The FastDay Forum

Although this is geared towards our U.S. members, I am sure you will all find this interesting. They really approve of "zero noodles."

http://www.eatthis.com/blog/truth-about-zero-calorie-foods

Since starting 5:2, I have learned to avoid 'low-fat' foods and I never did give up on carbs, just modified how much of them I eat!

I know zero noodles are not that popular here, but I find they really do fill me up and if you make them with really strong flavours, they are absolutely fine on a fast day.

I don't have much use for them myself because I am happy to eat meals without carbs other than what comes in veg, but oddly enough my OH is happy to eat them instead of ordinary noodles or rice, despite being very traditionalist in his food preferences, so I buy them to help his reduced-carbs diet.

I agree with rawkaren. These studies always say that the diet foods make you eat more. But, I don't find that. I've never had a problem with diet soda. It makes me feel like I'm getting a little something sweet and it fills me up!

I really tried with those zero noodles but could never get past the squid-like texture. I do much better using premade slaw mixes in the same recipes. For another 30 calories I get all those nice vitamins, bulk, and a more food-like texture.

I have never had a problem with artificial sweeteners, but I do have a few friends who developed addictive attachments to diet Pepsi and were drinking crazy amounts of it and gaining weight. There is some pretty good science behind the idea that sweet tasting foods affect receptors in our gut that do things in our brain that could make us overeat. But there probably are wide differences between people in the degree to which this is a problem.

What veggies are in your pre made slaw mix @peebles? Is it cabbage and carrot? Do you steam/ microwave it then use it as ' pasta' under bolognaise sauce etc? I bought a spiralizer and did that with zucchini but it was a lot of work for 5 meals. We have that pre packaged coleslaw too but I also saw one that had broccoli stems, beetroot and carrot very thinly julienned that I thought would work well too.
Xxx julianna

I use the prepackaged slaw (cabbage and carrots) in stir frying, soup, and on my salads. Our favorite way to eat it is adding it to the skillet after cooking bacon or ham with onion. Cook it quickly so it is slightly crunchy. The slaw takes on the flavor of the carmalized onion. Super easy.

Mostly I use the cabbage and carrot slaw in soup or stir fries. I've also used the broccoli, carrot/cabbage mixture, and a cauliflower stem mixture, but stopped buying those because they didn't keep as well as the classic slaw, so I was throwing out too much of it.

Ponzu sauce, orange vinegar, low fat cream cheese, laughing cow wedges, all go great with it in stir fries. I even eat them when not fasting.