Authors: Kate Harrison
Salad Ingredient | Calories |
½ bag pre-washed salad – whichever you like! | 15-30: see label |
Cherry tomatoes | 3 per tomato |
Sliced bell pepper | 30 per pepper |
Beetroot, 50g cooked | 16 |
Sweet corn – 50g drained from tin | 40-50 |
Spring onion / scallion | Medium – 8 |
Parmesan – great shaved thinly with potato slicer | 10g shavings 40 |
Cottage cheese: varies depending on fat content | 60-100 per 100g |
Wafer thin ham (deli style) – slice varies | 10-15 per slice |
Wafer thin turkey (deli style) – slice varies | 8-15 per slice |
Cooked prawns | 50g = 40 |
Smoked salmon – 1 60g slice | 80-100 |
Artichoke hearts: depends on size of can | 25-50 per portion |
Pumpkin seeds: teaspoon (5g) | 29 |
Pine nuts: teaspoon (5g) | 35 |
Sunflower seeds: teaspoon (5g) | 30 |
Buffalo mozzarella, ½ container (2.2 oz/60g.) | 170 |
Chopped apple: ½ small apple (approx. 50g) | 27 |
Walnuts: teaspoon (5g) | 34 |
Whole boiled egg | 70-80 |
Food | Ideas | Calories |
A is for Asparagus | Super nutritious and filling, and delicious, either steamed, boiled or - easiest of all - microwaved. Serve with sea salt and pepper, lemon juice, or a nice poached egg on the side to dip into! You can also pre-cook and then grill. It’s a great summer dish. | 5 spears = 25 |
A is also for Almonds | These are so good and although like all nuts they’re calorific, a small handful can be very filling. I’ve also used them ground – a teaspoon mixed with yogurt and berries, gives you a hint of sweetness while containing negligible carbs, so you’ll stave off the hunger pangs for longer. | 1 whole = 7 1 Teaspoon = (5g) 31 |
B is for Beetroot | You might have gathered that I am a bit of a beetroot fiend, especially the sort that’s been flavoured with chilli, or baked with cumin powder and served with a little low-fat yogurt or cumin. It’s very good for you, and makes a delicious salad with rocket, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and some chopped fresh apple. I also like it with fresh mozzarella - the kind that comes floating in water. | 50g cooked = 16 |
B is also for Broccoli | Another one of those super-foods. Horrible over-cooked, but steaming works well, or have you tried frying till it almost goes black? The edges caramelise if you slice through the florets into 3mm/1/4 inch slices, then heat some spray oil in a pan till very hot, and fry on both sides. You need the extractor fan for this one or an open window as it can smoke but it’s great with pepper and sea salt, soy sauce or chilli sauce, and very low in calories. | 100g= 38 |
C is for Chocolate | Yum. Etc. You can’t have too much of it, but two or four squares of the dark, expensive kind can be enough to satisfy a craving. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and high in anti-oxidants, too. | 10g (4 small squares) = 58 |
D is for Dijon mustard | Or any kind of mustard. I add it to lots of savoury dishes to give a low-calorie kick - there are calories in it but it’s so hot that you only need a little. | 1 teaspoon (5ml) = 15 |
E is for Edamame beans | Those whole pods that are served in Asian restaurants are available frozen to eat at home, and they’re filling, nutritious and can satisfy a snack craving. | 50g = 61 |
F is for low-fat Feta cheese | This has a strong, salty taste, so a little goes a long way. Try in a Greek salad with lots of tomato, black olives and cucumber, perhaps with some red wine vinegar or a ready-made lower calorie dressing. | 50g = 100-120 |
G is for Ginger | One of your best friends for extra flavour during Fast Days. I am a big fan of the clean taste of pickled ginger that’s served with sushi – I’m addicted to it on its own! | 25g (plenty!) = 10-15 |
H is for Ham | Great for when you’re having a savoury craving. Parma is posh, try 2 slices of Parma ham with 6 thin slices of melon. | For melon and ham = 80 |
I is for Ices | They don’t have to be out of bounds if you choose carefully. A Solero is the dieter’s friend on hot days or look for Italian style ice-cream (typically less fatty than American style) or a creamy low-fat frozen yogurt (check the calories though as some can be higher than normal ice-cream). | Solero = 90 1 2.5 oz. scoop Baskin Robbins Fat Free Vanilla Frozen Yogurt = 80 |
J is for Jelly | Sugar-free jellies can help overcome a sweet craving with negligible calories. | 3-10 |
K is for Kiwi Fruits | Often overlooked - maybe because of their unpromising exterior. But inside there’s a frenzy of vitamin C. | 46 |
L is for Lentils | Cheap red lentils make a great basis for soup – see the recipe - and the ‘gourmet’ Puy variety are extremely filling and provide a nutritious and tasty base for a salad. | 100g ready to eat Puy lentils = 130 |
M is for Marmite | Definitely one for the Brits here – we all know that a little of this yeasty spread goes a long way. Great on crisp breads or a single slice of toast. I also like Marmite flavoured cheese bites too: 85 calories for a portion. | 10 for a 4g spread |
N is for Noodles | Try the Shirataki ‘no calorie’ noodles which can be found in the chiller section and contain fewer than 20 cals (sometimes none at all) per serving. The ones with tofu taste less ‘fishy’ and it’s best to use a strong flavoured sauce and also to ‘dry roast’ them for a minute in a hot pan before using! | Less than 20 cals per serving |
O is for Oreo Cookies | Maybe it’s because they look so cute but I adore Oreos – and the mini biscuits can give you a sweet hit without too many calories if you can stop at one or two | ½ 29g Bite size pack (4 cookies) = 65 |
P is for Popsicles | Make your own low-cal popsicles or ice lollies with sugar-free squash, diluted fruit juice, low-fat yogurt or pureed fruit. Use a reusable mould and go wild! | Depends on what you add |
Q is for Quinoa | Quinoa – which those in the know pronounce ‘keen-wa’ is a seed originally grown by the Incas which is used as a grain in pilaffs or as a stuffing. It’s very high protein so a little will fill you up and you can use it in salads or other dishes that are normally made with rice. | 100g cooked = 100-110 |
R is for Ricotta | A lovely light Italian cheese with a mousse-like texture for dips, sauces or even as a substitute for mayonnaise in salads which need ‘binding.’ Check labels to get lower calorie versions. | 1 cup = 50-100 depending on brand |
S is for Salsa | The shop bought stuff can be really good but nothing beats home-made: this one improves after a day in the fridge. 1 tomato, finely diced 1 medium red (bell) pepper ½ cucumber, & ½ celery stick, finely diced 1 medium onion, chopped finely 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 tablespoons salt Pinch each chilli flakes, black pepper, oregano 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Soak the onions in the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Leave overnight. Roast the bell pepper till the skin is charred, discard seeds and white parts, chop and add to the other chopped vegetables and onions. Add flavourings. Makes 8 portions. | 14 cals per portion |
T is for Turkey. And Thanksgiving | Turkey is a great low-fat meat but the rest of the celebration dishes are not that fast-friendly, so I’d use the flexibility of this diet to eat what you like on the holiday itself, and then cut back later. It’s a Feast Day, after all. | |
T is for Tangerine | Easy to peel and the perfect portion size. Tangerines are also one of the newest super-foods, with research suggesting a chemical in the fruit can reduce the risk of heart attacks, diabetes and stroke, as well as staving off obesity. | 1 small tangerine – 37 calories |
U is for Ugli fruit | I’ve never had one. Apparently it’s a bit like a grapefruit. | ½ fruit = 45 |
V is for Vinegar | Vinegar is under-rated. In the UK, we love the strong malty sort on chips – so unlikely to feature in a Fast Day. But the world of vinegar includes fruit vinegars, sherry, cider, red and white wine and even champagne: these are virtually calorie free. As a dressing the milder ones can work on their own, without oil, and balsamic – which does contain more calories – is fab on cooked veg as well as salad. Sweet and sour, yummy! Plus apparently it has lots of medicinal benefits including positive effects on blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes/insulin sensitivity ( bit.ly/Ssvdcg ) | 1 teaspoon balsamic = 12-16 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar = 1! |
W is for Watercress | Another one of those ingredients often quoted as a super-food because of its high levels of Vitamin C and other nutrients – it was recommended in the 16 th century as a treatment for scurvy. It makes a nutritious salad or soup ingredient, and scientists are investigating cancer-fighting properties, too. | 100g = 11g |
X is for Xmas | As with Thanksgiving, the treats like mince pies and Christmas pud won’t help with Fasts. But this diet is ideal for any kind of celebration - you can feel virtuous by simply fasting two days over the festive period, which might be a relief after so much rich food. Remember, this is for life, not just for Christmas | |
Y is for Yogurt | Remember the thin, unpleasant smelling diet yogurts of the eighties and nineties? Now you can get very palatable tasting ones at below 100 calories. On Fast Days, though, I often prefer to use normal yogurt, or even Greek yogurt, in very tiny doll’s house portions. | Depends on brand! |