Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

5:2 Fast day recipe ideas

266 replies

frenchfancy · 19/09/2012 07:56

For those following the 5:2 diet and would like ideas for fast day meals. Please post your favourites.

Yesterdays lunch was carrot and coriander soup - 110 cals

recipe here: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7003/carrot-and-coriander-soup it was delicious :)

Had squash and chorizo stew last week also very nice - 264 cals

Recipe here: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4824/squash-and-chorizo-stew

Would love to see all your ideas.

OP posts:
BigChocFrenzy · 17/05/2015 00:17

Banana & Pnut Butter Ice Cream (Vegan GF)
Makes 4 portions @ 125 cals each

4 very ripe bananas
¼ tsp pure vanilla powder / essence
1 tsp ground cinammon
2 tbsp / 60 ml unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp / 16g Natural pnut butter (100% pnuts & salt)
Optional 1-4 drops dark choc Stevia liquid

. Slice & freeze banana slices for 1hr
. Blend frozen bananas & almond milk
. Add remaining ingredients & blend, optionally add stevia drops to taste
. Divide into 4 pots and freeze 30-60 mins until desired consistency.

BigChocFrenzy · 29/05/2015 07:14

Some good FD Recipes: BBC Good Food 52 , Good2Know

goingmadinthecountry · 31/05/2015 09:33

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2220666/healthier-chicken-balti

I made it with a bit less oil, loads of spinach and left out the red pepper. Whole family asked for it to become a regular. I had it on its own, naan and rice for the others.

ArtfulPuss · 11/06/2015 22:35

Made this up for dinner tonight and was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed it. (So nice I would happily eat it on a non-fast day too!)

Quorn & Sweet Potato Curry (215 cals according to MFP)
10 x sprays Frylight olive oil
50g red onion
7g garlic (2 cloves)
50g sweet potato
1 frozen quorn 'chicken fillet', defrosted
200g chopped tomatoes
150ml water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp each turmeric, chilli flakes, black pepper + salt
30g Greek yoghurt
squeeze lemon
40g wild rocket

Fry chopped onion, garlic, sweet potato in Frylight plus a splash of water until reasonably soft;
Add chopped quorn fillet, fry for a couple of minutes;
Add spices, fry for a couple of minutes;
Add tomatoes and water, simmer for 10 minutes;
Serve over rocket with yoghurt stirred in and lemon juice squeezed over.
Lush!

MelanieCheeks · 26/06/2015 13:48

Mel's Marvellous Mushrooms

Mushrooms are ridiculously low in calories, less than 20 per 100g, so even a 250g punnet is going to be around 50 cals.

Take a punnet of shrooms. If they're baby button ones, leave them as they are, otherwise cut into quarters.
Pack them into a shallow pan, a small frying pan is ideal.
Cover with the stock of your choice, beef or chicken works well, or even just use hot water.
Bring to the boil, and let them bubble away. The liquid content will rise at first, as the water from the shrooms is released, but after 10-15 minutes it should start to condense to a rich glaze.
Serve as a side dish with poached fish or grilled meats. Also good with a baked potato, and any leftovers are lovely cold.

Disclaimer: This is DH's recipe really, but I had top go for the alliterative title!

Bluetonic123 · 16/07/2015 16:58

Today I made this and it was no nice I thought I'd share

I sprayed a pan with a couple of spray of frylight spray

I added garlic, a chilli, and ginger and cooked them for a bit. I threw in a 70g packet of prawns from M&S and some zero calorie shirataki noodles and stirred and let them cook for a few minutes.

I then added a water and a sachet it Itsu miso soup.

It was absolutely delicious and it felt like a proper meal even though it was only 136 calories.

Leaving me room for salmon for tea!

Aleesha · 11/08/2015 12:52

I have stopped trying this diet failed for 2 weeks so gone back to my old diet where I eat under 1200 or 1300 calories a day and I did lost 17 pounds with it so I guess 5:2 not the right diet for me specially when u feel dizzy and sick 24/7.Sad

Maplessglobe · 12/09/2015 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ednabuckett · 21/10/2015 14:03

I've been having a right old gander online this arvo (the joys of half term!) and have found the following REAL food recipes / sites with many recipes. Some look lush but I'm beginning to regret doing all this browsing on a FD!!

American but LOADS here I want to try: pinchofyum.com/category/recipes/healthy-choices/lightened-up

British blog - loads here - cauli tabbouleh looks lush! : www.lavenderandlovage.com/category/posts/general/5-2-diet

Basically this whole site Grin : www.skinnytaste.com

Hope the links work and sorry to duplicate if they've been posted before.

BigChocFrenzy · 04/01/2016 20:32

Zucchini or squash "noodles"
. Spiralise desired amount of zucchini and / or squash
. microwave uncovered on high for 2 mins. If not tender enough, do 30 sec blasts and check after each
. drain spaghetti (the veg has water) and save liquid for any sauce
. add garlic salt and a dash of olive oil
. Goes well with salmon or chicken breast sliceso, tomatoes, chilli & mushrooms

Cauliflour "rice" (it is often requested)
. Blitz a head of cauliflower in the food processer until it's vaguely rice-sized
. Add 1 or 2 tbsp water and a dash of salt
. Blitz in the microwave for about 5 mins on high.
. If not done, check after further 30 sec blasts
. For FDs, weigh the amount you use

Breadandwine · 09/01/2016 20:03

Bump

MiaMathews · 26/01/2016 12:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BigChocFrenzy · 05/03/2016 11:28

Quick Low Carb GF Muffin
235 cals, 12.4g Protein, 17.6g Fat, 9.4g Fiber, 2.1g net carbs
On its own, or with cream cheese
Handy for breakfast or to take with you

Ingredients
. 4 tbsps Flaxseed Meal
· 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
· 1 tsp Cinnamon
· (+ optionally 1 tiny pinch Stevia or 1 tsp Splenda)
· 1 large Egg
· 1 tsp Olive Oil (NOT nut or veg oil)

Instructions:
. Mix dry ingredients in a mug or dish
. Add egg, oil & mix
. Mwave 60 secs, wait 5. If not firm, do 10 sec mw & 5 sec wait.

Breadandwine · 09/04/2016 23:14

When I began IFing, over 4 years ago, now, I compiled a list in Word of the cal counts in the foods I was using , to save looking it up every time. Not all websites agree on the cal counts of foods, so these aren't definitive - but they're a rough guide, I feel:

Calories in 100g of:
Balsamic vinegar- 88
Beetroot – 40
Bouillon powder - 12cals/5g
Broccoli – 31 cals
Cabbage – 15
Carrots – 28
Celery – 8
Cucumber – 15
Curry powder - 5 cals/tsp
Dried apricots - 284
Lentils, uncooked – 360
Mushrooms – 13
Onions - 31
Peppers - 15
Potatoes 72/100g microwaved
Red kidney beans – 127 (but only 95 in one can I saw)
Stout - 44
Strawberries - 28
Sugar – 401
Sultanas – 292
Tinned tomatoes – 76 per can (varies – check the can)
Tomatoes – 18
Tomato passata - 22
Tom puree – 96

After a while, I realised that a serving spoon of mixed, simmering vegetables, which included a tin of tomatoes, is roughly 30cals.

Most of the recipes on the this thread are given in grams, and it's a simple matter to add stuff to most of these recipes to fit into the 800cal Mike Mosley's BSD WOL.

Breadandwine · 12/04/2016 00:50

Quick, 10 minute lunch - around 100cals.

1 large field mushroom - 7/8 cals
Stuffed with 13g pesto - 50 cals
And 30g hummus - 42 cals

Black (or cayenne) pepper to taste.

Blitz in the microwave and serve with - well, whatever you choose. 100g of broccoli will only set you back 31 cals.

I also like it with Pateole mushroom spread (from your local HFS) and pesto - just gorgeous! Grin

Claremarie86 · 18/04/2016 17:58

I've been doing the 5:2 fasting for a while now and have found that the 'balanced for you' range at Marks and Spencer's is brilliant! I can have 2 full meals a day and still fall under my 500 calls. Today I have eaten for lunch the balanced for you courgetti and veg spaghetti with steak bolognese (228 calories!) and for tea I had the balanced for you courgetti and broccoli mix with chargrilled chicken in a creamy pesto sauce (241 calories!) leaving 31 calories if I fancy something sweet later like a small satsuma at 20 calories.
There is a wide range of meals in the balanced for you range under 300 calories rarely over 500!
A brilliant selection that helps me feel like I've had a proper meal and not just picking Smile
Hope this helps

JustPoppingBy · 10/05/2016 10:40

Just saying hello, some of these recipes are great thank you.
So far - two weeks-I'm really enjoying 5:2 and not finding it too difficult. Smile

BigChocFrenzy · 20/07/2016 00:00

The "How to Start" section of the OP in the main 5:2 thread, currently Thread #64 has links below to several FD recipe collections, ready meals and eating out.

gadispoker · 20/08/2016 00:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Breadandwine · 06/09/2016 22:48

Bump

MelanieCheeks · 13/09/2016 18:12

cactus salad

OK, cactus might be a bit hard to find, but it's worth it for this glorious salad.

BigChocFrenzy · 07/12/2016 06:47

Chia Breakfast Pud (Vegan & GF)
Single serving (155 cals)



  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 110 ml almond milk unsweetened
  • ¼ teasp vanilla
  • ½ teasp cinammon 
 Mix & leave overnight in the fridge Optionally add a few berries in the morning (count the cals)
BigChocFrenzy · 07/12/2016 06:47

Chia CHOC Pud
Single serving (160 cals)



  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 110 ml almond milk unsweetened
  • ½ tbsp raw cacao / cocoa powder
  • 1 teasp vanilla
  • 1/4 teasp liquid stevia 
 Mix & leave overnight in the fridge
NazaninN · 04/01/2018 22:16

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Swipe left for the next trending thread