What Is The 5:2 Diet?

Eating On Fasting Days

On fasting days, women are to consume no more than five hundred calories, and men are restricted to six hundred calories. Patients do not need to restrict their eating window to specific times on the fasting days; they can eat at their normal mealtimes, and having a late dinner or an evening snack is perfectly acceptable. To make the fast as easy as possible, followers of the 5:2 plan are encouraged to eat several small meals throughout the day. Online cookbooks designed specifically for the 5:2 plan have recipe suggestions for fasting days, and patients can use any recipes that fall within the calorie limit for these days. Some find it easiest to use packaged foods that display the calorie content on fasting days, and others choose to include meal replacement bars or shakes for some meals on the fasting days. Building meals around whole grains, fruits, and vegetables enables followers to enjoy a larger quantity of food while remaining within the calorie limits, and this can help ease hunger. For example, breakfast could include a small fruit salad or a portion of oatmeal with some yogurt, or patients might want to have a piece of wholegrain toast with avocado slices. Including a large tossed salad at lunches and dinners is ideal, and patients should measure out the salad dressing for calorie control. If planned correctly, fasting days can include desserts as well.

Continue reading to uncover the health benefits of the 5:2 diet next.