The FastDay Forum

Hi
Decided to get back on the band-wagon after having a few naughty days although still doing 5:2 - I went to the supermarket at the weekend and bought a few 'diet' desserts for this week including a WW Choc mousse. Does anyone else think these things are too sweet? Yuk! Can anyone recommend any mousse/yoghurt type puds that are not so sweet - getting fed up with jelly. Tks.

These things are often loaded with artificial sweeteners which I find taste awful. A small portion of something 'proper' on a food day is more satisfying (although it often descends into a much larger portion!)

On fast days, I often have frozen berries (rasps are best) with low fat greek yogurt, sweetened with a drop of vanilla extract, and a tsp of stevia (I know it's kind of an artificial sweetener but it's supposedly natural and is on;y 2 cals for a tsp. Weird taste but it does the job. You could always have a tsp of maple syrup or honey for a low GI sweetener). This snack keeps me going quite well (protein in the yogurt) and comes in under 100 cals (80g frozen rasps is 25 cals, natural yogurt is about 70 for 100g). You could always blend it into an 'ice cream' pud.

Alpro desserts are quite nice and don't taste too fake (a bit earthy thanks to the soya) - about 100 cals although not filling enough for me to have on a fast day! They are long life so keep ages. You could mix an options hot choc sachet with yogurt and see how that tastes?

And you can have I think 12 mini amaretti biscuits for 100 or so cals - I got some recently and have been munching them with cherries (not on a fast day).

Vanilla (or almond) extract is a good way to add sweet flavour without too many calories. Enjoy experimenting!

Thanks I will try the frozen raspberries next time I go to the shop

[Moogie]

I've fallen in love with Mini Milk lollies all over again! I used to love them as a kid, now I've found multipacks at Tesco and they're 30 cals each. Okay, they're only small but they're a lovely little treat!

I really like the Lidl Linessa range of yogurts. A 125g pot comes in at 39 cals.
Pour over 100g strawberries for a yum desert around 70cals.

I'm also loving Special K chocolate Biscuit Moments, 98 cals for 2 biscuits. Just lovely with a coffee mid morning!

Totally agree about the yyuukkk sweetener I've gone onto frozen forest fruit and stewing my bought rhubarb + apple Sue

Fresh pineapple is my favorite dessert on lean days.

Just in general, if I'm really just trying to kill a craving for something sweet, I'll suck on a Werthers hard caramel, that usually does the trick for about 25 calories.

I just like to keep something in the fridge in case I have an 'attack' so I don't feel deprived. Just had a pack of Weight Watchers Mature Cheddar and onion wavy squares - 70 cal - bag of six packs from £1 shop!

gingertea, the sugar free Werthers are only 6 cals

I am hooked on Skinny Cow, caramel ice cream lollies (94 cals)

I've just had a 'pudding' of 100g natural low fat greek yogurt (70 cals) mixed with an options hot choc sachet (40 cals) It was actually pretty good even though clearly full of artificial sweeteners. More filling than a weight watchers type dessert for similar cals. Am slightly worried that artificial sweeteners might exacerbate any tendencies to insomnia (I think they have done before) but as it's my first fast in few weeks I'll probably (hopefully!) sleep like a log.

Anything by Beckleberrys ... Not on a fast day tho!

I love chocolate, with mint... Mmmmmmmmmmm... also coconut cake. Really, any kind of cake. Pie.

Frozen berries are a great idea for a fast day though! They are full of antioxidants (we all need those), and very low in calories! I haven't tried it yet though. I find on a fast day, my main goal is just to eat a little of the dinner I made for my family with my family. That's it. No sweets, berries or cake. Not until tomorrow. Well, cake only once in a while. Chocolate every week!

One thing I have been eating (on days that I eat) is a little combo of berries, plain yogurt & flax! I used to put in a little honey too, but now I just like it without!

I get those little meringue nests (45 cals), whack on some defrosted frozen raspberries and some nice Greek Yoghurt - low cal and delish

ASDA sell their own brand of individual frozen yogurt lollies. Not exactly huge (50ml), but at 42cal each, they are very handy. My ASDA in Portsmouth sells them, but the one in Cheltenham doesn`t.

I just discovered some wonderful Middle Eastern milk puddings from the book "Jerusalem". They're basically milk boiled and thickened with cornflour and chilled till set. The book suggests an amazing topping of crushed pistachios, dessicated coconut and a syrup of sugar, vanilla and bay leaf. It is divine.

However, I'll bet if you swapped the full fat milk with skim, and the sugar with Splenda or Stevia or whatever (or even did without it) and topped with chopped strawberries and just the merest hint of rosewater you'd have a pretty respectable dessert. Just sayin'.