in Asia so don't get to see home tv and thus missed the doco - googling recipes I stumbled across your site and that's how I learned about 5:2, which is making a great difference to how my clothes fit and is so much easier than I imagined it would be. Haven't noticed other health gains yet, but hope they are there somewhere. Porridge for brekky, and just an apple and coffee at lunch is not a problem when I have a big bowl of your tomato and lentil soup to come home to! Love some of your other recipes too... have my eye on that cauli cheese soup for a non-fast day next week! Have a couple of queries which you might be able to answer...
    (1)is it ok to substitute tinned for fresh tomatoes in the tomato and lentil soup? 'Fresh' here are imported and actually not at all fresh. (2)Also, what's the story re alcohol? I read a post asking if wine was ok on a non-fast day and the answer was not positive! Eating differently all week is easy for me if I know I can have a couple of glasses of wine on a Sat night... not sure life would go on without it, in fact! I thought it was ok to have whatever you want on the 5 days a week, just keep to under 500 cals on the fast days?
    Thanks a million for your inspiration!
    Lisa

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    1. Yes, of course, just use tinned tomatoes and well done Lisa!!

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    2. Hi Lisa,

      I've even had whole tubs of Ben & Jerries Choc Brownie ice cream and large pizzas on non fast days and still managed to lose 3kg in 4 weeks! Of course this was combined with large glasses of wine.

      I try and make healthy choices in general, but if you cannot do without the wine, go for it!

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    3. I know, it's great, isn't it. Of course you lose more if you are careful on non-fast days, but what the heck :)

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  35. Lisa again... the recipe I had copied was the spiced tomato dal, not the lentil and tomato soup - can't find the original recipe on the site now but I have a copy - is there much difference between the two? (I see the soup has tinned toms, whereas the dal has fresh, and on has ginger and the other mustard seeds... is there much difference in the flavour and volume of the result?)
    Thanks!
    Lisa

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    1. The dal is more of a thick dish, a curry really and the lentil soup is thinner and less calories. Here is the recipe for the soup.

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  36. thank you. you've made it so easy....

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  37. Where did you get your calorie figures from? They seem high compared to other calorie counting websites.

    One of the hard things of doing the 5:2 is counting the calories. Different websites have different ideas of how much is in certain foods.

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    1. I use calorie count, an online resource, but you could be right.

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  38. Hi I am going on my second day fast tomorrow. I decided to do my fast days on Monday and Thursday. I thought the point of fasting was to go the whole day without food, not have something throughout the day. I am not doing the fast to lose weight, although that would be a bonus. I am in my 60's so my main concern is dementia and cancer. Both grandmothers had dementia and my mother died of cancer. So health is the main issue for me. I am very excited about this new way of eating since I saw the programme. Lets hope we all do well. Thank you so much for starting this thread.

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    1. It is definitely worth doing for the health benefits, if the studies are to be believed. Good luck with it :)

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  39. Hi again. I did the second day fast yesterday. I found it a lot easier than the first day. More than likely because I was out for the day. I tried the Thai Salad that was in the fast book. It said to use the juice of a whole lime. I have never used limes before. It was far to strong and I'm sorry to say that I couldn't eat it. If I try it again I will use only a squeeze lol

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    1. Ahhhh, lime can be quite strong, I think a squeeze of lime would be a better idea.

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  40. Hi it's my second day of 5:2 tomorrow and i'm just getting in the swing of things. I struggle to eat breakfast at 7am just because i'm not a morning person, but lunch times i'm not too sure what too have. We only have a microwave but would be happy even with something cold, Does anyone have any ideas????

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    1. I tend to skip breakfast, have soup or crispbreads for lunch then have a proper meal in the evening. I often have a 40cal hot chocolate in the afternoon, just to keep me going until dinner time. You will find some of my 5:2 recipes on the right hand panel. Good luck with it.

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  42. weight watchers hot chocolate drinks 40 cals

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    1. Will add that, I tend to have a 40 cal chocolate drink in the afternoon of my fast day, but usually cadburys.

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