5:2 Diet, Feast Days & Fast Days, Monday Meal Plan and Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe
5:2 Diet, Feast Days & Fast Days, Monday Meal Plan
and
Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe
I MISSED last week’s Monday Meal Plan, sorry about that, I had it all ready to post, but time just ran away with me! And this Monday’s Meal Plan is like the Tale of Two Cities, as I am well into my regular 5:2 diet and fasting days, it’s my basic Weight Watchers diet, but with calorie counting on two of the seven days, and to be quite honest, I have found it VERY easy thus far – maybe because I am enjoying all the seasonal fruit and vegetables, and as it is very hot, I am not as hungry as I normally am! I am also used to being savvy with my calories, or points as I normally count them; on the Weight Watcher’s diet, if you don’t use any of your allocated daily points within a seven-day period, they can be “banked” for another day, such as a day when you are going out to dinner, or you are having a few naughty treats! So, I am used to storing up points for a meal out with friends, and often have days where I am eating FAR fewer calories than usual, hence my finding this 5:2 fasting so easy I think. 500 calories may not seem a lot, but I hope my meal plan proves that you CAN have your cake and eat it, in a less literal sense!
Italian Pepper Stew – Rustic Peperonata
So, this week’s Monday Meal Plan is five days of feasting and two days of fasting, and hopefully those of you on the 5:2 diet will find some recipe inspiration from my plan, and those of you who are NOT wasting away (!) will also find something to tempt you too! I have also added my latest 5:2 Diet recipe in this post, you will see it at the end of my meal plan, and ALL the recipes I share on my blog are printable too. I have MANY more new 5:2 Diet inspired recipes, I have been developing quite a few over the weekend, and I aim to share them throughout the next few weeks too……so keep checking back! That’s it for now, see you later, I have some LOVELY product reviews to post, as well as more blogging challenges and my usual latest recipes, kitchen and gardening notes! Oh yes! You can see my other 5:2 recipes in my Sunday Patchwork Quilt of Recipes and Photos Round-Up! Have a GREAT week, Karen
This meal plan is being added to At Home with Mrs M’s Meal Planning Monday Linky – Thanks as always Mrs M!
Meal Plan for week beginning 20th August 2012
5:2 Diet, Feast Days & Fast Days and my Monday Meal Plan
Week beginning 20th August 2012
Monday 20th August – 5:2 Fast Day 1:
Breakfast: 125g 0% Greek Yoghurt = 45 cals
1 small peach = 35 cals
Lunch: Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter= 200 cals
5:2 Diet, Feast Days & Fast Days, Monday Meal Plan and Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe
Tea: Cheese and Red Pepper Pate (recipe to follow) with 1 Crispbread = 144 cals
Daily milk allowance 1/4 pint (150 mls) = 51 cals
TOTAL Calories = 471 calories
(I may use the remaining calories for more fruit)
Tuesday 21st August:
Breakfast: Fresh Fruit Salad
Fresh Fruit Salad
Lunch: Random Recipes Italian Pepper Stew – Rustic Peperonata (Recipe to follow) with baguette
Italian Pepper Stew
Tea: Pizza, home-made Mushroom and Goat’s Cheese Pizza (recipe to follow).
Mushroom and Goat’s Cheese Pizza
Wednesday 22nd August – 5:2 Fast Day 2:
Breakfast: Boiled Egg = 69 cals
1 small peach – 35 cals
Lunch: Caprese Crispbreads: Mozzarella and Tomato Basil on Ryvita Dark Rye (recipe to follow) = 122 cals
Tomato and Mozzarella Crispbreads
Tea: Baked Herb & Spice Crusted Chicken Breast with Salad (recipe to follow) = 180 cals
Baked Herb Crusted Chicken Breast with Salad
1 peach = 35 cals
Daily milk allowance 1/4 pint (150 mls) = 51 cals
TOTAL Calories = 492 calories
Thursday 23rd August:
Breakfast: Porridge
Fruit and Nut Porridge
Lunch: Sausage Plait with Sage and Onion (By popular request!)
Sausage Plait with Sage and Onion
Tea: Salad with home-made bread
Fish on Friday 24th August:
Breakfast: Fresh fruit and yoghurt
Lunch: Soup – probably a Summer Allotment soup!
Tea: Salmon with Sorrel Sauce, potatoes and spinach (recipe to follow)
Weekend:
Saturday – Baking
Sepia Saturday – Baking with Be-Ro
Sunday – Sunday Roast BBQ
And lots of PRESERVING with blackberries and elderberries from my garden and the surrounding hedgerows!
And now on to my LOVELY Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe……..
Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe
Salads don’t have to be boring with no flavour, as is proved in this tasty Halloumi and Tomato Salad Platter; this wonderful Greek inspired salad is only 200 calories, making it a tasty main meal or salad option for the 5:2 diet on fast days, as well as only being 4 1/2 points on the Weight Watchers diet. (pre pro-points) Add on 100 calories for a small pitta bread, if you want to eat this as a main meal, you will still have 200 calories left for the day!
Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe
Halloumi & Tomato Salad Platter Recipe
Halloumi and Tomato Salad Platter (5:2 Diet)
Print recipe
| Serves | 1 |
| Prep time | 2 minutes |
| Cook time | 4 minutes |
| Total time | 6 minutes |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 50g Halloumi cheese, thinly sliced
- 1 beefsteak tomato, sliced
- 50g cucumber, sliced
- a handful of salad leaves
- 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Note
Salads don't have to be boring with no flavour, as is proved in this tasty Halloumi and Tomato Salad Platter; this wonderful Greek inspired salad is only 200 calories, making it a tasty main meal or salad option for the 5:2 diet on fast days, as well as only being 4 1/2 points on the Weight Watchers diet. (pre pro-points) Add on 100 calories for a small pitta bread, if you want to eat this as a main meal, you will still have 200 calories left for the day!
Directions
| Step 1 | Place the Halloumi cheese slices in a hot frying pan and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. |
| Step 2 | Arrange the salad leaves on a large plate/platter and then place the Halloumi cheese, tomato and cucumber slices in alternating layers. Scatter over the fresh basil leaves. |
| Step 3 | Mix together the balsamic vinegar and sugar and then drizzle it over the salad; season the salad with salt and a generous grinding of fresh black pepper and serve. |
Lynsey says
Hi, I wondered if perhaps you could add a new label at the top of your website with the title “500 cal meal plans” to make it easier to search for ideas? Or something like that anyway 🙂 my hubby is doing it and I need to find ways to keep it interesting for him (the diet I mean!).
Karen says
Hi! I usually add the title 5:2 diet, which means under 500 calories, so if you look out for that maybe? GOOD LUCK to your husband and his diet too!
Patricia @ La Chatte Gitane says
I made your (MY !) halloumi salad today. Just what I needed. Thanks.
Karen says
THANKS so much for letting me know, it is REALLY tasty isn’t it? Karen
Sarah says
Your halloumi salad looks delicious! Halloumi is one of the few cheeses my daughter will eat, so we’ll try this later in the week.
Karen says
Thanks Sarah – I LOVE Halloumi, I love its saltiness, and this salad was really delicious!
Jude A Trifle Rushed says
An inspiring post, I’m so impressed with you and your fellow 5:2 dieters. We’re off blackberrying today, so lots of jam making this afternoon. Jude x
Karen says
Thanks Jude! I picked some blackberries last week along with my elderberries and I have been busy preserving! Karen
Phil says
You are well organised in your planning, I’m impressed.
I have just started my 5:2 fast diet (second fast day yesterday) and it’s all a bit ad-hoc so far. I’m also putting a blog together (private at the moment but I’ll make public when it looks more presentable) mainly so I can keep track of what I’ve done.
Like the recipe and look forward to more!
Karen says
Thanks Phil! I find it is MUCH easier to keep on track if I have some idea of what to eat; I have just developed TWO more recipes today, a beef and fish one, which I will be sharing on my blog very soon!
Dragonfly says
I love halloumi and am sorely wishing I had some for today. This will definitely be my meal of choice on my next fast day – it looks absolutely delicious.
Karen says
Thanks! I am also a BIG lover of Halloumi cheese and this does not feel like diet food when you eat it! Let me know if you try this and GOOD LUCK! Karen
Ren Behan says
Love Halloumi cheese, one of my favourites, will definitely be making this salad. Just switched the oven on too to roast my tomatoes for your soup!
Karen says
Thanks Ren! Let me know how you enjoy the soup, I LOVE it! And the roasting REALLY does add flavour to it too! Karen
Gemma says
Hello! Thanks for posting this, I found it really useful – everything looks so tasty! My partner and I are probably going to start on the 5:2 thing next week so thinking of ideas and working out meal plans / shopping lists at the moment.
Karen says
Thanks Gemma! If you need any support or help, JUST shout! I have THREE more NEW recipes to post soon, a fish one, a cheese spread and a burger recipe – all under 300 calories! Karen
Tanyabe says
This is great! I am just about to start the 5:2diet, but I am also a weight watcher, so this is just the kind of ideas I need!
Karen says
Brilliant! I will try to add the points values too – but I am a bit out of date as I still use pre pro-points!
CJ says
I just love the fresh salad recipe you have, thank you 🙂
Karen says
I am pleased that it has caught your culinary imagination!
Kate Flowers says
I heard about the 5:2 diet this summer in a discussion with two male friends who swear by it BUT they were not very helpful with their info onexactly how to go about it :0)
Having Googled 5:2 Diet, your blog came up on top and it is fascinating Bravo xx But am still not sure how the diet works – any clues ???
I love your recipes and wonder if it might be possible to collate the fast day recipes into one area so that they can be easily accessible – I don’t always have Haloumi to hand in the larder :0)
Thanks, Kate x
Karen says
Hi Kate! THANKS so much for your comments and suggestions too….I DO have all my 5:2 recipes collated in one place here: 5:2 Recipes including meal plans too, for a little extra help!
How the diet works, read my first article here: 5:2 Diet and Benefits and here is a quick synopsis of how it works too: eat as you normally would for 5 days a week, within reason, don’t go mad (!), and then on 2 days “fast” which means eating only 500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men.
As for halloumi, try another low-fat cheese instead, or add low-fat cheddar, not fried of course, and adjust the calories as based on the nutritional info on the cheese packet.
MORE recipes to follow next week to include a stir-fry and a soup recipe, as well as some low calorie baking too!
Karen
Shelley says
Hi, never had halloumi before, and am really tempted with this salad. Just wondered, can you cook the cheese in the morning, to bring the salad to work? And dress it just before eating? Or does the cheese need to be hot? Thanks! Just trying to get something sorted for my first week on the 5:2 plan. 🙂
Karen says
Hi Shelley, the cheese can be cooked in the morning, and then dressed at work, although it is better when it is warm, I like this cheese when it is cold in a salad too! Hope that helps?