Whilst crash-diets or skipping meals often fail in the early stages, intermittent fasting tricks the body out of storing fat. Through this the body is sent into “repair mode”, focusing on restoring damaged cells rather than producing new ones and thus using up more energy.
If you fancy giving the 5:2 diet plan a try, here are some of our favourite fasting-day lunch recipes!
What to have for lunch on a 'fast day'
Fridge Salad, 230 calories
*Serves 1
Total time 10 mins*
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40g mixed salad leaves
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1 small carrot, finely grated
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2 spring onions, finely sliced
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3 baby plum tomatoes, halved
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8 slices cucumber
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50g pickled baby beets, halved or quartered
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38g feta cheese, broken into pieces
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1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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a good grinding of black pepper
Step 1 Layer your salad ingredients on your plate, starting with the salad leaves as a base.
Step 2 Top with baby beets and feta cheese.3. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and some black pepper.
Smoked Salmon Pitta Pizza, 194 calories *
*Serves 1 *
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Cook time 10 minutes *
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Total time 15 minutes*
1 pitta: Weight Watchers - White Pitta Bread (106 cals)
1 Tablespoon Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Low Fat - Chive and Onion - Low Fat Cream Cheese Chive and Onion, (35 cals)
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25 g Smoked Salmon Slices (29 cals)
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1/4 red onion, peeled and finely diced (8 cals)
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1 teaspoon capers, drained (1 cal)
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Lamb's lettuce leaves, about 40g (11 cals)
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Fresh or dried dill (3 cals)
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1 lemon wedge (1 cal)
Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4.
Step 2 Spread the pitta bread with the low-fat cream cheese then top with the smoked salmon pieces. Scatter the chipped red onion over the top and then the capers.
Step 3 Bake for 10 minutes, or until the pitta bread is golden and crispy around the edges.
Step 4 Serve immediately with lemon wedge, and fresh chopped dill (or a little dried) as well as some fresh lamb's lettuce (mâche) leaves.
Minestrone soup, 198 calories
*Serves 8-10
Total time 45 mins *
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1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil
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1 onion, finely chopped
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2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
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2 stalks of celery, chopped
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2 medium courgettes (zucchini), chopped
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8 medium carrots, chopped
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100g spinach, chopped
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3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
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2 x 400g tins cannellini beans
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150g lubella strand pasta (or other)
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5 pints/10 cups vegetable stock
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2 tbsp tomato puree
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a good grinding of salt & freshly ground pepper
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a generous handful fresh parsley, chopped
Step1 Saute the onion in garlic in the rapeseed oil until soft and translucent. Then add the celery, courgette and carrots and cook gently for a few minutes.
**Step 2 **Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, beans, spinach and vegetable stock. Mix well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and leave it to simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Step 3 Add the pasta and cook for another 15 minutes. Season and add the fresh herbs.
Roast tomato and garlic soup, 70 calories *
*Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 50 minutes
Total time 55 minutes*
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500g (1lb 2ozs) ripe tomatoes, quartered
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2 red onions, peeled & cut into wedges
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1 bulb garlic, divided into cloves, peeled
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1 red pepper, de-seeded & quartered
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low-fat cooking spray
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600ml (1 pint) hot vegetable stock
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1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
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1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
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salt & black pepper
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fresh basil to garnish
Step 1 Preheat oven to 220C/400F/Gas Mark 7 and put the tomatoes, onions, garlic and red pepper into a large roasting tin; season with salt and pepper and spray over some low-fat spray. Roast for 45 minutes until the vegetables begin to char at the edges and they are soft.
Step 2 Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. then purée all the vegetables in a food processor with the stock, vinegar and Worcester sauce.
Step 3 Tip the purée into a saucepan and heat through for 3 to 5 minutes before serving with fresh basil leaves scattered over the soup.
Step 4 This soup is also wonderful chilled, cook as above and allow to go cold, if there is no room in the fridge, serve cold with a few ice cubes in the soup, and the basil leaves as before.
Ramen soup, 222 cals
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1 sheet (60g) Ramen or Chinese egg noodles (108 cals)
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½ tsp sesame seeds (8 cals)
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1 sachet of miso soup (27 cals)
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1 tsp mirin (7 cals)
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1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (10 cals)
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½ tsp grated root ginger (1 cal)
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50g spring cabbage thinly sliced (12 cals)
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50g beansprouts (14 cals)
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50g carrot (15 cals)
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50g shiitake mushrooms, sliced (20 cals)
Step 1 Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, put them in a sieve and cool under the tap.
Step 2 Toast the sesame seeds in a hot dry frying pan until golden. Squeeze the gunky contents of the miso soup sachet into a saucepan with 500ml boiling water. Add the soy sauce, mirin and ginger and bring to the boil.
Step 3 Meanwhile, shave the carrot into long ribbons with a potato peeler.
Step 4 Add the cabbage to the soup pan and simmer for a minute. Add the carrot and mushrooms and simmer for another minute. Stir in the beansprouts.
Step 5 Drain the noodles and put them in the bottom of a large soup bowl. Pour over the contents of the pan. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.
*Recipes and imagery courtesy of Lavanderandlovage.com