Just a quick blog today I’m afraid, got the in-laws coming over for dinner tonight and need to get prepping soon.
I’ve had a number of messages in recent weeks from folks struggling a bit with their fast days over the summer holidays – with their kids at home and enjoying all those delicious summer treats. Your fasting days should not be days you feel you have to suffer! You too can enjoy treats on your summer fast days if you plan ahead a little.
So, without further ado, some low calorie ideas for lovely summer treats you can enjoy with (or without!) the kids while you’re doing the 5:2 diet.
Homemade Ice Lollies
Quick to make, but they’ll take a while in the freezer, you can make fruity ice lollies from squash for just a few calories. If you find them too weak try using watered down juice instead for a bit more flavour (but watch the calories). Certainly less calories and far less cost involved than in your typical ice cream van’s lollies. Try adding some fresh berries for a bit of extra natural sweetness.
Hartley’s Sugar Free Fruit Jelly Pots
Now, I’m not into diet foods or ‘light’ products, but these are a great little treat to keep in the fridge. At less than 10 calories a pot you can enjoy a few of these on your fasting days for a fruity, filling treat. The kids’ll love them too! Or, you can mix up your own jelly from their jelly blocks and add in fresh berries (most which are generally pretty low cal, around 25-30 calories for 100g, with the exception of blueberries, 70 cal per 100g) or low calorie fruits such as mandarin segments (34kcal per 100g) to make it even more enjoyable.
Mixed Berry Fruit Salad with (or without!) Yogurt/Meringue
Nothing screams “Summer” moreso than a delicious fruit salad. Opting for plenty of low calorie fruits & berries you can have a nice big bowl full for minimal calories and really get that summer feeling. Top with a spoon or two of your favourite yogurt for a real treat, or crumble half of a meringue nest on top for a mere 26 calories! You should be able to have a good serving for around 100 calories.
Sorbet / Frozen Yogurt Cones
Ditch that high-calorie ice-cream and try a bit of sorbet in the summer! It’s refreshing and tangy and a scoop comes in at on average around 90kcal. Put it on a proper ice cream cone for another 20 calories and feel like you’re having an ice-cream with the kids for less than half the calories! There are also a lot of frozen yogurt ranges available now or ice-cream yogurt mixes, a scoop of which could come in at as little as 40-70 calories and would be fabulous mounted atop a 20 calorie ice cream cone.
Angel Delight Lollies – home made “Mini Milks”
This is one I’ve yet to try but am now really keen to – even for a feed day! Angel delight can indeed be frozen and enjoyed as low calorie alternative to ice cream. The sugar free varieties come in at around 1kcal per gram (with a normal made-up Angel delight serving size being around 90g) so weigh up the amount you’re putting in your lolly moulds and keep them small & sweet! If you’re using a fruity Angel Delight why not try making it with fruit juice instead of semi-skimmed milk and add in some fresh chopped strawberries to lower the calories and add more goodness. How about chocolate Angel Delight made up with orange juice for that Terry’s Chocolate Orange taste? I’m going to give this a go when I get the shopping in at the weekend!
Well, I hope some of these ideas help you through your summer holiday fasts with the kids 🙂 Do bear in mind that sugary fruits & treats may make you feel more hungry (but sometimes it’s worth it!).
Don’t forget if you’re careful with your calories you can finish the day off with a delicious fasting burger & salad for dinner – though you’ll need to leave out the cheese and reduce the dressing or salad size to account for the tasty snacks above! Well worth it for enjoying some summer feeling treats with your family.