The FastDay Forum

Hello,
I've done my first fast day yesterday and I'm going to have the second one tomorrow. Being an au pair, I can't really cook for myself (well, I suppose I could, really, but I don't really feel comfortable cooking in someone else's kitchen)

So I was wondering what do you think about Weight Watchers or Qorn already made meals ? It's a nice solution for me but are they really healthy ?

I really apologize if someone asked that already, I did a research but did not find anything.



thank you very much

[Moogie]

Hi Mathilde & welcome!

There are quite a few folks who choose to use calorie counted ready meals for their fast days. Personally I'd steer clear of any 'diet' ones such as Weight Watchers as often they're full of nasty unnatural things as so many low fat/diet foods are. It's well worth watching the documentary series 'The Men Who Made Us Fat' (there's a link in the resources forum) to learn more about how bad 'low fat' foods are for us.

So, have a look at the ingredients lists before you buy and try to go for ones which have less additives if you can. I hear there are some pretty good ones in M&S.

I also recently discovered a shop in a town nearby, called COOK (http://www.cookfood.net) - it's not cheap (nor is it really expensive), but the food is home-cooked style food without all the additives. I don't know whether you might find one of these locally or not.

[carorees]

They have the Cook range in our local farm shop so they don't have to be in their own shop. The farm shop owners are very "ethical" I suppose you could say (lot of organic and local stuff in their shop as well as their home produced items) and went to visit the factory before deciding to stock the Cook products. They were suitably impressed!

I have spent the day working away from home and bought M&S ready prepared meals. 150 cals each. I have found today much easier than monday my other fast day. The food was tasty and filled me, where as on monday I was craving for food early afternoon and evening even after eating. I am planning to get food in from M&S for my fast days.

Hi Mathilde,
I always like to have a few ready meals in the fridge, as I'm no great cook and some days you just need something quick. Having said that, I wouldn't touch the Weight Watchers meals as I think they taste awful and they're full of ingredients you wouldn't recognise. I usually buy some of the M&S Count on Us meals. They're all 400 calories or less and quite tasty. My favourite is the Chicken Casserole, which actually tastes like a Roast Chicken Dinner.
I'm also thinking of ordering some of the Cook meals online, as we don't have a shop near us. They seem to have great reviews and are made from proper ingredients.

I too couldn't see the ingredients or cals either Izzy

Re the above query, Is anyone in Australia aware of any other ready made options that can be found, rather than the standard WW or Healthy Cuisine, etc etc that we find in our supermarket freezers?
I'll be honest, I have definitely found this an easier way to organise dinner on a fast day as I only eat at dinner time, and I can see the calories at a glance, but I was beginning to wonder about the food quality?!

I'll be honest, I have definitely found this an easier way to organise dinner on a fast day as I only eat at dinner time, and I can see the calories at a glance, but I was beginning to wonder about the food quality?!

What about making a batch of vegie soup & freezing portions of it for fast days? That way you'll know what you're getting & it'll be heaps cheaper than anything you can buy.

Not much more help as I don't eat on fast days apart from the odd piece of fruit or dried fruit & I don't get particularly hungry anymore. The feeling passes so quickly now. I do drink heaps of water. I think I'm about 10 weeks in.

Hi ejaykay, there is a company in Bondi called Eat Fit Food who do fabulous fresh meals in the Sydney Metro area but they are expensive. Those UK 5:2 ers don't know how lucky they are with their lovely selection of pre-made meals do they - our nearest M & S is in Hong Kong!

[janeg]

You'll need to go further Pilchards! The HK M&S din't have a big selection of ready made meals when I lived there...

They do now Janeg - not as good as UK but I noticed quite a few when I was there last year and my friend who lives there often treats herself to a sandwich as a change from the ubiquitous noodles!