B00AFYX78I EBOK (17 page)

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!