5:2 diet plan: 500-calorie meals

Tempted by the 5:2? Try out our three-week plan for size

You've probably heard of intermittent fasting. The 5:2 diet is still going strong, as an increasing amount of research continues to suggest the easiest way to incorporate fasting into your lifestyle, and still gain health benefits, is to restrict your food intake to 500 calories (600 for men) two days a week. Not convinced 500 will stretch that far? You might be surprised. In fact, you can eat two delicious meals on a fasting day without feeling the slightest bit restricted. Sound good? Use the following meal plans to follow the diet for three weeks:

Week 1: FAST DAY ONE

Breakfast: A tangerine. Porridge (40g oats) and blueberries (145g).

Dinner: Chicken stir-fry (one chicken fillet, handful sugar snap peas, 100g cabbage, 2 carrots, ginger, coriander, garlic, soy sauce)

FAST DAY TWO

Breakfast: Yoghurt (small pot natural fat-free), blueberries (70g) and ham (40g)

Dinner: Feta Niçoise salad (1 egg, handful lettuce, handful green beans, 100g chopped cucumber, 90g feta cheese, 6 black olives)

Week 2: FAST DAY THREE

Breakfast: 1 Boiled egg and half a grapefruit

Dinner: Veggie chilli (1 large mushroom, half tin chopped tomatoes, half tin of kidney beans, garlic, half a chopped red chilli) with brown rice (80g cooked)

FAST DAY FOUR

Breakfast: Smoked salmon, a cracker and light cream cheese

Dinner: Thai prawn salad (handful of cooked prawns, grated cucumber and carrot, sesame seeds)

Week 3: FAST DAY FIVE

Breakfast: Smoked salmon (50g) and 2 scrambled eggs

Dinner: Roasted vegetable salad (10 cherry tomatoes, ½ cougette, ½ aubergine, 1 red pepper. Two tangerines

FAST DAY SIX

Breakfast: Strawberry smoothie (1 banana 100g, pot fat-free natural yoghurt 150g, large handful strawberries 50g)

Dinner: Oven-baked smoked haddock (fillet smoked haddock (200g), 1 poached egg, 100g steamed broccoli)

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