The FastDay Forum

Well I'm not. I do not eat fish. OK, once in half year I make the HB parcel oven cooked recipe using cod, but my two guys have to eat fish in school and at work if they want some. I do eat shrimps, crayfish and when we totally splurge - lobster. Top that up with that I'm not a very veggie person either I mean, a plain green sallad does not do it for me and honest to god, it does not fill me up. Asparagus (grilled) and these long slim broccoli are ok and stirred are good, but.....As you can see I'm very picky and that makes fasting (especially if I'm to try 16:8) very difficult.
Made a bean and lentil salad yesterday (yummy and no other eat it ) grilled some Chili Peron with a slight drizzle of olive oil, sea flaked salt and a quick grate of parmesan cheese. But a woman can't live on this alone....or grilled aubergine and zucchini.
So suggestions will be hugely appreciated.

Think the temps finally will be up during the day, feel like it will be scorcher and this is the second day of my +3.5 week vacation

i think vegetables are nicer if they are mixed. I go for alot of color.

So for salads: I put tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber as well as lettuce. Throw in some seeds or nuts or feta cheese for a bit of protein, and it's really perfect.

Another favorite: peach and tomato salad: cut up two tomatoes, two peaches, a bit of red onion, and a bunch of cilantro. dress it with lime juice a bit of olive oil and a shake or two of cayenne pepper.

And another: 1 can of black beans (drain and rinse), 2 cups of corn, romaine lettuce, an orange bell pepper, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, 5 green onions, an optional avocado. Dressing: a bunch of chopped cilantro, 0.5 cup of greek yoghurt, 2 tbsp lime juice, 0.25 cup olive oil, 1.5 tsp white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt. stick all the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and give it a whir. Chop up the rest and pou the dressing over it.

[Moogie]

I always hated salad, until I started chopping it pretty finely and adding in some extra yummy bits! (I don't eat seafood either, not even prawns or shellfish)

All my salads are based on just lettuce (usually iceberg, for crunch), tomato and cucumber with salt & pepper, then I add to them to make up my different versions...

- Feta cheese, ham, a little olive oil and vinegar (balsamic is good)

- A little finely grated cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, balsamic glaze.

- Chopped apple, chicken or ham or bacon and a creamy dressing like Caesar, garlic & herb or ranch. Sometimes I top with some cashew nuts.

I know some of the dressings are quite high cal, but for me it's what makes the salad enjoyable, so if I have a giant bowl of salad veg for only 50 calories or so, then I don't mind adding another 50 (or more ) cals of dressing, it's still low cal but it makes it tasty for me. I can happily have a giant bowl of salad for 200 calories or less which is really filling as well as tasty with all the yummy extras.

Sometimes I cheat and just buy a bag of sweet & crunchy salad mix, chop it up and add sweetcorn and then throw in a good dollop of chilli con carne! (either homemade, or in a pinch from a can) and stir it through. Sounds revolting I know, but I actually really enjoy this 'chilli salad', the sauce of the chilli makes a lovely dressing, the mince adds a different texture & protein and the beans add more goodness.

An alternative to a salad is some oven roasted Mediterranean veg - courgette (zucchini), aubergine, peppers, onion, tomatoes tossed in a little olive oil, basil & garlic and thrown in an oven. I have these with a little couscous and some protein (chicken or ham).

My favourite low cal vege meal at the moment is what I call 'egg stir fry', it's more like a fu yong dish though. I buy a pack of Chinese stir fry veg (beansprouts, peppers, cabbage, red onion, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots) which totals about 180 cals for the whole pack. Grate a good chunk of ginger (about an inch) and chop an equal amount of garlic. Fry these in a little groundnut or sesame oil, then add the vegetables. I add a dash of soy sauce then stir it around before adding 2-3 eggs. As these cook I either break them up scrambled-style so they become the 'meat' of the dish or I let them form an omelette around the veg (break it into four pieces to flip them individually). This comes in at around 500 calories, is a giant plateful and full of Asian tasting goodness! Plus it's really quick and involves minimal washing up. I know it's not a salad, but I'm loving it this summer. I have it whether it's a fast day or not

I'm really trying to up my fruit & veg intake at the moment so finding all sorts of ways to enjoy them. A really tasty spiced hummus is a great way to make carrot sticks more appealing for example. I also love a mix-and-match plate, like a small jacket potato with some beans & a little cheese, a side salad with minimal dressing, some pickled beetroot, sweetcorn, sliced ham and a boiled egg. This is my Friday night dinner and it's comforting but also fresh and full of goodness. It totally fills me up for about 750 calories, and I reckon it could be cut back a bit for a fast day dinner and still be filling (half a spud? less cheese?).

Hope you enjoy some of those

Hi,
I'm new here, but i saw this and thought I would chime in. What about eggs? I found a really amazing frittata that comes to under 300 cals a serving with peas, corn, green onions and spinach in it (the recipe says to use red pepper but I hate cooked peppers, so I use spinach insetead). You could use whatever veggies you like in it though and the best part is it's all topped with cheese. If you look on the BBC good food website, it's called easy oven frittata. Not sure if i can post a link in here.

[Tracieknits]

I definitely agree about salad dressing -- I can't stand salad without it. I have an assortment of dressings in my fridge for any given whim.

I love love love the french Salade Chevre Chaud - goat cheese on bread is put under a broiler until it's melty and toasty, adn that is placed on a salad. I love to add some walnuts and a fig dressing I have (figs are very hard to find here).

Greek salad is another favorite in the summer - tomato, feta, red onion, cucumber, pepperoncini (small pickled, mildly hot peppers) and calamata olives. For dressing, I use olive oil and red wine vinegar whisked with lots of oregano, a little dried garlic powder and salt and pepper.

another dressing I really like is to finely chop a shallot and let that soak in a teaspoon of vinegar (apple cider or red wine or sherry vinegar) for five minutes. then whisk in a teaspoon or two of dijon mustard, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add a wee pinch of sugar if you feel it needs it for balance. I put that over a bit salad for two.

For veggies, have you ever tried oven roasting them? Cut them into bite sized pieces, toss in olive oil and put them in a hot oven until some bits are getting a bit dark. (stir once or twice while cooking). I especially love to do this with root vegetables, squashes and cauliflower. You can season with salt and pepper or add spices. Curry or masala on cauliflower is amazing. Oregano and garlic on zucchini is another favorite. You can even roast green beans, I've heard.

Speaking of green beans/string beans, I don't like them much unless I sautee them until they're getting brown. I take a large, nonstick skillet and add a little bit of oil. I throw frozen beans in (especially thin french haricot vert), and maybe a chopped onion. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked and bits are starting to look a bit burnt. This takes about 20 minutes. I add seasoning - my favorite is crushed red pepper flakes and garlic, with salt and pepper.

[Moogie]

Another one I forgot to mention is a pasta salad. I know there's mixed views on carbs on a fast day, but we all have to do what works for us!
I love a pasta salad - chopped tomatoes (sundried are good!), cucumber, olives and feta cheese thrown in with a little wholewheat pasta and green pesto. A few toasted pine nuts on top for crunch are a yummy finishing touch

I know I wrote a Thank You note, but it seem to have gone missing. So Thank You all for replying. Some of your suggestions I have already made, some I will try out.
I hardly eat any red meat (except for minced) nor pork (except parma ham and bacon) but chicken. In fact I am such a fussy eater and mostly do not eat full portions. Except for stuff that I really like like HB lasagna with aubergine, all in one rice dish and a few more.
If you saw me in person, you would never believe this is true. Thinking of it, I no longer overt anything and is quite frugal when it comes to sweets and crips. Think it's the wine that is my down fall

I don't like fish, with the exceptions of tin sardines in olive oil, raw or smoked salmon and raw tuna. I can eat also other forms of salmon if I have to, but if I can avoid it...
I also tolerate prawns and mussels in paella or in similar spicy meals.

Have you tried sushi?