The fast (5:2) diet for January

Right, I am taking this 5:2 diet possibility seriously. At least for the ‘dry’ month of January, where quite feasibly I will not add calories to my day with a glass of wine in the evening, however the abolition of the morning skinny latte on the two 500-cal. days is going to prove a challenge. I have been thinking about what I could eat on these days, to plan in advance my 2/3 meals for each. It was then that I realised, I actually have quite a lot of recipes that I can use as part of this diet, some simply as they are and others slightly tweaked. I thought it might be useful to recap on some of them here.

 

I have mentioned before that we are eating out of the freezer in a mad attempt to defrost it. Fridge food will stay cold overnight in the kitchen in this weather and is therefore not as much of a worry. I had lots of tamarind and green chutney in the freezer, as I usually make it in larger batches than I use in one go. So, yesterday, I decided on the very easy chana chaat for lunch. Gipsy Spread had his with a venison steak. Whilst I was draining my tin of chickpeas, I took a look at the calorie content and was happily surprised to find that half a tin drained equated to just 100 calories. This topped simply with low fat yogurt and the dips and sev, should not come to more than 200 calories a portion – if I have calculated correctly. Fantastic – this is a great work lunch option!

 

This recipe would leave you with the option of a banana for breakfast and then possibly, the so simple carrot and lemongrass soup for dinner (or vice versa). One day down.

 

So, what about the next 500-cal. day of the week? I have not decided yet, but I do have all the ingredients in for a green bean, beetroot, and feta salad dressed with fresh lemon juice and plenty of black pepper (again, a work lunch), followed by asparagus with 2 poached eggs and only a tiny grating of parmesan with a mustard and lemon juice dressing. These should both come in at just 250 calories! Both these dishes can be dressed up with herbs and that is what I will be doing to add as much flavour as possible – also spices, such as chilli flakes with the beetroot and feta salad.

 

So, what about next week? Well, watch this space, but some other options might be my dahl (200 kcal), butterbean and mozzarella bake (350 kcal), Turkish eggs (250 kcal) or herby mushroom and green bean baked feta salad (200 kcal). Remember though, that portion size counts - 38g of feta cheese = 100 calories, and the above is my estimation based on the information provided on packets and is therefore not an exact calculation.

 

 
 

I think I have more than enough options for getting on with the 5:2 diet in January, especially with the extra advice provided in these Marie Claire articles on what you can eat on the 5:2 diet and tips on how to stick with it.