What we learned from Michael Mosley's Lose a Stone in 21 Days
August 19th 2020
Nutrition
March 7th 2017 / 2 comments
We all know 5:2 fast days can be a bit tough, so we've come up with 10 quick and easy 5:2 recipe plans to solve your dieting dilemmas for when you're eating under 500 calories
With only 500 calories to work with on fast days as part of the original 5:2 diet, it can be pretty tricky to find dishes that are both nutritious and filling. Plus, if you’ve only got a little bit of time but a whole lot of hungry going on, having to pre-plan and prepare for your days of calorie counting is enough to push any foodie over the edge (and prep is important - see one 5:2 expert's 10 rules for making the fast diet easier here).
To help take some of the stress and strain out of your dietary dilemmas we’ve composed 10 days' worth of fast day meal plans that are quick, simple and devilishly delicious - bon appetit. These menus work out to be around the 500 calorie mark (the original fast day advice for women undertaking the Fast Diet), but the good news is you can eat more…
The new and improved 5:2 diet
Dr Michael Mosley has since updated his Fast Diet approach following more research, releasing his book The Blood Sugar Diet (which involves eating 800 calories a day for eight weeks) and then the Fast 800 which lays out a step-by-step fasting plan which incorporates the 5:2 method of five days eating healthily, and two days ‘fasting’ at 800 calories a day. this amendment makes it a little easier to do (while remaining a challenge) but still has proven results.
Want to upgrade your 500 calories to 800? At the end of these 10 meal plan ideas, Registered Nutritionist Daniel O'Shaughnessy offers up lots of 300-calorie options for you to pick from; simply add one per day to the meal/snack option which fits it best, to hit your quota.
You might need: a blender to whip up smoothies and soups. We love the Nutribullet 600 series, £59.99 on Amazon.
Breakfast: Quaker Oats sachet of porridge (40g) - 255 calories
Dinner: Beetroot and feta salad - 125 calories
beetroot (50g) - 13 calories
feta (30g) - 83 calories
spinach (60g) - 29 calories
squeeze of lemon - 0 calories
Snack: Sliced apple with 1 tbsp of almond butter - 145
Total calorie count: 525
MORE GLOSS: Try this 5:2 diet chestnut mushroom pomelette recipe
Breakfast: Sweet plums and yoghurt - 145 calories
100g low fat natural yoghurt - 65 calories
2 plums - 60 calories
1 tsp of honey - 20 calories
Dinner: Ryvita and tuna slices - 253 calories
2 x original Ryvita crackerbreads - 70 calories
tuna mayo (60g) - 171 calories
rocket (70g) sprinkled on top - 12 calories
cracked black pepper - 0 calories
Snack: Miso soup - 32 calories
Total calorie count: 430
MORE GLOSS: The six week 5:2 diet plan - week one
Breakfast: Soft boiled egg and asparagus - 90 calories
1 egg - 70 calories
5 pieces of asparagus - 20 calories
salt and pepper to season
Dinner: Turkey burgers with corn-on-the-cob - 328 calories
turkey mince beaten with small egg, spring onion, garlic and chilli (111g) - 172 calories
1 x corn-on-the-cob - 156 calories
Snack: A few frozen grapes - 60 calories
Total calorie count: 478 calories
Breakfast: Packet of Belvita Breakfast Biscuits (muesli) - 228 calories
Dinner: Roasted vegetables with balsamic glaze - 261 calories
½ courgette, ½ aubergine, ½ butternut squash, ½ red pepper - 247
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar - 14 calories
squeeze of lemon - 0 calories
Snack: Harley’s sugar-free jelly pot - 4 calories
Total calorie count: 493
Breakfast: spinach omelette - 160
2 x eggs - 140
spinach leaves (60g) - 20
salt and pepper - no calories
Dinner: Hummus and crudites - 175 calories
hummus (40g) - 123 calories
a medium bowl full of carrots, cucumber, raw pepper - 52 calories
Snack: Edamame beans (60g) and rock salt - 84 calories
Total calorie count: 419
MORE GLOSS: 10 ways to be a successful 5:2 dieter
Breakfast: Banana and low fat yogurt - 177 calories
100g low fat natural yoghurt - 65 calories
1 x banana - 112 calories
sprinkle of cinnamon - no calories
Dinner: Turkey breasts with wilted spinach - 216 calories
1 x turkey breast steak (125g) - 175 calories
1 cup of spinach, cooked and seasoned with salt - 41 calories
Snack: 10g of popcorn - 59 calories
Total calorie count: 452
Breakfast: Apple, carrot and ginger smoothie - 107 calories
1 apple - 55 calories
1 carrot - 52
raw ginger - no calories
Dinner: Pitta pizza - 178 calories
Weight Watchers wholemeal pitta - 106 calories
25g Extra Light Philadelphia cheese - 40 calories
1 tomato - 32 calories
mixed herbs - no calories
salt and pepper - no calories
Snack: 100g blueberries and a handful of almonds - 137 calories
Total calorie count: 422
Breakfast: Mixed berry bowl - 115 calories
strawberries (100g) - 30 calories
raspberries - (100g) - 28 calories
blueberries - (100g) - 57 calories
Dinner: Harissa chicken with chargrilled vegetable couscous - 314 calories
1 x chicken breast (130g) - 160 calories
100g of vegetable couscous - 139 calories
1 tbsp harissa paste - 15 calories
Snack: Pistachios (around 10) - 60 calories
Total calorie count - 489 calories
Breakfast: Weight Watchers Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes (3) - 206 calories
Dinner: Roasted red pepper and tomato soup with Ryvita crackerbreads - 128 calories
2 x original Ryvita crackerbreads - 70 calories
½ x red pepper, ½ x tomato, ½ onion, garlic clove, 1 tsp tomato puree, ½ tsp cumin, Oxo chicken, stock cube, ½ tsp balsamic vinegar, salt
pepper to season - 58 calories
Snack: 1 tbsp of pumpkin and sunflower seeds - 90 calories
Total calorie count: 424 calories
Breakfast: Fruit and nut muesli (50g) - 190 calories
Dinner: Pesto salmon with curly kale - 293 calories
salmon fillet (100g) - 180 calories
3 tsps of green pesto- 80 calories
steamed kale, add black pepper (100g) - 33 calories
Snack: 60g of stoned cherries - 23 calories
Total calorie count: 506 calories
Top up your 500 to 800 calories with these 300-calorie snack and meal ideas from Registered Nutritionist Daniel O'Shaughnessy.
1. 300g beetroot salad and feta salad
270g beetroot cooked, 20g feta cheese, 10g pumpkin seeds
2. Edamame & tofu salad
80g edamame beans, 80 tofu, 20g cucumber, Fresh mint, Fresh coriander, Lettuce, Dash of sesame oil, Pinch of sesame seeds, Dash of soy sauce, Salt and pepper, Lime juice
3. Halloumi and butternut squash salad
150g cooked butternut, 50g halloumi, Spinach, 3g pumpkin seeds, Sliced red onion, Dash of olive oil, Lemon juice
4. Pesto chicken
150g chicken breast, Basil, 10g pine nuts, Olive oil, Salt and pepper
5. Smoked mackerel with pickled ginger
85g smoked mackerel, Pickled ginger, Sesame seeds
6. Tandoori chicken
90g chicken breast, 1tsp yoghurt, 1tsp curry powder, Olive oil, Salt and pepper
7. Honey and mustard pork
180g pork fillet, 1 tsp honey, 1tsp mustard, Seasoning and olive oil
8. 2 eggs, 1 slice of rye bread, 1/4 avocado
9. 1 scoop of whey protein, 15 mixed nuts
10. 2 sausages, spinach, mushrooms
11. 50g porridge oats, 1tbsp nut butter, water
12. Pitta with 1/2 tub of hummus
13. 200g full fat yoghurt, 80 blueberries
14. Tomato soup, 3 Ryvita, seeds
15. Half a turkey sandwich
Wholegrain bread, Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber, Turkey Slices
16. 50g Dark Chocolate
Want to know more about 5:2 fasting plans? Here are the books and links that will help you keep on track.
The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosley & Mimi Spencer, £8.99
The Fast 800 by Dr Michael Mosley, £8.99
Looking for a full 5:2 meal plan for both fast days and non-fast days? Check out our six week series of 5:2 diet plans here
Are you on the 5:2? Read more about the 5:2 diet here for recipes, advice, meal plans, and diaries from those that have tried it
August 19th 2020
January 6th 2020
Join the conversation
would this diet work for me im only 14 what would be the side affects ?
I can never manage on such low calorie days, I get dizzy and irritable, I wonder if I would get results, even if a bit slower, on 2 x 800 calorie days, as this would allow me much more flexibility. I would be grateful for comments on this. Thank you.
Caterina